BackReview: Set-top box for smartphones
Watch TV on the move on your cellphone. But there isn't much content to watch
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The TVOnGo device allows you to use your smartphone as a full-fledged TV without the need of any Internet connectivity. It runs on Sony’s Digital TV (DTV) tuner module, which enables mobile devices to receive signal from various types of digital terrestrial TV broadcast systems. Essentially, it acts like a set-top box for your mobile phone.
TVOnGo has been developed by New Delhi-based AB Innovators, in association with multinational company Sony Corp. It is a first-of-its-kind device in India.
Design: compact but delicate
TVOnGo is a compact device, only slightly bigger than a pen drive. It works with any smartphone that has OTG (on-the-go) compatibility and plugs into the micro USB port on the phone. It does not require any additional power source and does not drain the phone’s battery. The device has an integrated antenna that can be used for improving signal reception, but we didn’t notice any major improvement in signal strength during our tests. Our only worry is that for a device meant to be used on the move, it doesn’t feel hardy.
Usability: plug and play
To use TVOnGo, all you have to do is plug the device into a smartphone’s micro USB port and download the free TvOnGo app from the Google Play store. The app lists all compatible phones, so you can easily check if TVOnGo will work on your phone.
Performance: brilliant picture quality, little content
The app automatically opens the moment the device is plugged into the phone. The interface is simple and easy to navigate: all the TV channels are in the first column, the radio stations in the second and the recorded programmes in the third. One thing that is a bit worrying is that after 30 minutes of use, the TVOnGo’s plastic body heats up.
At the moment, Doordarshan National TV channel and All India Radio’s AIR FM Gold, AIR FM Rainbow, AIR Punjabi and AIR Gujarati are available through this device. Sony has said that popular private TV channels will also be added to the platform before the end of the year.
Verdict
TVOnGo is a great device for anyone who wants to watch TV while travelling or for those who do not own a TV or face regular power cuts. The radio capability will be handy, as AIR radio stations have a wide following. But this device will only become enticing once popular private TV channels and FM radio stations come on board. TVOnGo is priced at ₹ 3,000 and is exclusively available on www.abinnovators.in
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