Who needs Netflix? Samsung Galaxy J2 DTV has a built-in digital TV tuner

By Christian de Looper August 31, 2016

samsung galaxy j2 dtv tv tuner — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The television world is changing, and fast. Gone are the days when we dreamed of being able to get a cable subscription — these days, cord cutting is all the rage, and service like Netflix and Hulu are kings of the TV realm.

Still, that’s not to say that old school television is totally out. In fact, if all you want is some free-to-air network TV, Samsung has the phone — yes, phone — for you. But what makes the phone so different? Well, it has a digital television tuner.

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy J2 DTV is pretty unimpressive — it features a Samsung Exynos 3475 processor, a measly 1GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch display, and a 5MP rear-facing camera that leaves a lot to be desired. Look a little deeper, however, and there’s a pretty cool feature — this phone can watch any broadcast channel straight from the handset.

Sure, the phone won’t be a TV replacement — most would prefer a television screen 10 times the screen size of the phone. It will, however, let you keep up with your favorite shows on the go, as long as you have decent reception from where you are at any given moment.

Unfortunately, the phone is only being sold in the Philippines, and is being sold at 6,990 pesos, or around $150. You may eventually be able to get your hands on one through eBay or another online shop, but think twice before you buy — the Philippines uses a different broadcast TV standard than the United States does, hence you probably won’t be able to tune in here.

Chances are, we won’t be seeing anything like this in the U.S. anytime soon — besides, we really kind of already have access to TV on our phones — just get a Netflix account and watch away.

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Christian de Looper

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Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

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