Guide to Watching TV on Your iPad

Date Posted:23 August 2012 

IDTV, or Integrated Digital Television, is digital television without the need for a set top box. The digital tuner is built into the television set and receives the digital signal without the need for any external components. It also has Internet connectivity, meaning you can use the Internet while watching TV.

“Big deal,” I hear you say. Well, the latest spin off of iDTV really IS a big deal, because it lets you watch FREE TV on iPad or iPhone! The new iDTV is a mini set top box that plugs into your iPhone 4S, the new iPad or the iPad 2, and it’s no more than 4cm square by 1.3cm thick (about the size of a ten-cent piece). You just plug it in, download the free iDTV app from the iTunes store, scan in your channels and away you go! It requires no Internet connection, so it’s not costing you a cent in data usage and it can pick up all Australian SD free-to-air TV channels and digital radio as well.

What’s that? You want more? Well, there really is more, because the new iDTV also lets you pause and rewind live TV and record your favourite programs as well! There’s an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) included with the app and an easy-to-use interface for scrolling through channels, so you can check out when your favourite programs are on and record them while you’re out and about!

The iDTV unit comes with its own built-in battery too, so it doesn’t drain the battery in your iPhone or iPad. It provides up to eight hours TV viewing time and recharges via a standard micro USB cable.

Naturally, you need an aerial to watch TV on the go, and the iDTV comes with three antennas for different situations. There’s a telescopic antenna, a larger base antenna with a magnetic stand and an RF adaptor for plugging into a standard coaxial TV jack. You can use the TV jack while you’re at home, the telescopic antenna for most outdoor situations and if you put the magnetic antenna on the roof of your car, your passengers can watch free in-car TV (great for keeping the kids entertained on long trips).

Reception conditions will vary from place to place though, so you’ll need to experiment with the antennas to see which gives you the best reception and where.

If this device has any drawbacks, they would be its inability to pick up HD (High Definition) channels such as ABC News 24, Gem, One and 7Mate, and the fact that it only works on the iPhone 4S, the new iPad and the iPad2, due to the fast processing speeds required. But it does pick up all the SD (Standard Definition) channels and the picture is pretty darn good, so if you have an appropriate iGadget, what are you waiting for?

The new iDTV turns your iPhone or iPad into a TV, a set top box and a program recorder, and for under $100, it takes the portable TV to a whole new level.