Samsung (News - Alert) Moment, a cell phone offered exclusively by Sprint, has been selected to be part of a demonstration of the North American mobile digital TV broadcasting standard.

 

The demonstration will be conducted during International CES (News - Alert) 2010 show in Las Vegas.

 

“The selection of Samsung Moment as the first trial handset for mobile digital TV in the U.S. is an enormous honor for Samsung Mobile,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. “It is incredibly rewarding to see one of Samsung Mobile’s flagship devices be integrated with the Samsung ATSC Mobile DTV chip that’s giving the power and potential of free, live mobile digital TV to our U.S. customers.”

 

As part of the demonstration, Samsung Moment will receive live digital TV using Samsung’s Mobile DTV Chip. Samsung’s Mobile DTV Chip is reportedly the world’s first single-chip solution for the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) Mobile Digital TV standard.

 

The ATSC Mobile Digital TV chip will allow Samsung Moment to receive live TV programming from local broadcast stations. This includes prime-time network programs, local news, sports and emergency alerts.

 

According to Fared Adib, Sprint (News - Alert) vice president of product development, Samsung Moment is a customer favorite with its integrated Android platform. Sprint is excited to be able to offer it with the Samsung’s Mobile Digital TV chip to customers in the Washington and Baltimore areas, said Adib, who added that it is a great experience to watch local and network television on Moment with the benefit of its dynamic screen.

 

According to Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), Samsung Moment has also been selected for a showcase with Sprint customers in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore markets during the first quarter of 2010. The 3.2-inch AMOLED display screen which delivers crisp colors, bright pictures outdoors and wide viewing angles led to Samsung Moment’s selection.

 

Brandon Burgess, CEO of ION Media Networks and president of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, said mobile DTV technology will allow D.C.-area consumers to watch their favorite live programs -- with access to local news, weather, emergency information and more -- broadcasted by eight local TV stations. The OMVC is promoting mobile digital television technology within the U.S. broadcast industry to achieve widespread market penetration in 2010, according to reports.

 

Samsung Moment was originally launched in November 2009 without the Mobile DTV chip. It provides access to built-in Google (News - Alert) mobile services as well as a number of applications available in the Android Market.