EvoTV is a range of digital media players developed by Amkette that brings internet and web2.0 features to the television. EvoTV was envisioned to be a substitute to the growing range of Smart TVs in the market. Instead of replacing complete television sets to get Internet-based features users could just connect an EvoTV and get the same features at a much lower cost. EvoTV is based on the Android operating system, can connect to the internet wirelessly, and can stream local, network and internet media and audio files. Once connected users can access Android Playstore Apps using EvoTV on their television. The first EvoTV was launched in the middle of 2012[1] and received many positive reviews and awards. In 2013 Amkette EvoTV won the NDTV Gadget Award[2] for the Best Consumer Electronic. In 2014 two news versions of EvoTV were introduced bringing the total variants to five.[3]
As of 2022 the Web site evotv.amkette.com was dead, and the search term "EvoTV" found no matches on the Amkette Web site.
With the continuing demand for EvoTV, two new models were introduced in May 2014 - EvoTV Media Center and Android Central. These were focused towards online and offline media consumption.[4]
EvoView - Is the user interface which allows customization of the home screen for applications, videos, and weblinks.[5]
EvoRemote - is a feature packed remote control which has gathered much praise as being an intuitive and advanced method to interact with EvoTV and access all the features available on it. It comes with a touch sensitive button to control the movement of the EvoTV pointer.[6]
MyYTViewer - is an application that allows creation of live groups based on various criteria such as channels, category, terms and more for video from YouTube.
Motion Gaming - allows users to play games with the motion of the remote control.[7]
In December 2012 EvoTV XL a next generation EvoTV device was launched[8] and received many positive reviews and awards. It supports better hardware specifications and Android 4.0.1 (ICS). Boxtv.com, an online media steaming service has made a custom application for EvoTV. EvoTV XL is also XBMC enabled.
| Date | Author | Publisher | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 - June 13 | IBN Live | IBNLive | Similar to Apple TV, EvoTV is a digital media device which allows users to access content like videos, games and websites using WiFi and broadband connection. It comes with a remote that acts like a mouse and has a mic to facilitate conversations on VoIP (like Skype). | |
| 2012 - July 19 | Jayesh Limaye | Techtree | review that "The Amkette EvoTV is a unique device that converts your boring television into a really Smart TV. While its UI displays some lag, it performs well in media playback as well as light gaming. Its Internet features, such as web browsing, social networking, streaming media, IM chat, and torrent client place it way ahead of rival media players currently available in the market. Its motion-sensing remote control is another fun addition. Overall, this would have made for a very good buy, had the asking rate been lower. " [9] | |
| 2012 - August | Nandagopal Rajan | Business Today | review that "Media boxes generally try to cash in on the proliferation of downloaded digital media, with some trying their hand at smart features and Internet connectivity. But none of them are really as smart as the Amkette EvoTV, which gives an Android driven intelligence boost to your TV. With the EvoTV plugged in, your old TV will be able to surf the Net, check mail, play millions of videos, play motion and other games and access files from the home network and so on."[10] | |
| 2012 - August | Aaron Almeida | Tech 2.0 | review that "This device is a great solution for those who have flat panel television without smartTV capabilities. Having Android Gingerbread on board is another great advantage for your television."[11] | |
| 2013 | Mahananda Bohidar | Hindu Business Line | "The Evo TV is an interesting concept for the Indian home. For a big chunk of the population which might not see the need or potential of a big-brand smart TV yet, the Evo TV presents itself to be an affordable option, seemingly worth a try."[12] | |
| February 6, 2013 | Vishal Mathur | Thinkdigit | The updated Amkette Evo TV is a polished product. Its unique element- motion control - works smoothly and with a much more assured response. The updated OS and more RAM have made considerable difference in terms of how quick this device responds.[13] | |
| April 2, 2013 | Sahil Bones Gupta | BGR | If you have been bitten by the Smart TV bug, then it's not the TV you are looking for, you are looking for the Amkette EVO TV XL.[14] | |
| June 4, 2013 | Tushar Kanwar | Businessworld | Amkette EvoTV XL scores a 8 on 10. It is Capable of media playback, a good compromise between memory expandability and built-in storage, surprisingly good mobile gaming capabilities with the motion sensitive remote, excellent connectivity options.[15] |
| Categories | Amkette EvoTV 2 (2016) | Amkette EvoTV XL (2012) | Amkette EvoTV XT (2013) | Amkette EvoTV (2012)[16] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB | 4GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | ||
| Cortex A5 1.6 GHz + ARM Mali™ 450 | Arm Cortex A9 + ARM MALI 401/ XBMC enabled | Arm Cortex A9 + ARM MALI 400 | Arm Cortex A9 + ARM MALI 400 | ||
| RAM | DDR III 1GB | DDR III 1 GB | DDR III 1 GB | DDR III 512 MB | |
| Network | WiFi - Built-in 802.11b/g/nv, Bluetooth - 4.0, Ethernet | Wireless, Ethernet | Wireless, Ethernet | ||
| Audio Output | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | |
| Operating System | Optimized Android 4.4 (Kitkat) | Android 4.0.4 ICS | Android 4.0.4 ICS | Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread | |
| Remote | 2.4 GHz Wireless Air Mouse, Dual Mode | 2.4 GHz Wireless, Air Mouse, Accelerometer, Universal Remote, Wireless Mic, Touch sensor | 2.4 GHz Wireless, Air Mouse, Touch sensor, Universal Remote | 2.4 GHz, Touch sensor, Universal Remote, Wireless Mic, Accelerometer | |
| Gaming | with EvoGame Pad Pro | Motion Sensor | Touch Sensor | Motion Sensor | |
| Dolby Digital/DTS | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
EvoTV[17] has most commonly been compared to Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku.[18]
Some tech jourlists deemed the first generation EvoTV to have a sluggish user interface which reduced the overall experience. Others have criticized the use of Android Gingerbread as being outdated. These issues have been corrected in the second generation EvoTV XL [19]