DStv Mobile has released the Drifta DStv Mobile decoder application for Android devices.
According to DStv Mobile, the application now makes the Drifta decoder compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S, SII and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.
Since the release of the Drifta in November 2010, the device has been compatible with iOS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad) and PCs and laptops.
Compatible Android devices can access DStv Mobile by downloading the application from the Android market free of charge. The application will also be available from the Samsung apps store soon, according to DStv Mobile. Once downloaded, the Android device needs to be paired to the Drifta in order to access mobile TV.
DStv Mobile plans to make the Drifta application compatible with as many Android devices as possible, and is continuing further testing.
Despite bleak predictions from analysts regarding the potential success of mobile TV in SA, research has shown the service has grown in popularity.
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck noted earlier this year that the newfound interest in mobile TV offerings was a big surprise in the research firm's 2011 Mobile Consumer in SA study.
“In the Mobile Consumer in SA 2011 report, we found that massive appetite for mobile TV had emerged subsequent to the licensing, whereas there had been none for the past four years.”
The accessibility and affordability of DVB-H technology, however, remains a barrier to mass adoption. DVB-H coverage is available in the nine major cities of SA.
DStv Mobile also recently launched the Drifta USB, which allows users to connect to DVB-H broadcast mobile TV on their computers. The Drifta USB connects directly to a PC via the USB port and does not need to be paired with a device through WiFi.
The Drifta retails at R599, while the Drifta USB is available for R399. DStv Mobile is available without any subscription costs to DStv Premium subscribers; other users have to pay R36 per month.
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