MetroPCS, Samsung Announce New Galaxy Smartphone for Dyle TV Launch

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Samsung and U.S.-based carrier MetroPCS today announced the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G today, the first smartphone to carry broadcasters' Dyle mobile TV service. The Android-based phone features a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED touchscreen and a fast 1 GHz processor. It will be MetroPCS's first smartphone to feature 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.

Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G is the first smartphone to carry broadcasters' Dyle mobile TV service.

Access to the Dyle mobile TV service will be offered in select markets and at no additional charge to customers on a MetroPCS 4G LTW service plan. The phone is available at MetroPCS stores and online at www.MetroPCS.com for $459 plus tax.

Anne Schelle, Executive Director of the Open Mobile Video Coalition of America's TV stations, today commented on the launch. "Today’s news is an exciting development for Mobile Digital Television. The Open Mobile Video Coalition congratulates MetroPCS, Samsung, Dyle and their entire broadcast ecosystem on the launch of this new mobile TV-enabled smartphone. The Dyle launch in major metropolitan markets is an important step to make mobile TV a reality nationwide.” 

Although images of the new smartphone are now available on the web, Howardforums.com has more detailed pictures, which look a lot like Verizon's Samsung Droid Charge, with at least one major difference--a retractable antenna for Dyle TV. One of the photos shows the Dyle TV program guide. 

PC Magazine writer Sascha Segan's article Samsung Lightray 4G is First Dyle Broadcast TV Phone discusses the new phone, but the description is based on the Samsung smartphones with Dyle TV capability that were shown at the CES.

Roger Cheng at CNET didn't specifically mention the MetroPCS Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G phone in his article What live TV on your phone! No, really, but he seems to be taking Dyle a bit more seriously in his detailed overview of the broadcast mobile TV market. 

It looks as if some lucky people in MetroPCS/Dyle TV markets may soon be able to watch live TV on their new smartphones without using up their data plan. 

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

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.