Amkette launches new device EvoTV

IT peripherals maker Amkette today launched a new device 'EvoTV.' The device priced Rs9,995 will allow users to surf the internet on their television sets in the same way they do on their computers.

The company, which is betting big on the device, expects to net around 50 per cent of its revenues from the product.

Much like Apple TV, EvoTV is a digital media device, which allows users to access content like videos, games and web sites using WiFi and broadband connection. The device comes with a remote that acts like a mouse and has a microphone to facilitate VoIP conversations (like Skype).

"We are aiming at 70-75 per cent growth in revenues with this product. In the fiscal ended March, we had revenue of Rs80 crore. This year, we expect EvoTV to contribute about 50 per cent of our revenues," Amkette chief executive officer Rajiv K Bapna told reporters.

The Android operating system-based device would be available by June-end in Delhi (and NCR), Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, and would be launched across 40 cities by the end of August this year.

"With EvoTV, we plan to revolutionalise the future of television globally. The internet experience should not be limited to just PCs. Using this, users will be able to access games and content like videos, just like they would on a PC," Bapna said.

Google, which operates the Android platform, also plans to launch its set-top box 'Google TV' to allow viewers to use their device both for television viewing as also to access the internet simultaneously without adjusting any cables.

The Android-based media centre for the TV gives it almost all the powers of a smart TV and much more, with browsing, apps, wireless connectivity, DLNA and, of course, the ability to play any media content.