Update: An old email from October 2009 says, with regard to the new mobile digital television standard, that "Now digital television closed captioning will be carried within the mobile DTV signal." Trying to get further confirmation, but if this is the case, then closed captioning should carry through automatically.
The New York Times reports that starting in April, local TV stations in metro Washington, DC will begin free mobile digital TV broadcasts. (Other metropolitan areas will also get mobile digital TV) The mobile television standard used does support closed captioning. However, that is a standard; it does not guarantee that the broadcasts themselves will be captioned. Again, it is up to the content provider - and the device makers. Need another reason to support HR 3101?
I can already see myself on the Metrorail system two months from now, glaring in envy at my fellow passengers as they watch television on their handhelds. Then again, maybe not. I'm going to place a few phone calls to find out if local stations will include captions in their mobile digital TV broadcasts.
Related blog post: Introducing Caption Action 2
Jamie
I am responding as one who is directly involved with the Washington Mobile DTV Showcase. Our company, Harris Corporation makes the broadcast equipment that will be used for six of the eight DC stations in the showcase. Harris is also deeply involved in the development of this new technology. I also currently serve at Vice Chair of the ATSC…the DTV standards body that developed the standard for mobile DTV.
The Harris equipment at the six stations is designed to provide captioning. Captioning is not yet enabled due to some lab testing of the receivers and some configuration issues. We will however be getting captioning running before the time the showcase begins in mid April.
We have not forgotten this segment of the viewing public.
All the best.
Jay Adrick
VP Broadcast Technology
Harris Corporation
One of the very important uses of Mobile TV will be to access captioned breaking news right away versus having to wait for text to be made available on web sites or via email. For this reason, I think deaf and hard of hearing people are likely to be very eager and early adapters of this technology, in part because radio is still inaccessible.
Will most portable devices and cell phones support this technology? Is there a list of compatible hardware somewhere?
Dana,
The New York Times article has pictures and explains what devices will be able to receive the mobile TV signal. Apparently not yet available for cell phones, but they are working on it.
According to a participating television station (WRC), Samsung will be conducting beta tests of “Mobile DTV Samsung Moment” cell phones in March:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/tech/Dongles_bring_Mobile_DTV_to_smartphones_and_laptops-80988107.html
My understanding is that these cell phones would have special hardware to receive the signals from the outfitted TV stations. Current Samsung Moments wouldn’t work.
Since I’m in the market for a new cell phone and I’m in the DC area, I’d like to try to get in on this beta test. Can’t find any information at Sprint or Samsung about how to do that, though, so I’ll try stopping by a Sprint store.
Went to three different Sprint stores yesterday and no one there knew about the upcoming beta test of the Samsung Moment Mobile DTV phones. I wouldn’t be surprised if the test is behind schedule.