LG and Samsung Team Up to Develop North American Mobile Digital TV Standard

LG and Samsung have announced a partnership to create and promote a new mobile digital TV standard for the North American market. The United States' broadcast TV industry is moving to digital broadcasts in 2009 in accordance with the FCC, and the two handset manufacturers hope to use this infrastructure for mobile digital TV.

Samsung and LG will be co-developing a new solution that will require a minimal equipment investment from carriers and will use the existing digital broadcast TV infrastructure to bring live TV to mobile handsets. The new standard will use the result of a study by the IDOV (Independent Demonstration of Viability) that was conducted by the Association of Maximum Service Television (MSTV) for the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC). A report on IDOV will be submitted by the OMVC to the ATSC.

Samsung and LG are already major players in the digital television market, so mobilizing DTV receivers is a very logical step. Digital TV is broadcast for free in the United States, and thus will not offer any additional revenue for operators.