New set-top box to turn ordinary TVs smart

NEW DELHI: Smart set-top boxes with pre-loaded popular apps such as YouTube and Netflix are set to turn all idiot boxes into intelligent televisions.

Cable operators and directto-home service providers such as Videocon D2H, TataSky and Airtel are set to launch new settop boxes (STB) by May — a move that will take away the thunder of smart TVs or streaming devices such as Google Chromecast or Apple TV. These will be priced at ₹3,500, roughly.

“The new set-top boxes from our stable, also called connected box, have the ability to connect to the internet either via WiFi or through a dongle attached to its USB hub,” a Videocon D2H spokesperson said on Monday.

The STBs will have social media, music and content streaming apps. And games, too.

“The new connected box will eliminate the need for users to buy a new smart TV or a streaming device such as Google Chromecast and Apple TV. The STB will provide both linear programming as well the option to stream on-demand video and audio,” he said.

STB users can upgrade by paying ₹1,000 and returning their old boxes.

Videocon D2H said their box has news and social apps such as NDTV, Facebook, and Twitter, and is in the process of adding support for Netflix, Voot, hotstar and Amazon Prime Video.

Netflix and Videocon D2H signed a deal in the first week of March to let its clients gain access movies and titles using the connected box.