It includes service delivered via mobile phone networks, received free-to-air via terrestrial television stations, or via satellite broadcast.
[1] However, except in South Korea, consumer acceptance of broadcast mobile TV has been limited due to lack of compatible devices.
In the 2010s, specialized mobile TV platforms and protocols were discontinued due to the rapid deployment of LTE cellular networks and the growing popularity of streaming television over the internet on modern smartphones.
[17] Gannett Broadcasting president David Lougee pointed out that many of those attending the inauguration of Barack Obama would likely hear him but not see him; had the new technology been in place, this would not have been a problem.
[21][22] By the end of the year, the ATSC and the Consumer Electronics Association began identifying products meeting the standard with "MDTV".
[24] White House officials and members of Congress saw the triple-play concept in an ION demonstration on July 28, 2009, in conjunction with the OMVC.
[25][26] Another demonstration took place October 16, 2009 with journalists, industry executives and broadcasters riding around Washington, D.C., in a bus with prototype devices.
[22] Also in August, WTVE and Axcera began testing a single-frequency network (SFN) with multiple transmitters using the new mobile standard.
[29] Lougee, whose company planned testing in its 19 markets in 2010, said the chip designs with the new devices made targeted advertising possible.
Unlike earlier units, this one provides a clear picture without pixelation in a fast-moving vehicle, using an LG M/H chip and a one-inch roof-mounted antenna.
[23][31] On December 1, News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch said mobile DTV would be important to the future of all journalism, and he planned to offer TV and possibly newspaper content in this way.
[34] Sinclair Broadcast Group director of advanced technology Mark Aitken said the mobile DTV concept of multiple transmitters would help free up spectrum for wireless broadband in rural areas but not large cities.
He also explained to the FCC that mobile DTV was the best method for sending out live video to those using cell phones and similar devices.
[36] On September 23, 2010, Media General began its first MDTV service at WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio and had plans to do the same a month later at WFLA-TV in the Tampa Bay, Florida area and five to seven more stations in its portfolio.
"[43] At the NAB show in April 2012, MCV announced that 17 additional television stations would launch mobile DTV, bringing the total to 92, covering more than 55% of US homes.
As of 2023, WNUV CW 54, a Nextgen TV station in Baltimore, is broadcasting in a format called MobileW at 480p resolution for cell phone reception.