Dyle
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Daily Update for May 15, 2013
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Belkin releases Dyle receivers for iPhone and iPad
With ABC adding live streaming to its iPad app and the growth of live TV services via iOS in the past few months, the time is right for Belkin to announce Dyle mobile TV receivers for the iPhone and iPad. The US$129.99 device is about the size of a half a deck of cards, weighs around six ounces and includes a carrying case. It's only compatible with devices with 30-pin dock connectors at the moment. It'll bring live TV to an iOS device without the need for an internet connection. However, as Victor pointed out in his review of the Dyle receiver created by Elgato, is still pretty limiting. If you're in an area where the service is pretty strong, the receiver might be of use to you. But, it could be worth it to wait a few more months for Dyle to get stronger. The Belkin receiver is available through its website and is up for pre-order on Amazon. [via 9to5Mac]
Review: Elgato's EyeTV Mobile for Dyle
Elgato has been making video hardware for a number of years, and typically I've found the offerings to be as good as any given consumer would need. As hardware has gotten better, Elgato's offerings have been able to pump out HD signals to your Mac or iOS device. Here I'll review an odd duck, a digital TV tuner called EyeTV Mobile, but it's only for a TV service called Dyle. Unfortunately the Dyle service, which is tied to the hardware I'm reviewing, has no history of success. It appears to be an experiment by a consortium of broadcasters, and there's no telling if it will last. If you want broadcast TV on your iDevice, Dyle is only going to take you so far. Hardware Elgato's hardware is great. The 30-pin accessory (at the time I was sent the review unit the Lightning connector was brand-new) allows you to tune in Dyle.tv programming. You're able to attach a small antenna (seen in the picture above) or add a more substantial one (included) with a magnetic base. You can also plug in to USB, and apparently the accessory contains a small battery (although I was able to watch TV without it showing much of a charge). Unfortunately this USB port is not able to charge your iOS device at the same time, so forget about pass-through charging. This is just to charge the EyeTV Mobile, for reasons slightly unclear to me. But as I said, the hardware is great. Elgato makes good stuff. It's the service that will leave you scratching your head. Service According to its site, Dyle is "the creation of Mobile Content Venture (MCV) -- formed by major broadcasting groups." Unfortunately those major groups wound up only agreeing to broadcast Fox and NBC programming. Not all of it, mind you. If you tried to tune in to the football game last night you couldn't -- it was blocked. Also, coverage is limited. Also, unlike actual terrestrial digital television broadcasts, Dyle isn't showing you the full channel lineup of any given channel. Where I live, the local Fox and NBC stations have two channels on digital TV (not cable, this is free TV over the air), so I'd have 10.1 and 10.2 for my local NBC affiliate, and one would carry "primary" stuff like the national feed, and the .2 channel is typically local -- a loop of the weather or a local talk show, stuff like that. Dyle doesn't have this. It only has the national feed. The channel guide is virtually useless. I wound up using i.TV to see what was on or coming up later. There is a tiny amount of buffering, in that you can rewind a tiny bit and pause playback, but it is not that useful. So yes, Dyle is "free" TV over the air, but not free TV digital broadcasts as we know them. It's an alternative to these built by a consortium. And in the consortium's wisdom they have removed most channels (because those networks apparently refused to participate), removed all secondary channels, agreed not to show things like sports with blackout restrictions, and launched a product with less coverage than existing broadcast coverage. And one more thing; the quality of the image sucks. AllThingsD tried the service in San Francisco and New York and found a couple more channels were available, but as with my testing, they also had issues with image quality and audio sync. Basically, it's like watching HD video compressed using Cinepak. This really sounds like a brilliant plan, doesn't it? It's exactly the sort of design-by-committee platypus tech that a consortium of old world thinkers would produce. It's as if the King of Spain told Columbus to sail back to America, but in a concrete boat powered by a tiny sparrow and he can only bring back what will fit in his skinny jeans. Dyle may not even be free forever, apparently. There's no telling what the future holds (because the consortium of geniuses who came up with this boondoggle refuse to say what plans they have, yet to refuse to agree to going forward). Maybe this will get better or perhaps it'll wind up on the scrap heap of failed ideas. While Dyle says it is working on big things, I just don't understand how this layer fits in the ecosystem. Do we need this intermediary? I feel like it's ill-conceived and superfluous, devoid of any real purpose now and merely a beta test to see if they can provide a real service (for a fee) later on. Conclusion If you gotta have free TV and live in a big city, the Elgato EyeTV Mobile for Dyle is great. It's too bad Dyle itself is so utterly terrible. If you want to just watch regular digital television broadcasts, get the EyeTV Mobile which supports actual digital television broadcasts, not this limp noodle of a service called Dyle. Unfortunately you'll only be able to use that in Europe, not America.
