Aerial TV: An Android DVB-T Decoder for the RTL-SDR
On the Google Play store a new RTL-SDR compatible app called ‘Aerial TV’ has been released (in beta) by Martin Marinov. Aerial TV allows you to watch DVB-T HD TV on your android device, with an RTL-SDR connected to it via USB OTG cable. Martin is also the author of the popular SDR Touch Android program and the RTL2832U Android driver port.
The new software requires a different DVB-T driver app to be installed first, which is also provided by Martin. This is because the RTL-SDR needs to be operated in a mode different to the way that the SDR drivers use it in. Martin has also open sourced his Android DVB-T driver and it is available on GitHub.
Aerial TV is currently free on the Google Play store, but looks like it may eventually have some in-app purchases. Also, it is currently marked as ‘Unreleased’ on Google Play, which is essentially a beta version, so you might expect there to be some bugs.
Over on YouTube user GiamMa-based researchers SDR R&D IoT has uploaded a video showing Aerial TV scanning for TV channels, and then eventually playing some video.
Will it become available in the US?
I’m still looking for help on my Android car head unit running Android 10.1 (allegedly) and getting TV to work.
There are audio in sockets on mine which wern’t supported after Android 9.0 and i gave up after a few days.
I’m now trying to get a USB DVB-T system working and having major issues with that approach.
I have installed the Aerial TV app and also the driver package. The driver app recognises that i have plugged a dongle into the USB port. I have 3 seperate dongles from 3 manufacturers and all three work fine on a Windows laptop in the car which proves the antenna is fine. I have also tried a set top box in the car and connected that to the head unit, and again that is fine.
But when i use the Aerial TV app, the driver recognises a dongle connected but when i do a station scan it says there is nothing there.
Any suggestions here would be greatly welcomed.
The app is now officially released and available to download at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.martinmarinov.aerialtv
I checked the Google Playstore and some relevant information is missing.
While it says that DVB-T and DVB-T2 works, it does not specify if also H.265 (adopted by Germany) or if only DVB-T2 using the H.264 codec is supported.
Hello,
Your great apk worked fine, and now when I wanted to buy it is not longer available online on play store and this ver I have installed cannot connect to USB what is going on?
The app was removed from Google Play. Currently you can get it from Amazon. For download link please visit the official website: http://aerialtv.eu/
It works great with Bulgarian DVB-T, mpeg 4 :
https://youtu.be/R8QZHy26LHU
Note, after 30min you have to pay 5.49€.
It works nicely with my home’s antenna, I barely got reception on the street using the default antenna of my rtl-sdr. YMMV.
The screen stretches a lot breaking the relation, but he’ll probably fix it soon.
Weren’t for the 5.49€ I would make a portable antenna on some cardboard so I could bring it in my backpack.
DVB-T best decoder = VLC
Not working in asus Zenfone 2, generic RTL-SDR
If you are interested in DVB T in Europe, please note that a number of European states are currently in the process to move to DVB T2 and aim to terminate all DVB T transmissions.
More information https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fde.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDVB-T2&edit-text=&act=url
Timeframe e.g. Germany officially starting 29.3.2017, projected switchoff of all DVB-T signals about 2 years later.
Also the codec used differs in some states e.g. Germany adopted H.265 instead of H.264 codec. Comercial private TV stations encode their signal in Germany and require therefore a modul and card for viewing, subscription fee is ~65€.
From comments on those trying to view DVB T2 with the SDR stick using existing Linux/Windows based programs, DVB T2 receptions works only for some, while it does not for others reliably or not at all.
I’m not within RLOS of DVB T2 stations so I have not tried DVB T2. DVB T2 rewuires a much higher systems performance compared to DVB-T which worked fine on a centrino notebook at the time.