Back in April 2017, India's leading telecom operator, Airtel launched the country's first hybrid STB (Set-Top Box). As the name itself suggests, the new STB from Airtel comes with a slew of new features on paper. First up, the Airtel Internet TV is a 4K ready STB based on Android TV OS that is aiming to transform the TV viewing experience in India.
There are a host of new features in the Airtel Internet TV STB that sets it apart from the regular STBs available in the market right now. Airtel has added features such as YouTube, Netflix, Airtel Movies, right into the STB itself, making it easier for users to view the content they like. There are various other features as well. Let's take a close look at how the Airtel Internet TV is changing the TV viewing experience in India.
Neatly Designed User Interface
As said earlier, the Airtel Internet TV runs Android TV OS. Unlike the current generation Airtel STB which has a cluttered UI. The channel guide has a block interface with all the channel categories displayed on the main screen. You need to connect the Dish antenna connection to watch the live TV channels.
Furthermore, if you don't want to watch the Live TV channels, there are the options of Netflix, YouTube, and Airtel Movies. However, you should be connected to the internet to access the digital content services.
With the help of 4K Chromecast support, you can simply cast any show, movies, music and much more from your laptop, tablet or mobile phone directly onto the TV.
Voice based Remote Control is Fun
The highlight of the Airtel Internet TV is the voice-enabled remote control. This Bluetooth remote comes with a microphone built-in. The remote also comes with a touchpad as the other navigation method.
Also, you can download the Airtel Gamepad application from the Google Play Store to alternatively control the Internet TV via your mobile phone. That said, you need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to control the Internet TV via your mobile phone.
The Device Comes with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of Storage, but You Can't Store Files
The 8GB internal memory on InternetTV is used for Operating system, Apps and Games. For recording and Live-Pause feature, you need to connect your own pen drive or USB disk. The 2GB of RAM helps in handling the system tasks.
You Can Install Apps and Games from the Google Play Store
As we have been saying right from the start of this article, the Airtel Internet TV is built on Android and is India's first STB based on Android. It comes bundled with Google Play Store and you can install all the apps and games compatible with the Android TV platform.
However, there's a catch here. The games which are available and downloaded from Airtel Games, only those games are playable using Airtel Gamepad application.
The Airtel Internet TV is currently available for purchase via Amazon India for Rs. 4,999 along with free installation. Airtel is also offering a Rs. 1,000 discount for the existing Airtel DTH customers who are looking to purchase the Airtel Internet TV.
