A few months back, we reported that Airtel Digital TV has reduced the prices of its HD and SD Set-Top Boxes by at least Rs 200 to take on Tata Sky and they’re now available at even more affordable prices
DTH operators in the country are aggressively slashing prices of their Set-Top Boxes to add more subscribers on board. We saw Tata Sky and Dish TV reducing prices of their HD STBs for new customers, and now, Airtel Digital TV has joined the list. Airtel Digital TV is now offering its HD Set-Top Box to new customers at a price of Rs 1,300, whereas the SD Set-Top Box can be availed for Rs 1,100. In contrast, Tata Sky is charging Rs 1,499 for the HD STB and Rs 1,399 for the SD STB, so the prices of Airtel Digital TV are slightly on the lower side.
Dish TV, which just launched an Android TV-based Set-Top Box is also providing Dish NXT HD STB at Rs 1,590 for new customers. Dish TV has lost its top spot to Tata Sky very recently and the main reasons are the aggressive pricing of Set-Top Boxes, impressive customer service and wide-range of channel packs. While Airtel Digital TV has a nation-wide footprint, it’s still behind Tata Sky and Dish TV (including D2h) when it comes to the subscriber base.
Airtel Digital TV Set-Top Box Prices Reduced Yet Again
A few months back, we reported that Airtel Digital TV has reduced the prices of its HD and SD Set-Top Boxes by at least Rs 200 to take on Tata Sky. Under the new tariff regime by Trai, TV viewers were facing increased bills and DTH operators were scared that the viewers may shift to OTT platforms to watch content. As a result, Tata Sky immediately reduced the prices of its Set-Top Boxes by at least Rs 400, which was soon followed by Airtel Digital TV.
At the moment, new Airtel Digital TV customers can avail of an HD Set-Top Box at Rs 1,300 and this price is excluding the channel pack which they will be asked to choose while selecting the HD connection on the Airtel website. Also, the SD Set-Top Box is available at Rs 1,100, again the price is excluding the channel pack.
That being said, we’re not sure whether these are the final prices that customers will have to pay at the time of installation. Usually, DTH and Cable TV operators levy additional installation charges on top of the charges that are mentioned on the website or mobile app. So we will recommend you to check with Airtel Digital TV customer support team when they call for the installation.
Airtel Digital TV vs Tata Sky vs Dish TV: Set-Top Box Prices Compared
Last week, the Trai data revealed that Tata Sky has dethroned Dish TV to become India’s leading DTH operator by subscriber base. Due to the sub-par tariff regime implementation, DTH and Cable TV subscribers faced a lot of issues, but Tata Sky has managed to provide the best service to its users. Be it the customer support or the channel packs, Tata Sky has stayed ahead of the competition.
When it comes to Set-Top Box prices, Tata Sky is charging Rs 1,499 for its HD STB, followed by Rs 1,399 for the SD STB. Airtel Digital TV new customers can avail of an HD Box for Rs 1,300 and SD Box for Rs 1,100. DishNXT HD Set-Top Box is currently retailing for Rs 1,590 and the company is even providing a lifetime warranty with its STB, something which other DTH operators are not providing. Lastly, we’re not sure whether these prices include the installation charges as well, so check with the respective DTH operator after booking the connection.
