Announced within a press release earlier today, RCA is planning to launch an Android-powered, 8-inch tablet that can be used to watch live over-the-air television broadcast from nearby stations. The tablet houses a standard over-the-air DTV tuner in addition to the Dyle mobile TV tuner. Rather than using up data on a mobile plan, the Dyle mobile TV tuner allows users to watch live, local television assuming nearby networks are participating. For instance, people living in the Los Angeles area can watch their local FOX, NBC, Univision and Telmundo stations. The Dyle mobile TV tuner can also be found within the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G sold by MetroPCS and Apple fans can add the Elegato EyeTV Mobile TV tuner to their mobile devices in order to access Dyle mobile TV.
Regarding the hardware, the RCA tablet sports a 1024 by 768 screen resolution similar to the original iPad. Internally, the tablet is powered by a Cortex A5 1GHz processor as well as 1GB of RAM.
The device also includes 8GB of internal flash storage, but the tablet doesn’t come with any DVR capabilities to record and store live television programs on the tablet. The tablet offers Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, GPS capability, two speakers, front and rear cameras as well as ports for HDMI, MicroSD, MicroUSB and USB inputs. The device works with the Google Play store and includes other Google related applications like Gmail and YouTube.
According to RCA representatives, the tablet’s battery life is supposed to last up to ten hours under normal use. However, when the TV tuners are in use, battery life falls to around four hours. Weighing in at 1.4 pounds, the tablet is also heavier than other 8-inch tablets. According to the release, RCA representatives plan to show off the tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show next week. The tablet is currently slated for a Spring 2013 release at a $299 retail price point.