Airtel Digital TV customers can now get an HD set-top box for as low as Rs. 1,300. The DTH operator is also offering its SD set-top box at Rs. 1,100. The latest move by the New Delhi-based company follows the reduction in the prices of set-top boxes by Airtel Digital TV rival Tata Sky. In the recent past, DTH operators including Airtel Digital TV and Dish TV have also launched their Android-powered set-top boxes to deliver a smart TV-like experience to the masses.
On its official website, Airtel Digital TV is showing that new customers can avail its HD set-top box at Rs. 1,300. The HD set-top box was recently available at Rs. 1,800 — suggesting a price cut of Rs. 500.
The Airtel Digital TV website also highlights a change in the price of the SD set-top box that is now available at Rs. 1,100.
Airtel Digital TV is offering its HD and SD set-top boxes with reduced prices
The listed prices of the Airtel Digital TV HD set-top boxes notably don’t include any DTH pack. This means that customers will need to purchase a DTH pack separately after buying the set-top box. It is also unclear whether the reduced price includes any installation charges, as noted by Telecom Talk.
Back in July, Tata Sky reduced the prices of its HD and SD set-top boxes. The operator announced that while its HD set-top box can be purchased at Rs. 1,499 and the SD set-top box at Rs. 1,399.
Alongside dropping the prices of their SD and HD set-top boxes, DTH operators nowadays are offering Android-based set-top box options to the customers for offering various over-the-top (OTT) apps such as Amazon Prime Video, ALTBalaji, Voot, and more.
Last month, Airtel brought its Xstream box based on Android 9 Pie to transform the television-watching experience. Dish TV also earlier this week introduced its Android-powered Dish SMRT Hub with features such as Dolby Atmos support and Google Play Store access.
The recent changes by major DTH operators are also due to the hype created for Reliance Jio’s fibre broadband service that is set to bring a gaming-supported smart set-top box for the customers. The Mumbai-based company at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Reliance Industries in August announced its partnership with companies such as Gameloft, Tencent, and Microsoft to deliver console-like gaming experiences through its native set-top box offering.