Buying a New Tata Sky Connection? Here Are All The Set Top Box Choices, at New Prices
What is missing from Tata Sky’s arsenal of STBs right now is a truly smart box, one that can also bundle video streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Video, Hotstar etc.
If you thought that buying a new direct to home (DTH) connection would be simply about getting a basic set top box (STB) and watching TV, you would probably be right. But that would be purely on the convenience and simplicity aspects. An STB is that essential yet neglected piece of hardware that sits somewhere near your TV, gathering dust and not getting much attention either. However, times have changed. However, no DTH operator is offering just basic STBs anymore—unlike cable TV operators, which still do not have many options that potential subscribers can choose from. Tata Sky, India’s leading DTH operator at present offers four STB options to choose from. There is one for standard definition television, two options for HD TVs including with the personal video recorder feature and a future ready 4K box. Just recently, Tata Sky also reduced the prices of the HD and SD set top boxes, and expanded availability to offline retailers as well to make buying a new connection easier.
What is missing from Tata Sky’s arsenal of STBs right now is a truly smart box, one that can also bundle video streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Video, Hotstar etc.—incidentally, Airtel has one. Though there is the Tata Sky Binge accessory, also called the Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition, but that is still an additional device to connect with the TV. Nevertheless, here is how each of the STBs differ from each other, and that could have a huge bearing on which one you pick for your TV.
Tata Sky SD
Rs 1,499 onwards
This is the entry-spec STB that works for old televisions, including the CRT TVs from the yesteryears. This will only support standard definition (SD) channels. Tata Sky is bundling multiple channel packages with the purchase of this STB—such as buying this with an Hindi Basic pack for a combined price of Rs 1,834 or with the SD Family Sports pack for Rs 1,956. There are not many tricks up the sleeve of this Tata Sky SD STB. Essentially, you will only buy this box if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI port, a standard the TVs have by default for quite a few years now.
Tata Sky HD
Rs 1,699 onwards
If you have an LCD or LED TV purchased in the past decade, chances are it will have an HDMI port for sure. In which case, you should be buying the Tata Sky HD STB. This supports a maximum resolution of 1080i with the 16:9 aspect ratio for high definition channels. In terms of the audio output, the Tata Sky HD box supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound formats—which is great if you have a home theater setup of a nice soundbar hooked up to your TV. Most HD channels support either sound format, which just makes for an enhanced viewing experience. Tata Sky is bundling subscription packages with this STB as well, starting at Rs 2,091 for the HD Hindi Lite pack going all the way up to Rs 2,452 for the HD Premium Sports English HD option.
Tata Sky+ HD
Rs 9,300 ( 4999) now available only.
In terms of the price, the Tata Sky HD+ sits at the top of the pack. This is essentially the personal video recorder (PVR) that lets you rewind, pause and record Live TV. With advancements to the low-noise block downconverter (LNB) mounted on the dish antenna installed in your balcony or rooftop, this STB requires just one wire to run between the dish and your HD+ box—in the previous generation, two wires were required if you wished to record one channel and watch another simultaneously. However, the new HD+ box lets you record programs on three channels at the same time, or record programs on two channels and watch a third channel at the same time. There is a 500GB hard drive, and you can set the series recording too—here, the box when left powered on or in stand-by mode will automatically record a new episode of your favourite TV show.
Tata Sky 4K
Rs 6,400
Tata Sky is still selling the 4K set top box, even though there are no 4K channels in India at the moment. It was launched a few years ago for some limited time broadcasts of sports events in 4K, but broadcasters have maintained silence on the matter since. Nevertheless, this is the STB which has HDMI 2.0 and the True Colour feature, which no other STB has. Apart from that, there are no extra features which set this apart from the other Tata Sky STBs—perhaps video streaming apps letting you stream content in 4K could have added genuine value to the proposition—at the moment, it doesn’t.
Tatasky Binge + 5999 (3999) now available only
EVERYTHING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE
Love binge watching your favourite content? Never miss a thing. Also, browse through the best of entertainment available on the internet. Watch content from Amazon Prime Video, Disney + Hotstar Premium, Zee5, Sun NXT, Eros Now, Hungama and ShemarooMe etc on big screen through Tata Sky Binge.
Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV-Based Set-Top Box Launched: Price in India, Features, Offers
The set-top box is powered by Android TV, supports Google Assistant-based voice search, offers Google Play Store access, and gives you 30 days free trial of Tata Sky Binge.
HIGHLIGHTS
Tata Sky Binge+ packs 2GB RAM, offers 8GB storage
The set-top box comes with the Tata Sky Binge app pre-installed
Catchup TV feature that lets you access TV content of up to past 7 days
The Tata Sky Binge+ set-top box is priced at Rs. 5,999 and is available for new customers
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Tata Sky has launched a new Android-powered set-top box called Tata Sky Binge+ in India. The set-top box is priced in India at Rs. 5,999 and it offers a seamless experience of watching TV channels and entertainment apps on one screen. The set-top box is powered by Android TV, supports Google Assistant-based voice search, offers Google Play Store access, and gives you a 30-day free trial of the Tata Sky Binge subscription service. This set-top box was leaked last month, and has finally arrived in the Indian market.
The new Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV set-top box is now listed on the company website, alongside the Tata Sky HD set-top box, and Tata Sky HD set-top box + recorder. The new set-top box will compete with the likes of Airtel Xstream Box and Dish SMRT Hub, which are priced reasonably at Rs. 3,999 currently. The Tata Sky Binge+ set-top box is priced at Rs. 5,999 and is available for new customers on the Tata Sky website. As part of the launch offer, the company is offering 30 days of free trial of Tata Sky Binge with this set-top box. After the free trial is over, Tata Sky Binge service will be charged at Rs. 249 per month.
Finally TRAI Says
new app by India’s telecom regulator allows television channel subscribers to efficiently customise packs as TRAI continues its effort to help users pay only for what they want to watch, and not for what operators bundle together.
TRAI Channel Selector, launched on June 25 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, is available for download on the Google Play Store and Apple Store. The app is in response to the difficulty being faced by subscribers in opting for channels of their choice on web portals or apps of distributed platform operators—industry parlance for direct-to-home operators and cable service providers.
The regulator’s new tariff order of 2019 gave consumers the freedom to make their own channel selections in a bouquet. It was aimed at ending the practice of pre-fixed bouquets sold by cable and DTH operators, forcing users to pay for more channels than they wanted.
Here’s How It Works
Cable operators and DTH players share application program interface, or the set of protocols and tools to build apps, with the regulator, allowing TRAI Channel Selector app to fetch data for subscribers.
BloombergQuint tested the app with a Tata Sky subscriber account. The app is available for free download on app stores. Here’s how it works:
Step 1
Once downloaded, a drop-down gives the list of service providers. DTH players connected with the app include Tata Sky, Airtel, Dish TV, D2H. Sun Direct is yet to integrate its system with the app.
Among the major multi-system operators, Asianet, Hathway Digital, InDigital, Siti Networks have integrated with the app.
Step 2
When a service provider is selected, in this case Tata Sky, a log-in page pops up, prompting users to punch in the registered mobile number or subscriber number or the set-box number. This is a two-factor authentication.
After adding subscriber details, the user gets a one-time password to log into the subscription page. This lists the summary including set-top box details, total number of channels, monthly pricing, bouquets selected, a-la-carte channels and free-to-air channels.
Step 3
The ‘View My Plan’ option on this page allows customers add or remove channels based on their preference.
