Mobile content specialist MobiTV Inc. introduced an upgraded version of its Optimized Delivery Server to improve network use and user experience for mobile television.

The Emeryville, CA-based company said Optimized Delivery Server is a scalable, secure and optimized way for distributing live, clip-linear, video on-demand and downloadable media over broadband and wireless networks. The upgrade targets current wireless carrier clients of MobiTV as well as prospects.

"It means that, first of all, you can improve quality of service and the quality of experience," said Kay Johansson, chief technology officer of MobiTV. "You can really deliver reliable TV service with channel change and handle unreliable networks.

"The second thing is that distributing it in a cost-effective way," he said. "The increased quality of service will bring in more subscribers and reduce churn."

Essentially, the upgrade means that carriers have a choice whether they want a fully managed, end-to-end hosted network offering or the ability to license components of MobiTV's system that can interoperate with the existing infrastructure.

MobiTV has integrated this technology with its Connected Media Solutions end-to-end managed hosted service.

The new version will be rolled out during the year. MobiTV hasn't disclosed names of customers who have signed up, but its U.S. portfolio includes the Sprint, AT&T and Alltel Wireless networks.

The company has also made its Optimized Delivery Server available for licensing to partners and customers who want video and rich media over current network ecosystems.

The Server is said to combine both unicast and multicast distribution methods for a single delivery platform that is supposed to improve video quality and decrease backhaul.

MobiTV's technology also enables targeted ad insertion.

The Optimized Delivery Server will allow for ad insertions including in-stream insertion for live and clip-linear content, as well as post- and pre-roll ad placements for video on-demand and downloaded content.

The service also has the capability to insert personalized, targeted ads to be sent to a user based on the available user profile information. In essence, two users watching the same channel on mobile will get two different ads that are targeted just to them.

"We're adding a unique way of monetizing mobile television," Mr. Johansson said.

The challenge addressed here is simple: reliability and quality.

"Channel change today on mobile TV is streaming-packet-based and can be eight to 12 to 14 seconds," Mr. Johansson said. "And that's not a really good experience.

"You want to have a TV-type experience," he said. "You don't need to have a high bit rate or higher frame rate, but it has to be relevant and reliable enough."