A few months ago, Asianet, one of the popular Cable TV service providers in Kerala and other South Indian states, announced its first Android TV box, dubbed as Asianet Smart Magic Box. Right now, almost every Cable TV, DTH and Broadband service provider is going after smart Set-Top Boxes to lure new customers. Cable TV operator GTPL Hathway also announced an Android TV-based box very recently and we have similar products like Airtel Xstream Box, Dish SMRT Hub and ACT Stream TV 4K launching as well. The Asianet Smart Magic Box price has been set as Rs 5,999, which is way higher than what operators are selling their product right now. However, as part of the introductory offer, the same Set-Top Box is available for Rs 3,999 for Asianet annual pack users.
Asianet Smart Magic Box Runs Android TV: Features Detailed
Asianet Smart Magic Box is just another Android TV Set-Top Box that brings both Cable TV and OTT content together. As for the features, it runs on Android TV 8.0 software, but the company promises guaranteed upgrade to Android TV 9.0 which most of the boxes from other operators are currently running. It's powered by HiSilicon Hi3798Mv200 chipset and has 2GB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. That said, the internet storage is on the lower side, but the Magic Box has USB slots to connect expandable storage devices.
It has support for 4K video resolution similar to Airtel Xstream Box, Dish SMRT Hub and ACT Stream TV 4K. As for the connectivity options, it has dual-band Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth and Chromecast built-in.
The Set-Top Box from Asianet also comes with Google Assistant along with a dedicated button on the remote for quick voice searches. Other features include Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. Since the STB runs Android TV platform, users can install all the apps available on the Google Play Store for free. In addition, the box comes pre-loaded with all the apps like Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, SunNXT, YouTube, Google Play Movies and so on.
Furthermore, Asianet says the Magic Box supports DTV Player which is a Digital TV receiver app for Broadcast. Users can select and watch Digital TV channels from Asianet, which is basically the Cable TV service Asianet provides with the Set-Top Box.
Asianet Smart Magic Box Now Available at Rs 3,999
The original price of the Asianet Smart Magic Box is Rs 5,999, but the company will be shipping it at just Rs 3,999 under its new launch offer. The Asianet Smart Magic Box is currently available at Rs 3,999 (excluding GST) for annual paying subscribers of Asianet Digital TV, Asianet Broadband and Asianet Giga Fibernet services. For example, if a customer of Asianet Digital TV chooses a channel pack for one year, then the Smart Magic Box can be purchased for Rs 3,999. The same case applies to Asianet Broadband and Fibernet users as well.
As for the original pricing, it's on the higher side. The Airtel Xstream Box which combines Satellite TV and OTT content is available at just Rs 3,999 even for new customers, whereas the Dish SMRT Hub also costs the same Rs 3,999. ACT Fibernet is providing the ACT Stream TV 4K Box for new customers at Rs 4,499, while long-term broadband plan users can get it for Rs 1,500.
Asianet is the largest Cable TV service provider in Kerala, but it's also offering services in Karnakata, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states.
