MyTV? May TV! Analog TV in mobile phone

A Sun.Star Cebu colleague bought an interesting phone recently. May TV. (Note: Pronounce may as mai; may is the Tagalog word for “with.”) It’s not Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld or DVB-H, the technology used by Smart’s myTV service. It’s good old analog TV, the free-to-air signals picked up by regular TVs using antennae.

Mobile TV MOBILE TV. Viewing QTV in TVMobile, a Chinese-made touchscreen phone that can pick up analog TV signals. The antenna at the bottom of the phone can be used as a stylus. Click on photo to enlarge.

The brand printed on the faceplate is TVMobile and for P7,000 (the price when he bought it), it is chock-full of features. The phone was made in China and came with a Chinese manual. It is being sold by a stall in one of the department stores on Colon St. in Cebu City.

The mobile TV offered by Smart’s myTV uses DVB-H and, apart from needing a compatible handset, you need to pay a monthly subscription fee to view the shows. With the TVMobile phone, you don’t need to pay fees, maintain a credit load in your phone, or subscribe to a service.

Since it picks up regular analog TV signal, the video quality isn’t that great, unlike the high-quality video you get with myTV.

When we viewed a show in his cubicle inside the Sun.Star Cebu building, the video was grainy—a signal that, in the time before cable TV, meant you had to climb up your roof to adjust the antenna’s orientation and shout “OK na?”

The phone, according to the colleague who bought it, can pick up local broadcasts of ABS-CBN, GMA 7, QTV, Studio 23, and the Catholic Channel CCTN. Unlike myTV, which is working to expand its channels lineup, you are stuck with these channels in TVMobile. I don’t think the number of free-to-air channels will be increasing. Cable TV channels might still increase but not free-to-air.

TVMobile also offers CATV connection but my colleague hasn’t tried it yet. He’s still experimenting with phone. The manual, as I wrote above, is in Chinese.

TVMobile comes with a touchscreen to control phone functions. I asked the colleague who bought the phone and he said he never encountered problems with the responsiveness of the touchscreen. The phone’s TV antenna can be detached and used as a stylus. Now that is really ingenuous.

Battery time isn’t that bad, he said. If you watch TV, the phone can consume a full charge in 1 and 1/2 hours. That’s more than enough time for TV Patrol Central Visayas or Balitang Bisdak.

The phone also comes with a VGA camera that can take photos of up to 1,280 by 960 pixels. It can also take videos in 3GP format.

My colleague said he initially thought that the phone was fragile. But after dropping it thrice, from a height of at least three feet, the phone is still working and he’s pretty impressed with its sturdiness.

The phone is a GSM unit with GPRS and Bluetooth connectivity. You can increase the phone’s storage by buying a memory card. The unit can store two SIMs but only one functions at a time. If you want to use the other SIM, the phone reboots to use it. Another Chinese-made phone I know of can work with both SIMs functioning at the same time.

The phone also does not come with USB drivers and a PC suite. But when you attach it to a Windows PC, the system will be looking up for MT6227 drivers. That’s your clue. Search for this driver and you can download not only it but an application that will allow you to manage the phone from your PC. After the installation, you will be asked to choose when you connect it whether you want to use the com port. Choose the com port if you want to use the PC application to send and receive messages.

Support this blog and independent reporting on Cebu

90 responses

  1. joseph santos Avatar
    joseph santos

    where particularly did you buy the analog tv mobile phone?

  2. Cool bro, where in colon did he purchased that phone.. ill be checking that this weekend…

    Did he tried the CATV already? pls post some updates if he did..

    thanks

  3. i want to tv softwate

  4. where in colon?whats the name of establishment?what is the name of cellphone.Im planning to buy cellphone next month.thank you 4 d info.

    il wait for your reply.

    TY and god bless

  5. Guys,
    The colleague who bought the phone said he purchased it from a stall inside Gaisano South. He bought it for P7,000 but he said the current price is already P9,000.

  6. in demand na cguro bro, hehehe

  7. jeff ang Avatar

    i sell ZT123 Executive TV Mobile phone for P9500, Iphone A8+ P11,000, Iphone A380 (iphone mini w/ biometric fingerprint security scanner) P10,000 & Nokia N95 Replica P10,000. If interested juz email me ( [email protected]) & i will send u d pix and specs. Shipping cost included in price.

