Belkin, a producer of accessories for smartphone and tablet devices, is teaming up with the Mobile Content Venture (MCV) to extend the Dyle Mobile TV service, allowing 120 million devices in the market to receive Mobile-TV signals. Up until now, there was no unifying umbrella for identifying if a mobile product is capable of receiving OTA broadcasts from local affiliates. MCV was formed last year to address this need.
The organization is made up of 15 broadcast groups (including Cox, Gannett and Hearst) with the goal of spreading awareness of local television for mobile and to allow consumers to identify products that are set to receive a local broadcast signal. The mission is to allow consumers to see the Dyle branding and be confident that the device is compatible and can indeed receive broadcast television signals. Part of the challenge has been getting support from smartphone manufacturers, but now with Belkin in its corner, MCV can bring branding to multiple millions of cell phone accessories.
MCV already is covering a large amount of the U.S. population, about 50 percent, spanning 72 stations in 32 markets. With the signals being available via Belkin devices, this is the biggest jump yet toward Dyle acceptance. While live mobile TV has surged around the world, acceptance in the U.S. has been on a steadier path. Mainly this is due to consumers renting and downloading of TV and movies on-demand, as opposed to a live signal.
But, as the quest for more content grows, live television from local affiliates could be the next big wave in mobile-TV options. Belkin intends to hit the ground running, and has announced that it plans a Dyle-branded product for mobile television to be available for portable devices in the first quarter of 2012.
