There are multiple Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in the Indian market selling their own Set-Top Boxes (STBs) to the users. The leading companies in India in the DTH segment are Tata Sky, Dish TV, D2h, and Airtel Digital TV. All of these companies offer a variety of STBs to the users. Right from standard definition (SD) STBs to 4K and Android STBs, there are a lot of options for the users to choose from. But if you are looking for the cheapest Set-Top Boxes you can find in India, keep reading ahead.
Airtel Digital TV - SD Set-Top Box
The SD Set-Top Box from Airtel Digital TV can be purchased for a mere cost of Rs 1,100. It is arguably one of the cheapest STBs present in the whole market, which allows recording through USB. Since it is an SD Set-Top Box, the satellite content you get won’t be of very high quality, but with time you will get used to watching content in such a quality. It is worth mentioning that the HD Set-Top Box isn’t too expensive as well. It costs just Rs 200 more (total price Rs 1,300) than the SD STB.
Tata Sky - SD and HD Set-Top Box
In the offerings from Tata Sky, there is not one STB which can be considered the cheapest, but there are two actually. Both SD and HD STBs from Tata Sky are priced Rs 1,499. But in hindsight, it will be the SD one which will prove to be cheaper for the users since HD STB plans are more expensive. The basic difference between the two STBs is the firstly the quality of viewing, and then the quality of sound as well to some extent.
Dish TV - DishNXT Set-Top Box
The DishNXT STB is the cheapest box you can get from Dish TV. It comes for Rs 1,490 and a lifetime warranty with a free one-month subscription. On purchase of this STB from the DTH operator, users also get free coupons worth Rs 2,000 from the Coupon Duniya.
D2h - Digital SD Set-Top Box
D2h offers its cheapest STB called ‘Digital SD Set-Top Box’ for Rs 1,499. For new users, it comes with a free one-month subscription of Gold Combo 60 SD channels. While at the same time, the HD Set-Top Box isn’t too expensive as well. It comes for Rs 1,599 only, which is just Rs 100 more than the SD one.
So if you are deciding between these, it is clear that Airtel Digital TV offers the cheapest Set-Top Box amongst this lot. While with Tata Sky, Dish TV, and D2h, the price of their cheapest STB is almost the same. It is worth mentioning that with Tata Sky, the cheapest STB can be considered either the HD Set-Top Box or SD Set-Top Box. Even with D2h, there is a price difference of only Rs 100 between the HD and SD Set-Top Box. So if you are only looking for the cheapest Set-Top Box in India and are comfortable with watching SD quality content, the Airtel Digital TV is your best bet.
