CES: OMVC preps for deployments in 2009

“You are already seeing organically the expression of interest from LG and Kenwood and Samsung by participating in the press conference,” added Anne Schelle, executive chairman of the OMVC. “Also, we are getting lots of inquiries from chip manufacturers and other handheld device manufacturers from other portable devices. It’s an exciting opportunity and time. The [Consumer Electronics Association] set up a special interest group completely devoted to ATSC for device manufacturers, and we will be doing a lot of work around the testing over the next few months in the first quarter of January, end-to-end testing of this system, as well as of ATSC.”

LG is developing a reference kit that will help other manufacturers learn how to incorporate the technology into their devices. Neither Schelle nor Taylor anticipate running into roadblocks in getting manufacturers to embed the technology or consumers to adopt it once the standard is completed.

“As a manufacturer, we know we can’t build this market on our own,” Taylor said. “We are true believers in broadcast mobile digital television and the benefits of delivering live, local DTV programming to consumers on the move, but we can’t do it alone. We were a co-developer of the technology, and we need to help other manufacturers.”