The country’s largest telecom network operator, Bharti Airtel, launched an Android-based set-top box tagging it as Internet Television. One can convert any television into a smart TV with its built-in content apps. To name a few, Airtel Internet TV includes Netflix, YouTube, and Chromecast for viewing your favourite content on the big screen. Airtel is in talks with Amazon and Eros Now to include Amazon Prime and Eros Movie base into the set-top box.
In addition to the regular TV channels, the inbuilt Netflix and YouTube will make Airtel’s new set-top box as the most preferred one. Currently, the company will target the consumers looking to enjoy content on the larger screens. The resident welfare associations, modern retail stores, consumer electronic stores would be the front-runners to grab Airtel’s new STBs.
Announcing the launch, Mr Sunil Taldar, Director – DTH Business, Bharti Airtel, said: “It provides seamless integration of viewing online and offline content on a bigger screen.” Though Bharti Airtel is the third largest company in the DTH segment in terms of customer base, stands the second largest by revenue.
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As a launch offer, this smart set-top box is priced at ₹7999 for 12 months subscription and ₹4999 for three months period. If you are an existing Airtel customer then you can own this Android set-up-box for just ₹3999 a year. That’s a smart pricing by Airtel to achieve higher revenue with content and TV channels bundled in.
Currently, the product will be sold exclusively through Amazon. However, in a few months, other online partners such as Flipkart and Snapdeal would be added apart from its exclusive offline Airtel stores. Though Bharti Airtel competes with Dish TV, Tata Sky and Videocon in this DTH business, Airtel has the distinction of having broadband as its backbone.
The Airtel Broadband user is entitled to get 25GB of high-speed broadband every month when he signs up the internet TV set-top box offered by the company makes an affordable deal. Feature-wise, Airtel Internet TV has an inbuilt Wi-Fi receiver and is integrated with Google Voice Search feature to enable its users to search content by talking into the touchscreen remote.
It being 4K content ready, Airtel Internet TV enables the user to pause, record and rewind the LIVE TV. The subscribers can even mirror content from their smartphones, tablets and laptops onto their giant TV screen. All you need to have a minimum 2Mbps broadband speed internet for a butter-smooth online experience. If you don’t have a broadband connection then you can even connect it to a 4G hotspot. In line with the regular Airtel Digital TV, an antenna would be supplied for installation.
Considering its amazing content platform and features, the Airtel Internet TV hopes to rock the DTH space.
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