Tiny TV to go with you? Stay tuned

this time next year, Atlantans may not have to miss "American Idol" because they're out and about. They can watch on a mobile TV set about the size of an iPhone.

That may not sound revolutionary in an era when live TV and videos, distributed by wireless Internet connections to laptops and cellphones, are commonplace and on the rise.

And, in a way, it's not: The system, called Mobile DTV Broadcasts, operates like old-school TV: It's a free broadcast signal, sent by local TV stations.

The difference is that, with the old TV system, if you moved the TV "the picture would immediately break up," said Brett Jenkins, vice president of technology Ion Media Networks, which is helping set up the system in Atlanta. "With this system, it's truly mobile. You can move and the picture is still clear and strong."

But there is a huge hitch. Even though Atlanta station WATL (Channel 36), and Marietta station WPXA (Channel 14), already broadcast the signal, Jenkins said, nobody can watch because there are no commercial mobile TV devices yet on the market.

"It's the classic chick and egg," Jenkins said. "You need somebody to broadcast the signal so there's a market for the devices. But people need to be able to buy the devices before stations see the need to broadcast the signal."

Jenkins said that ION, which is based in West Palm Beach, Fla., and owns about 60 broadcast TV stations, and the Open Mobile Video Coalition, an affiliation of about 800 U.S. stations, hope the system will be up and running in Atlanta sometime in 2010.

Samsung, Dell and Kenwood are among the electronics manufacturers developing the mobile devices and planning to bring them to market when there is enough demand.

Already Atlantans have an increasing variety of means to get TV on the run, on laptops or cellphones. "And this is just another way to do that," Jenkins said. "We don't see ourselves as competing with Internet providers. We look at it as a rising tide that lifts all boats."

Other cities testing or planning to test the system include Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston.

About the Author

Jeffry Scott

Amazon robotic fulfillment center in Stone Mountain opens to public for tours

Now, those who are curious can see inside Amazon’s four-story, 640,000-square-foot Stone Mountain fulfillment center.

PSC votes to keep Georgia Power rates steady, but relief may not last long

State regulators voted Tuesday to keep Georgia Power’s current base electricity rates through 2028, heading off — for now — the possibility of more rate hikes for customers.

AJC HER+STORY