OMVC to launch Mobile DTV Consumer Showcase in Washington, D.C.

The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) will launch a trial mobile DTV service in the Washington, D.C., area May 3.

According to the OMVC, during the Mobile DTV Consumer Showcase, sponsored by LG Electronics and Samsung, hundreds of users will be provided with various technologies capable of receiving mobile TV, including cell phones, netbooks, portable media players and laptops. A partnership of nine area TV stations coordinated by the OMVC will provide local, national and cable programming for the mobile service. Additional features to be provided by the service include interactive voting and polling, interactive advertising, advanced electronic service guides for program information and transmissions of emergency alerts and closed-captioning information.

Audience metrics of the service will be collected and analyzed using a return channel in connected devices, and feedback will be gathered by Harris Interactive through online resources, interviews and focus groups.