D-Link Announces Micro-USB TV Tuner for Android Devices (for Australia)

By Doug Lung
published

D-Link has released a new TV tuner for Android that works most everywhere in the world--except the U.S. 

Daniel Tyson describes D-Link's new DWM-T100 in his article D-Link announces a micro-USB TV-Tuner for Android on AusDroid.net. The DWM-T100 provides live DVB-T reception on Android devices for only $49.95 plus $15 shipping. It uses the D-Link TV Tuner app available on Google Play.

When I checked Google Play noted that “This app is compatible with all your devices.” Unfortunately, the DTV transmission standard in the U.S. is not!

Reviews on Google Play are mixed, with 16 five-star ratings and 14 one-star ratings. I didn't look at all the reviews, but the major complaints come from users who can't get it to work on their devices. Based on my experience with users of the ATSC Mobile DTV apps, I suspect some of these may be trying to use the app without the tuner! The Google Play listing says D-Link TV Tuner is designed for use in Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa and supports both free-to-air DVB-T and ISDB-T transmissions. “PadTV does not work in North America.”

The D-Link Australia web site shows it as the DSM-T100. As you can see from the photo uses a wire loop antenna instead of a telescoping rod. While the site shows it as “Available Now”, it also says “Out of Stock”.

I'll be watching the Google Play reviews to see the interest in this device. So far there are only 44 reviews. While I doubt D-Link could include ATSC 1.0 support in a device this small using a reasonable amount of power, strong interest in this device in the DVB-T / ISDB-T world could bode well for ATSC 3.0 in the U.S.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.