By Alexandra Burlacu | Dec 21, 2012 11:21 AM EST
A new live TV streaming device called Meron has just joined the market, extending the pool of entertainment options available for Android and iOS devices.
According to Siano, the company behind Meron, the device promises free broadcast TV directly on the user's Android smartphone or tablet, as well as iPhone or iPad. Moreover, Siano promises that its Meron device delivers a high-quality TV experience even if the content is available free of charge.
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Perhaps one of the best aspects of Meron is that the system does not require any mobile data network to provide live TV service. Instead, users would have to be in an area that is capable of receiving over the air (OTA) TV broadcasts.
What Exactly is Meron?
Basically, Meron is a minimalistic, CPU-less architecture, and the TV accessory sports a low price tag particularly due to this minimalism. Under the hood, the tiny device packs a mobile DTV receiver chip and a Wi-Fi transceiver. When it comes to performance and battery life, the Meron device has an internal rechargeable battery that promises to deliver up to three hours of TV viewing time on a single charge.
The hardware unit for streaming OTA TV broadcasts is then paired with a special application - SianoTV - customized by Elgato for Siano. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play, also free of charge.
"With so many smartphones and tablets delivered worldwide every day, all with high-resolution displays and enormous processing power, the Meron, in conjunction with the SianoTV application, is the ideal tool to equip all of these devices with an exceptional TV on-the-go experience," Siano CEO Alon Ironi said in the press release.
"You can put it on the table in a café, place it on a window ledge at home, or conveniently leave it in your pocket when you're taking a walk in the park...Meron will deliver crustal clear TV to your personal smartphone or tablet. Given its affordable price, we believe that the Meron is transforming the conventional habits of TV viewing, making them more suitable to our era of smartphones and tablets," added the CEO.
Siano said it is working with electronics retailers and OEMs to get the device onto the global market. Meanwhile, a version of Meron designed specifically for North America will make its debut next month.
In terms of pricing, however, while the press release does make references to the device's affordability, it makes no mention of the actual price. Siano's Meron device will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013, which takes place in Las Vegas from Jan. 8 through 11. Check out the Meron demo video for more details about the live TV streaming gadget.
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