  8. jamesperry Avatar
    jamesperry

    guys sa zhuhai marami nyan…

  9. I’m in Cebu. A colleague of mine informed me about it this morning during our breakfast! It’s currently selling 7,500 in Colon! Now in stalls! But, still need to see for my self first!

    http://www.writinerary.com

  10. jeff ang Avatar

    Yup! Yup! Yup! Guys, Zt321 Tv Mobile Executive series, Iphone a380 mini, Iphone A8+, dual sim stand by w/ solar panel charger, and Nokia N95 Exact Replica for sale… email lng for pix & specs tn. [email protected]

  11. jeff ang Avatar

    Yup! Yup! Yup! Guys, Zt321 Tv Mobile Executive series, Iphone a380 mini, Iphone A8+, dual sim stand by w/ solar panel charger, and Nokia N95 Exact Replica for sale… email lng for pix & specs tnx. [email protected]

  12. jeff ang Avatar

    Hi Guys, im selling this year’s HOTTEST mobile phones @ Very Affordable Prices…. watch TV anytym…anywhere on your Mobile phone, even without load (ZT321 Executive Mobile Series), stay connected anytime… anywhere 24/7 without the fear of running Low on Battery Power & using 2 sim cards simultaneously ( Dual sim standby w/ solar panel charger), Excite ur friends w/ the Amazing Mini (Iphone Mini A380), change mp3 songs w/out touching a single botton or screen, juz by shaking your phone ( Iphone A8+) & Be hip & Trendy via Replica by juz a fraction of a cost. (nokia n95 EXACT Replica). All units, Guaranteed. for pix & Specs… request via email [email protected] or contact me @ 0915-7844553. tnx & Godbless

  13. Ei bro , i have here an exact replica of N95 series phone but i dont know how to used its TV function yet, can u someone help me here . thx

  14. Ive seen many of those chinese PDA mobile and are sold very cheaply here in Divisoria at the same price range 7-10K there are different models. im a fan of PDA phones but this has its own OS so you cant install that much of programs like Games, Players etch unlike in nokia which uses Symbian OS also like SE P910i PDA phones or O2 pocketPC-mobile phones. on the other hand, thats a sacrifice to do because the chinese PDA/TV phones has rich features + th TV which are not readily available in any branded phones. if this mobile sure has no glitches and bugs and of good quality compared to branded phones, count me in buying one.

  15. My classmate has the same phone. Its nice, hahaha.

  16. brothers if you know what you want from the phone and gave it like 100%
    theis phone take 80%
    even if it have it won os but the application inside it covers mostely every thing you want from it ..
    except that wirelless connection
    but it still have sotthen you don’t see it on mobiles , it have an analog tv
    i just proght it , the hell with the wirelles comparing to the tv thing
    it is gr8
    i love it , its been aloong time since i love a mobile like it
    and it is cheep comparing to thos nokia series in the marekt
    think of it like this
    if you wanna by small tv like 2.5 inch
    and if you wanna bye mp4 and mp3 player
    or if you wanna by radio for your car
    or even acamera 2 mgabixel you can use for web cam to you pc too
    all thos things and plus it is a 2 way gsm mobile ,
    and god it is cheeper that if you by any one of thos things for you card
    soo…
    bye it and drop your dvd car and mp3
    and it cam with extra battary and car chrger and all the cable
    and even more its memory been recognised by windwos xp and the camera too with out any driver
    the hell with the com port if you dont finde the driver it haf a blututh
    thos chinees are crazy and the made mee too

  17. Raphael Fernandez Avatar
    Raphael Fernandez

    I’ve heard of these things as recent as October but I’m not that excited because for one thing, does it have a warranty that goes with the purchase. Sure you’ve got that TV analog, but how about if the unit conked after 2-3 months of using it? Will you be able to bring it back?

  18. ei!!! my boss gave me a chinese made pda phone…as a gift…. few weeks later my analogTV broke down….then my FM radio, i can’t hear a thing but my audio player is functioning…. then, my camcorder’s and camera’s module suddenly lost…. what’s wrong?!!!! did i press anything? i dont have any manual with me…. pls help… what do i need to do?!!! or where in manila should i bring it?

  19. I bought this phone yesterday but the manual is not in english. do you have any english manual

  20. anonymous Avatar

    what type of memory card does it support?

  21. When I bought my N38 TV mobile phone, it came with an English Manual. It came with a free 256MB microSD card. Then after 2 days, I bought an upgrade of 2GB micro SD and it still works. All the people in my office wants to buy one! 🙂

  22. I bought a TV mobile phone also and i was wondering if you know how to install games and themes.

    I kept browsing and browsing but i can’t find anything.

    Please help. Thanks.

  23. SHITTU OLUWOLE Avatar
    SHITTU OLUWOLE

    Please send me through my e-mail the English manual of n38 dual switching sim tv chineese phone

  24. I have also that cool phone. It’s really nice can i ask you something? I’m curious about the small circle in the upper front it’s that a camera? if it is how can i activate it?

  25. I brought my TV Mobile Phone (same as the one above, the K915) off Ebay. And it was a UK seller too who gave me warranty and after sales support. It’s a great phone.

  26. please send me an english manual of the n38 pda mobile thru email should you have one. thanks!!!

  27. the small circle in the upper front functions as video player. hope this clarifies your question.