Dyle brings live TV to iOS with some big limitations
While there are plenty of ways to watch TV programming on iOS devices, including iTunes episode downloads and apps from networks such as HBO, options to watch live television have been limited. We've looked at Aereo, but while we were impressed by its functionality, it's only available in New York City. Dyle's new solution works nationwide but comes with its own limitations. Dyle uses a free app in conjunction with an Elgato EyeTV over-the-air tuner for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. This piece of hardware, which uses either a telescoping or rod antenna and its own battery, is US$99 from a handful of retailers. It's a standard-definition tuner, so it's not capable of receiving high-definition programming. Beyond the pricey required hardware and lack of HD, Dyle's biggest drawbacks are its limited programming options and areas in which it can be used. Currently, Dyle is available in 35 US markets. Within them, a handful of stations are offered, including Fox, ABC, NBC and Univision, but not all are available in all locations. In the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, only Fox, NBC, Univision and two local channels are available. NFL football is blacked out. Dyle hasn't said if more programming options will be forthcoming, so for now its appeal seems as limited as its channel selection. [Via AllThingsD]
Elgato EyeTV Mobile ships to the US, brings Dyle live TV tuning to data cap-dodging iOS users
We've only seen periodic attempts at melding live ATSC-Mobile TV with iOS devices; more often than not, internet-free broadcasting to American smartphones and tablets has been the domain of Android. Elgato is seeking some balance by shipping one of the few peripherals delivering over-the-air US TV to our iPhones and iPads. The new version of the EyeTV Mobile dongle gives iOS devices with 30-pin connectors (or an adapter) access to live TV stations under Dyle Mobile TV's service umbrella, including some local Fox and NBC channels. A free EyeTV Mobile app is part and parcel of the strategy with an option to pause live shows as well as a programming guide. The add-on is in US stores now for $100, although it could pay for itself in an era when carriers want to stifle unlimited data and make streaming TV an expensive proposition.
MetroPCS outs Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED, LTE and Dyle Mobile TV
Well, that didn't take long. Shortly after showing up in some leaked shots, Samsung's Galaxy S Lightray 4G is with us yet again, save for this time around it's an official appearance courtesy of MetroPCS. The underdog carrier's announced the Lightray 4G will be the latest addition to its lineup of LTE-equipped handsets, with this new Galaxy also said to be the first one to offer speedy hotspot capabilities within the network. Additionally, Sammy's Lightray features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, an undisclosed 1GHz processor and access to Dyle Mobile TV's on-the-go entertainment service -- that said, don't expect an Ice Cream Sandwich here (better yet Jelly Beans), as all you'll be getting is a taste of Mountain View's popular Gingerbread. MetroPCS has the Lightray 4G up for grabs now on its site at $460, and for those interested, there's a photo gallery down below as well as the official presser from the carrier.%Gallery-161719%
Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G hides out in the open, heads to MetroPCS
What's old is apparently new again for MetroPCS subscribers. Thanks to some leaked training materials over on Howard Forums, we have a pretty clear idea of the next Galaxy S device to bow on that budget carrier's lineup -- the Lightray 4G. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, we've seen this exact phone before at CES 2012 where it was part of Dyle's Mobile TV showcase. And that chassis you see above? It's a mostly unaltered version of Verizon's Droid Charge, although that formerly pointed chin seems to have gotten the Ashlee Simpson treatment. Spec-wise, the 4.3-inch device reportedly packs a Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.3-megapixel front-facing / 8-megapixel rear cameras, 16GB of included microSD storage (what it'll ship with onboard is unknown), HDMI-out and, bizarrely, that aforementioned TV tuner, replete with antenna. No word on when this unofficial fella's set to go legit nor which Google OS treat it'll run, but with a recently surfaced FCC doc and company slides to go off, we're sure to find out sooner rather than later.
