Motive Television another step closer to Tablet TV

Motive Television's (MTV) shares surged Wednesday as the company announced the next stage of development in its Tablet TV technology.

The London-listed joint venture with Granite Broadcasting Corporation in the US will bring live broadcast television and video-on-demand to tablets and smartphones.

MTV said it will unveil a pilot demonstrating the full suite of the Tablet TV features at Granite's KOFY station in San Francisco in mid-2013.

It will show how the technology is broadcast directly to tablets over the standard live ATSC digital terrestrial signal.

"The demonstration pilot at KOFY in San Francisco is the next step in readying tablet television for the US market introduction," said Leonard M Fertig, Chief Executive Officer of MTV.

"Tablet TV continues to move toward its launch and becoming a significant player in delivering content to the fastest growing segment of television viewing. It will permit the television industry to see Tablet TV in action, prove Tablet TV's technical capabilities in a television broadcast environment, and make our consumer appeal apparent."

The demonstration will be followed by a market field test with tablet TV equipped T-Pods later in the year before rolling out the product.

The consumer features available on tablets will include live viewing of local broadcast stations, recording of live television with PVR functionality, datacast delivery of video-on-demand content, and integrated social media. It will be operated from Granite's KOFY station.

The product will allow tablet users to watch television from public and commercial networks in their city.

"We are working together to create a new way that American viewers can enjoy their favourite broadcast television programs on the exponentially growing number of tablet screens," said Peter Markham, Chairman of Granite.

"As a broadcaster we see Tablet TV as a source of additional viewing convenience for the public and a win-win for the industry."

RD