Pad TV Review, Watch Free TV On Your Android Phone

The Pad TV USB dongle review is finally here. I apologise it took so long but here it is. As you probably remember I had talked of Geniatech DVBT2 dongle at first. If you are new here then I’m talking about a device that lets you watch Digital TV channels on your Android Smartphone or Tablet. No data charges or WiFi is required, just plug and play. It can even work with your android device on Aero

plane mode.

I had imported one Geniatech dongle and its sad to say that it didn’t live to its expectations. First the USB port was so short it didn’t fit on some smartphone models. It took like forever to scan for channels and it came with such a tiny antenna that made its weak tuner even worse. Of course I am comparing it with the new Pad TV dongle I discovered later.

Pad TV has a very sensitive Tuner and a very easy to learn app. I am reviewing their latest model which was pretty impressive.

The DVB-T2 App

There are quite a number of methods for downloading the app according to the instruction manual but the best one is just searching for the App on Google Playstore. The App is called DVB-T2 from Cidana Corporation so seaching for Cidana or DVBT2 gives you the correct app.

However the App does not work without the Dongle inserted.

Whats in the Box

• Pad TV tuner
• Loop Antenna
• Telescopic Antenna with Long cable
• Manual

First Impressions

Pad TV is a small black thing with a protruding micro USB port on one side and a tiny antenna port on the other side. At first I expected the app to come preinstalled on the dongle that would prompt me to download as soon as I inserted it in my phone. But that is not the case, plus the Playstore download method is much better.

Smartphone/Tablet requirements

Pad TV does not work on any smartphone or tablet. First it must comply with the following

• Run on Android 4.1 or higher
• Have an OTG (On The Go) capable USB port
• Dual core 1GHz processor or higher
• At least 1 GB RAM

So Pad TV dongle does not work with Windows devices. But if you bought your Android smartphone within the last 2 years then chances are higher that it supports OTG. Read more about OTG USB ports here.

So How Was It?

Fun and Interesting. The initial set up process is easy and quick. What is so complicated about selecting your country and scanning channels?

The scanning takes up very little time, in less than a minute I had about 148 channels scanned. I used the longer antenna placed near a window. DVB-T2 app works only on landscape mode, so the only way to watch TV is by holding your phone in landscape mode.

The channels are clear (that depends on the channel itself) and the sound will depend on your smartphone make and model. Changing channels is like browsing through your photo gallery, just swipe either side. The volume level can also be changed by dragging your finger on the screen upwards for an increase and downwards for a decrease.

The scrambled Gotv and Startimes remain that way, scrambled. I wish there was a way to skip them or delete them. They just remain there

Antennas

I noticed the shorter loop antenna works well while outdoors and the telescopic antenna works well indoors. The magnet on the base is also a nice addition that makes the rod antenna stable and static. Moving the antenna while watching introduces scratches. Its better to scan with the antenna on one place without moving it too much. Any antenna movements during scanning make the overall channels scanned to be less.

Does it Work in a Moving Vehicle

The answer is Yes, but only at low speeds like in a traffic jam. At high speeds scratches are ocassional and sometimes the no signal alert appears.

Where To Buy

The Pad TV dongle is now available on Kaymu online shopping platform that includes doorstep delivery.

Cost is Ksh2,499

Check out Pad TV on their official website

What other Features about Pad TV would you like to know? Ask them in the comments section below.