  28. zitropink Avatar

    I need a an english manual for my n38 pda phone, and a setting for gprs. can anyone help me? please send all info to my email address: [email protected]

  29. Thnks matz.. by da way can i make video call wid that thing?..

  30. hey i have a tv analog phone but i was wondering is any1 nows how 2 get the tv to work in australia. as that is one of the reasons i bought the phone.

    plz help

  31. Hi jack,
    Can’t the phone detect TV signals there? As I recall from my colleague’s demo of it, the phone helps you in setting up channel detection for your country. Have you tried it?

  32. it has a option of select area but australia isnt in there and the person i bough it off from ebay said it would work in australia, so not sure what to do now.

    thanks

  33. Hi people
    If any had already used the front cam please tell us how? because i cant find the way using it !!!!

    Thx

  34. send naman jan ng filipino manual oh..tsaka kng san pwede mag download ng themes at games..tnx po!

  35. Kurt Coccaine Avatar
    Kurt Coccaine

    mga bro tulong naman po s MT6227 drivers, kht link lng. ty

  36. JM Flores Avatar

    Parang maraming ganyan sa Greenhills. Hanapin nyo yung mga malalaking “Vodafone” or whatever brand na may malaking screen at mukhang makalumang 3G phone from Japan. Kung masasagap ko lang satellite TV…
    May TV… Nice name…

  37. how can i download.. games.. wat file. for ZTC n38.. those who knows please tell me.. tanx…

  38. ABOUHA.. just opne your cam then on the lower most icon.. the one with a camera 1 and 2 icon.. press it.. ther you go your… front camera..

  39. please also send me an English manual…
    [email protected] tanx!!!

  40. kenkoy… can u send me an english manual if you have.. limited ba yung.. n38 to 2 gigz?? hindi na pwe.de ung 4 gigz?

  41. meron ba DITO sa maynila nyan?where?

  42. terrence Avatar
    terrence

    i also need english manual pls send me one thx.

  43. meron na cguro sa manila nyan.. nde ko lng alm kng san. dapat ksma na ung englis manual. nun bnili ko kac yan ipod lng ksma..

  44. oi brayan.. pag click ko ung icon laging nageexit. pulit pulit ko nang ginawa nag eexit parin. txt me gma guyz pag lm nyo pno ilagy sa front camera 09182308779

  45. i just bought one too… can someone email me a copy of the english manual? thanks!!!

  46. mike.. baka sira yung ma bili mo.. kasi. gumagana naman sa akin…

  47. nice phone.Still trying to search for more applications but can’t find even 1.Can u pls send me a copy of english manual for ztc n38 and also applications if there’s any.i want to maximize the features.Tnx

  48. Aq rin poh.. I need a english manual.. thanks!! send nyo na lang sa email q

  49. Here’s my email: [email protected]

  50. Here’s my email address: [email protected]

  51. hello,
    which software should i use to sycronize the TV mobile to sycronize my contacts with PC and Mobile.
    my Email IS [email protected].
    thanks

  52. san po d2 sa manila nakakabili ng model n n38? pakisend nga po email ko.tnx

  53. Can a helpful person please send me an English Manual for the Chinese N38
    The Box contains only a Chinese Manual

    [email protected]
    [email protected]

    Thanks in Advance

    Winston

  54. hi guys?!…cn yu help me?… du yu hve an english manual 4 china phone pda mobile (ZTC zt303) ??? if yu hve plz send me a copy?…. nghhnap kz ku ng way pnu maopen un gprs nun eh….. o kya send nyu un settngs 4 gprs ?? PLZ2x??? mail me [email protected]

  55. guyz… if yu hve a copy of english manual 4 pda mobile phone (china) or f yu know how to open un gprs…. txt me nman… i need yah help… hirs my # 09053397322 my name is rein

  56. Please send me the english manual too

  57. hai!
    can anybody xplain me about how to use the tv output card of n38? and what messege the cell displays when the card is connected to cell? plz give reply.,……

  58. plz i need cat mt6228 cell phone asoftware. i need the website where can download it

    my email is [email protected]

  59. pls.send me english manual too..tnx

  60. hey what and where is tv output card of n38 i saw the cable tried connecting to home theatre sound ok but whats the video out cord for the yellow one where to connect the out put jack to …please help please e mail me details and send me a manual too
    [email protected]
    thanx

  61. pls . if u have a gprs setting for ZTC N38 pls email with tnxs in advance

    Godbless!!!

  62. marites Avatar

    i have a ZT 168 china phone. and its working realy well. in fact i like to use it more than my nokia n90. kasi daming features eh. then need not install cd for pc connection. e connect mo lang ang usb cable niya then the phone is connected to the computer na. u can transfer files from pc to your phone or from your phone to your pc.
    i bought this at 6000 only at auction.ph
    and am very satisfied to use this. okey and tv reception except abs cbn. well…..as we know absc cbn has very poor reception dito sa cebu.