Hands-on with Dyle Mobile TV, broadcasting live to a handset near you (video)
Dyle couldn't have found a better showcase than CES to exhibit its next gem. It's only been a few days since we first heard that the joint venture between MetroPCS and the Mobile Content Venture would bear fruit in 2012, and, well, we're in Las Vegas and we've seen it take its first steps. Although live TV broadcasting to mobile devices couldn't exactly be considered cutting-edge, judging by our time with the handset, this is one of the greater implementations of the concept. The company tells us that the app is set to hit its beta stage within the next few months at no cost, but that might change depending on partners and networks. Speaking of partners, Samsung alongside the Metro carrier will be the first to have the chipset-embedded smartphones on the market -- yes, that means you won't actually see the circa 1990's antenna. Dyle's also partnered up with Belkin to bring the service past phones and onto tablets, however, unlike the Sammy-branded phone that's expected to use the chip, the tablets will be able to pick up the airwaves by doubling the headphones as a receiver. Jump past the break to see the mobile telecast in action.
RCA-branded hardware at CES includes mobile TVs with Android, soundbar / media streamer
While it may not have the most high profile entries at CES, RCA always manages to lend its brand to some interesting hardware, and this year that includes the Wi-Fi Home Theater Sound Bar seen above. It brings multichannel audio and wireless surround speakers as well as access to services like Netflix and Hulu, by building in the Roku-like streamer RCA is currently peddling. Its other products include a slew of TVs due for various regions in the Americas, like a 55-incher it's claiming is the first connected LED LCD available in Latin America. We haven't hit a Best Buy in Uruguay to confirm that yet, so we'll just have to take RCA's word on that one for now. Also spied at its CES Unveiled booth were mobile TVs compatible with the Dyle service, and licensee Digital Stream has an Android-powered TV receiver planned for later this year. The device has a 7-inch touchscreen and a few simple apps included, and should be priced around $200 when it ships in the second half of the year. Check the press release after the break for a few more details, check below for hands-on pics.
Belkin teams with Mobile Content Venture to bring Dyle Mobile TV to your phone, iPad (hands-on)
Hot on the heels of its agreement with MetroPCS, Mobile Content Venture (MCV) is now teaming up with Belkin. The duo will collaborate on new products and application designs for tech that will bring broadcast TV to 120 million existing devices -- and a plethora of new gadgetry, we'd surmise. Live programming will be enabled through MCV's Dyle Mobile TV service which gathers content from 15 major broadcast groups including Fox, NBC and ION Television, just to name a few. Product prototypes are said to be on display this week at CES, and further details on the partnership should be on the way as well. Update: We got some hands-on time with the setup at CES Unveiled, and spotted the digital TV watching software not only running on an unnamed MetroPCS handset, but on a Belkin dongle-equipped iPad as well. Check out our in-person pics in the gallery.
MetroPCS hooks up with the Mobile Content Venture for live TV on the go
The wireless-for-all carrier's been agreeing to all sorts of partnerships of late in an effort to keep its users content, the latest one being the tie-up with Mobile Content Venture that'll bring local broadcast TV live to your MetroPCS handset. The service, which is said to be coming later in the year, will be offered via a Dyle Mobile TV app, and the companies are guaranteeing that you'll be able to watch the content "right out of the box." There's 15 total broadcasters named in the deal, some of which are: FOX, ION Television, NBC, Telemundo and Univision (for all your novela needs). We've seen a plethora of mobile devices come and go since we first heard of the Mobile DTV promise, but they did say 2012 would be the year, and, well, here we are. A peek at the PR below tells us we'll see this in action next week at CES, so we'll let you know if it's as marvelous as it sounds.
