Set-Top Box Pricing and Features When it comes to pricing, the Tata Sky HD Set-Top Box has been priced at a higher rate at Rs 1,499, whereas the Airtel Digital TV HD Set-Top Box retails at a lower rate of Rs 1,300. So the first difference is between the pricing of these two Set-Top Boxes, and in this case, the subscribers will be more in benefit when they choose the Airtel Digital TV Set-Top Box. When it comes to features, there is a lot of overlap between these two HD STBs. Both of these Set-Top Boxes offer up to 1080i quality and Dolby Digital Surround sound. However, the Tata Sky misses out on any kind of recording functionality, whereas, the Airtel Digital TV Set-Top Box offers the record and play feature on its HD Set-Top Box. To recall, Tata Sky offers the recording functionality in its higher-end Set-Top Boxes only. Hence this earns Airtel Digital TV another edge in features despite being lower priced. Multi-TV Pricing In case you are getting a connection for your home, it is crucial to keep in mind the multi-TV pricing of a particular DTH operator in case you have to get another connection. In this case, if the subscribers get an additional Airtel Digital TV connection, then they would have to pay an NCF of Rs 80 in addition to the content charges and the NCF for extra channels. In the case of Tata Sky, there would be no NCF discount, and the subscribers would be charged similar to the first connection. This again means that the Airtel Digital TV subscribers would be in advantage, as first, they would make savings on the pricing of the Set-Top Box and then they would save about Rs 70 every month on NCF charges, as compared to Tata Sky subscribers. Accessing OTT Content Verdict Overall, if the subscribers are interested in buying an HD Set-Top Box for their DTH connection, then Airtel Digital TV would be the better choice for subscribers, keeping in all the parameters. However, in case you are likely to lean towards OTT services, then it would be better to get a Tata Sky subscription with Tata Sky Binge service. Or, by spending a little more, you could also get an Airtel Xstream Box, but with it, you will have to pay for subscriptions additionally.