  63. hi i bought a phone similar and it also doesn’t have an Aus area setting for the tv and i cant get any channels. The ebay seller said it should work in Aus. Is there anything i can do like any software i can download for Aus settings. [email protected]

  64. eagleways Avatar
    eagleways

    pls can anyone help me with the english manual of ZTC N38? my email add is [email protected]. Also, pls does anyone han an idea where i could get an ebook reader for it n which type? thanxs.

  65. plz tell tell me panu mg karoon ng new themes at tska ung games… panu ma download sa zt321

  66. ung casing pa pala… importante…. kasi sira na casing ng zt321 ko…. wer can i buy it??? plz email me agad

  67. I brought a TV MOBILE from a shop in CAMEROON. it was cool and had no problem but after three months I was trying to transfer music from a frends motorola L7 to my TVMOBLE, after the seach through bloothoot my phone started behaving fun going on and off alone, since the I cant use My Beloved TV MOBILE that I realy like. please if you can give me any technical assistance i will be greatfull.
    thanks in advance .
    che norbert

  68. Please anyone with a english manual for ZTC ZT 303 TV PHONE PLEASE EMAIL ME A COPY PLEASE PLEASE
    REGARDS

    rOD

  69. A friend brought me a phone f67 with an MT6227 DRIVERS WITHOUT A CD WHERE CAN I GET THESE DRIVERS SO AS TO CONNECT INTERNET ON THER PC

  70. hello guys
    i am looking for phone number which is allow me to restore factory setting
    plz send it to my email
    thnx

  71. hi guys if you have ztc n38 english manual please send me my email add is [email protected]

  72. harry Avatar

    hi ! m harry i got zt 303 wow it works !!!
    great using it’s features but can ne1 helps how to run games and install softwares, tried a lot but ……….
    help me out yaaarrr!!!!!!!

    e- mail add
    [email protected]

  73. tata adalla Avatar
    tata adalla

    does N38 china phone has the capability of downloading games, themes etc.? & how can i open gprs & mms since the process to activate it is requiring a legal handyphone model.
    thnks!

  74. raffie Avatar
    raffie

    hi max, i’m one of your many readers on sun star’s cell talk! i read your article today and is very intresting on trying the new and hip umobile sim.. can i pls. have an invite? thanks so much for the informations you gave us regarding cellphones.

  75. marie27 Avatar
    marie27

    hey, do you still have any invites left for umobile? coz i’m interested.

  76. Hi

    I’ve just bought ZT321 as a gift to my sister in the States from MarketMarket. My sister loved it. tv is working ok, except for the phone. can anyone help me. its still under warranty. but it cant detect any SIM. it always: no service or insert sim.

    If anyone has a manual… please, please send. here’s my email: [email protected]

  77. joseph Avatar
    joseph

    hi poh….. baka nman may nakakaalam sa inyo kung pano maginstall ng application sa n38 na vhina phone

  78. i want setting GPRS tv mobile

  79. hi I need n38 driver for windows xp
    please help me

    saeed tehran Iran

  80. Demetrio Avatar
    Demetrio

    Its nice phone I have one already but it cannot log on, so I would like to have the software so that I can re-install. thanks in advance.

  81. meron b kaung english manual ng N38+ pahingi nmn ng copy.. THAnxzzz..

    email me at [email protected]

  82. hi! baka naman pwedeng makahingi ng manual ng N38 english version …. thankz..

    Email me at “[email protected]

  83. kakabili ko lang nung phone eh 3500 ko lang nabili ang mura nung price no pero nagtataka ako ang tagal nya icharge ahh ang tagal magbattery full till now di ko parin nakikita nga ung battery full,, tsaka ask ko lang talaga bang,,,, may kasam ung usb port parang ayaw gumana sakin

  84. aqu melon din me n38 lhat nmn skin n gagana kzo my prob is i dnt know wer else can find other thmes boring nmn kc kung orig themes melon b kau alam n site e-mail 2 tnx [email protected] ty……

  85. does ne 1 no wot this phone is called and how to get a charger for cause my m8 has 1 and he is givin to me and it needs a charger cant find 1 ne where

  86. I have the phone it’s amazing but I need a manual, I also need GPRS settings

  87. Johnbads Avatar
    Johnbads

    Hi anybody, can i ask? is there someone here who knows how to install a new theme and games of the zt321 unit phone? plsss. help…

  88. Johnbads Avatar
    Johnbads

    i have the phone but i really don’t know how to install i, the GPRS settings, how to install new theme. f there someone here who have a knowledge on what was the solution of my problem about my CP, can you send it at my email add? pls. here’s my address, [email protected] here’s also my number, just in case somebody know how to help me. thanks, GOD bless.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *