The Elecom Mobile TV Tuner for Android devices allows you to watch TV on any compatible Android device with real-time recording and playback. Being able to turn your Android device into a portable TV is quite nice with added features like real-time recording and playback, a reusable adhesive mounting system, electronic programing guide display, closed captioning, switchable sound multiplex broadcasting and even works in over 20 countries. First and foremost we have to note that this device does not currently work in the US.

What you will get when you receive the Mobile TV Tuner is the DVB-T receiver unit with an antennae, micro USB to USB cable and a short flexible micro USB cable.

Elecom Mobile TV Tuner Receiver Setup
The setup is very easy for any level user since you simply download the associated app from Google Play and run it with the accessory attached. When the app opens for the first time it will automatically start the channel search function after you select the country you are in.

Elecom Mobile TV Tuner Receiver Design
The unit is a great little unit for watching live DTV and radio broadcasts from you mobile Android device and is small enough to put in your pocket when not being used. The unit is a small rectangle that easily sticks to the back of your device or its case with a reusable adhesive strip so it doesn’t just dangle while in use. The antennae shrinks down to about two inches but allows itself to be pulled out for better reception as well. We aren’t sure the design could be improved in any way as it is much smaller than any mobile device you would need to attach it to.

Elecom Mobile TV Tuner Receiver Features
The DVB-T tuner does not require any type of data connection to function which is a plus since there is no rational reason for needing it like apps alone on the Play store. The picture quality is only limited to the devices display meaning it as good as you’ll get on any device. What this means is you can get almost full HD on devices like the second Generation Nexus 7. You can scan for channels from the app that you download from Google Play and easily plug in the device without any difficult setup required.

The greatest feature of the unit is the fact that it has real time recording and playback meaning from the app you can record what you are watching. The device is also powered by your mobile device via the USB connection so it is completely portable and no power supply is needed. Another feature worth mentioning is having closed captions for those that require or decide to turn it on.

Requirements and Compatibility
The device currently does not work in the US but does support many countries at this point. Once it is available in the US we will update this article to be sure and let everyone know. The countries currently supported are: Australia, Belgium, UK, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Taiwan. System requirements are as follows: Android 3.1 or higher for most devices although Samsung Galaxy devices must be running Android 4.0 or better.

Conclusion
We are disappointed that the device does not currently work in the US although we have high hopes that it will work here before long. This small device it feature rich and completely met expectations as far as features and function. The Elecom Mobile TV Tuner does have a rather high price point at around $120 although for those looking for a solution like this it is easily the best out there to date.

The Netgear Push2TV PTV3000 is a small device that allows you to wirelessly display your Android device to an HDTV. With the new version of Push2TV, the PTV3000 supports Miracast which is what allows your Android screen to Beam its screen to the TV. Besides Android devices you can also mirror your laptop screen to allow using it on the big screen.

Using the device is rather easy as you connect the Push2TV unit to the TV via an HDMI cable (not included with the unit) and power it using the mini USB port of the device either to your TV or a wall adapter. The Push2TV unit supports any laptop that allows Intel’s Wireless Display (or WiDi) and Android devices with Wi-Fi Direct and Miricast. Keep in mind that most newer Android devices support this since Miricast is integrated into Android 4.2.  We tested the unit with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4.

Netgear Push2TV PTV3000 Design
The Push2TV unit is very small with nothing more than an LED, HDMI port, miniUSB port and a button for changing the mode of the device. Unlike the previous model you can plug this device directly into a TV USB port to power it and it does not require an adapter. You can however plug the device into a wall adapter and keep it powered that way as well. The small form and smooth black design makes it a nice looking accessory.

Netgear Push2TV PTV3000 Setup
When you first get the Push2TV unit you will have some required setup and the first thing you will have to do is update its firmware. This process can be a little tricky for those that aren’t tech davy but not too bad just the same. You can refer to the video below to find out how to upgrade the Netgear Push2TV Firmware but the process is as follows:

Download the Push2TV Firmware from Netgear

1. Push and hold the button on the side of the device for 5-7 seconds until the LED starts flashing
2. Connect to the Push2TV unit via your computers wireless connections
3. Open a browser and visit 192.168.3.1
4. From there you can select the file you downloaded and update the firmware

Viewing your Smartphone on an HDTV
As we stated earlier if your device runs Android 4.2 or newer your device should be supported. Each device will however have different ways of connecting to the Push2TV unit due to the different skins that are laid over the Android OS based on manufacturer and carrier. We have demoed the connection process on the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the video below as well as the quality of the Push2TV device.

Netgear Push2TV PTV3000 Features & Quality
The Push2TV unit really has its one main feature and that is mirroring your laptop or Android device on your HDTV screen. I do have to say that its a very smooth process although the one drawback on mobile devices is its internet connection. Since the unit creates a peer-to-peer connection you will still be able to use the internet via Wifi although it will decrease your bandwidth a bit. When you are within 10-15 feet of the unit the quality is as good as any wired connection. When we backed up to around 20 feet there was a slight degradation in video quality although not enough to make a big difference.

Final Thoughts on the Push2TV PTV3000
Other than the small issue of Netflix having to buffer a few times before playing smoothly and a light decrease in internet speeds its a pretty handy accessory. Just make sure that you update the firmware first thing and everything seems to be smooth. We focused on connecting mobile devices to the unit and never ran into an issue. This being said the connection to laptops seems to be less reliable but still rather stable. The Push2TV unit is around $100 so isn’t the cheapest way to mirror your device but it is the most convenient and useful.

The Official Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S-View Flip Cover is an ideal accessory for users that don’t want a bulky case while still protecting their Note 3. The Galaxy Note 3 S-View is a battery door replacement case that allows you to see the time, access the camera, notes, view notifications, answer incoming calls and much more without opening the cover. We have decided to do a quick review on the popular accessory for a device that seems to have quite a large following.

The Galaxy Note 3 S-view flip cover comes in many different colors including white, black, blue, blue lime, orange, pink and oatmeal. Other things to keep in mind when thinking about this case is its ability to preview text messages, viewing date, time, weather and alarms.  This is one of the most popular Note 3 Cases available at this time.

Galaxy Note 3 S-View Premium Cover Case Design
The greatest benefit to the S-View for the Note 3 is the fact that it allows the phone to be protected while keeping its slim design. Many users of larger devices like this don’t like the bulk that cases create but in this case you sacrifice nothing while protecting the screen. When using the S-View case you will also notice that the battery door cover that replaces the standard one is much stronger that the original. The flip cover is also a very strong flap that has its own touch screen built in to transfer data from the device to the secondary screen. The only downside we see to the design however is the fact that the flap does not have a way of locking shut which you can see in the review video.

Galaxy Note 3 S-View Premium Cover Case Features
The features built into the S-view cases have always been impressive but this particular one has many more features including the ability to select the view screens background color to match your own style. After selecting the style you want after initial installation you can then see all of the features this cover has to offer. The primary feature is the ability to answer incoming phone calls from the view screen although there are other features you can access such as the camera to take pictures without opening the cover and finding the camera app. Besides this there is also a notes app built in and a music player so that you rarely need to open the flip cover.

Questions from users of the Note 3 S-View
The primary question that we notice users having about the cover comes from the initial use of it. There is a small part that is sometimes loose in the box when you open it with a set of connectors. This is how the case gets power from the devices battery. If you notice that the pronged piece is loose in the package you will see on the battery door cover where is sticks so just manually stick it to the inside of the cover.

Conclusion
The Official Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S-View Premium Cover Case is a very feature rich replacement for the battery door that adds some protection to the device. Additionally the flap allows the screen to be covered when you don’t need the touch screen allowing it to be protected when not in use. We do recommend this cover for users that don’t want to add bulk and like to keep the screen covered most of the time. Those that use the device primarily as a phone, camera or music player will easily find this the most useful accessory for their Note 3.

Spigen has created some really nice Slim Armor cases for the Galaxy S4 so we expected nothing less than the best. This time Spigen has created the Slim Armor View case which is a combination of the official Samsung view cover and Spigen’s very own Slim Armor case. The biggest difference and benefit is the fact that this is a strong protective version of Samsung’s S-View cover. Those that love the S-View will love the added protection and design of the Slim Armor View case.

Design of the Spigen Slim Armor View Case
The Spigen Slim Armor Case for the Samsung galaxy S4 has a uniquely creative design for a tough case. The case itself has two different models being the slick white and a more matte styled black both with the same design but slightly different feel. The white version as seen in the video on this review is a very smooth case that does pick up fingerprints but in our opinion is the nicer looking of the two on a white S4. The black model is much better at hiding fingerprints with its more matte shell and is about the same color as the TPU rubberized interior of the cases.

The Slim Armor View case has three main parts being its cover, TPU rubberized slip cover and hard plastic outer shell. The view cover has an auto-wake feature which also when closed puts the device back to sleep.

The view cover is attached to the main part of the case by a double hinge to allow it to be folded open and again behind the device to easily use it without the cover in the way. The view cover has a small screen at the top that allows you to see the time, notifications, missed calls, incoming calls, and even alarm notification when it goes off without having to open the cover to access the screen. Besides being able to see all of this you can answer and decline incoming calls as well as snooze and stop your alarm from the small view screen. This alone should improve battery life exponentially. The screen cover also has an opening for the ear piece as well as access to the home button.

The Spigen Armor Case portion of the design consists of the two main parts being the TPU rubberized slip cover and hard plastic outer shell. The case is designed to allow your Galaxy S4 to easily slide into the case without falling out just as easily. The TPU rubberized internal part of the case is actually very strong and not as soft as you would see in most cases using the same design. This rubberized internal shell is what creates the raised volume rocker and power button. The outer shell is a very hard plastic. This creates a strong shell around your GS4 without making it incredibly thick.

If for any reason you decide you aren’t interested in using the flip cover you can easily remove the cover from the main part of the case by lifting up the rubber from the plastic shell and gently lifting the cover off. Its an easy process and for all intent and purposes you will now have the Slim Armor case for your Galaxy S4.

Protection of the Spigen Slim Armor View Case
Most cases only protect the back and sides of the phone but the Slim Armor View case will protect the Galaxy S4 all the way around. The Slim Armor View case covers the entire phone as if you put it into a box leaving no part of it vulnerable in the event its dropped. The case itself having the rubber slip cover that is surrounded by a polycarbonate hard outer shell provides an incredibly strong protective covering. The TPU rubberized interior provides the shock absorption while the hard outer shell takes the hit itself.

Second is the flip cover which is just as strong as the case itself creating a cover like the S-View while locking in place so that it wont open when falling. The flip cover also keeps the screen completely covered when your using the phone for a call and when pulling it out of your pocket which is generally when people drop their phone. There is absolutely no access to the glass of the device making the Spigen Slim Armor View Case the most protective case we have seen for the Galaxy S4.

Final thoughts on the Spigen Slim Armor View Case
I believe I will leave this case on my phone for a while to see how it stands up under daily use but have to say my impressions of it now are all positive. The only flaw in the case that I could find is the fact that when taking pictures you have to let the cover lay open. When the cover is folded behind the phone it covers a small portion of the top of the camera. This being said its complete protection and innovative features negate that quite a bit.

The Spigen Slim Armor View Case can be found at Mobile fun for $44.49 in both black and white, which falls in line with other protective cases in its class. This being said the protection is unrivaled even by OtterBox with a much slimmer design as well as the fact that it has the view cover you could only previously find with the Samsung S-View (we would like to note that this entire case costs the same as the flimsy S-View from Samsung). We can see no reason this case would not compete with even the largest well known brands.