In an expected move, DTH operator, D2h has silently introduced d2h Magic Voice Enabled stick in the country for Rs 1,199. The 'd2h Magic Voice Enabled' name may sound pretty awkward, but it will be competing with DishSMRT Kit which also has Alexa integrated and priced at the same Rs 1,199. That said, the d2h Magic Voice Enabled is the same d2h Magic stick with Alexa built-in along with a voice-enabled Bluetooth remote. The integration of Alexa and voice into the remote allows users to control their D2h Set-Top Box with voice. As you might be aware of, the d2h Magic Voice Enabled comes preloaded with apps like Watcho, SonyLIV, ZEE5, Hungama Play and so on. D2h also says ALT Balaji will also be available for the stick users very soon. The company is very silent about the availability of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix apps on both the sticks.
d2h Magic Voice Enabled: Features Detailed
D2h is currently owned by Dish TV and the moves from the operator are identical to those of the latter. For example, Dish TV first introduced DishSMRT stick last year and it was followed by D2h which came up with the d2h Magic stick. Later on, Dish TV launched DishSMRT Kit with Alexa built-in, and now, we have the d2h Magic Voice Enabled with the same Alexa integrated. Next up, we will surely see D2h coming with an Android TV-based Set-Top Box similar to Dish SMRT Hub.
Coming back to the d2h Magic Voice Enabled, it comes preloaded with a host of entertainment apps like ZEE5, Watcho, SonyLIV and so on. Users will get personalised recommendations of their favourite TV shows and movies through the stick. As the name of the product itself suggests, the d2g Magic Voice Enabled stick comes with Alexa built-in which allows users to interact with their Set-Top Box through voice. The stick also allows users to control the cab bookings, thanks to the Alexa skill.
Talking about some of the Alexa skills, d2h Magic Voice Enabled users can ask the stick to set Timer or Alarms, control the smart home devices like Wi-Fi enabled bulbs or any other audio products, listen to the latest weather and news updates, and so on. There are several other Alexa skills which users can make complete use of. Some other skills of Alexa are: Alexa, play the latest Bollywood music, Alexa, help me relax, Alexa, what is the cricket score?, Alexa, book a cab, Alexa, give me a Biryani recipe, and so on.
d2h Magic Voice Enabled: Pricing in India
According to D2h, the d2h Magic Voice Enabled stick can be purchased via the company's website for Rs 1,199. The bundle of the stick consists of a voice-enabled remote and one Wi-Fi & Bluetooth dongle. D2h says the stick has a monthly service charge of Rs 49, but for the first three months, there will be no service charges. These service charges will be included in the monthly D2h bill of the subscribers.
d2h Magic vs d2h Magic Voice Enabled Stick: What's New?
As mentioned, D2h first introduced the d2h Magic stick at a price of just Rs 399. The Rs 399 price is an introductory one and it will be soon increased to Rs 599 or Rs 699. Moving onto the d2h Magic Voice Enabled stick, it's available at Rs 1,199 which is a huge price difference between the two products.
The d2h Magic is a pretty basic product from the DTH operator and it allows users to watch Live TV content from Watcho app and users can make use of the preloaded apps as well. The d2h Magic Voice Enabled stick does everything similar to the d2h Magic stick but brings voice-enabled services to the users, which will make a whole lot of difference. Even the technical features of both the models are similar, albeit the newly launched model has support for 5GHz Wi-Fi networks as well.
