MobiTV Enhances Mobile Broadcast Interactivity

  • MobiTV in collaboration with Triveni Digital, unveiled the MobiTV Interactivity Server and Mobile TV Client, based on the ATSC A/153 Mobile DTV standard. The development enables new interactive possibilities for mobile media delivery, the alliance says.
  • The demonstration of the mobile broadcast application conducted during NAB will feature live content from MSNBC, CNBC, and Telemundo. This ready-to-deploy solution incorporates a targeted, interactive news ticker with instant updates and clickable mobile advertising into a broadcast feed without taking the user to another application like a Web browser.
  • "Until now, mobile broadcast technology has had very limited interactivity — something consumers are demanding," said Kay Johansson, chief technology officer for MobiTV, Inc. "This demonstration highlights the future of mobile media: targeted content that is actionable and moves broadcast TV from a one-way user experience to a two-way interactive engagement."
  • The combined solution from MobiTV and Triveni Digital allows broadcasters to create additional revenue streams that were previously not possible. For example, in addition to interactive services such as weather and traffic, broadcasters now can utilize interactive advertising with click-throughs and socially engage with their audiences in the form of real-time voting to provide direct feedback on hot topics.
  • The MobiTV Interactivity Server and Mobile TV client uses the application framework of ATSC A/153, which is based on OMA RME, and is supported by the Triveni Digital GuideBuilder, which also enables transmission of mobile metadata so that mobile users can select and change viewing channels and access information about current show, duration, rating, and other characteristics.
  • "Interactivity is a very important component of mobile television for both broadcasters and viewers," said Rich Chernock, chief technology officer for Triveni Digital. "The collaboration between Triveni Digital and MobiTV demonstrates a practical implementation of RME interactivity, allowing the separation of authoring interactive content and synchronized RME content insertion into the MobileDTV stream using the GuideBuilder system already in place at the station for fixed and mobile metadata management."

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