The DTH sector has been seeing a blow from OTT content platforms and other platforms which offer video-on-demand content. As such, the DTH companies have been working towards developing solutions which would allow their subscribers to access online content alongside their DTH channels. For this, Tata Sky has introduced its Binge service, which allows the Tata Sky subscribers to access content from various streaming sites on their TV screen. Similarly, Dish TV has introduced its DishSMRT stick, which is a dongle-based solution accomplishing the same thing. However, there is also the fact that these two products are in direct competition with each other and the subscribers have the option which one they should choose depending on the connection they have. It is quite possible that if you are going to watch OTT content in the long term, then one choice could be better than the other.
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Tata Sky Binge and DishSMRT Stick: Basic Differences
Firstly, there are some obvious differences between Tata Sky Binge service and the DishSMRT Stick. The most obvious of these differences is that Tata Sky Binge does not require an upfront payment and it is available as a subscription-based service for Rs 249 per month, whereas, the DishSMRT Stick can be bought by the subscriber with an upfront payment of Rs 599. When it comes to the hardware aspect of both of these services, they seem to be similar. Tata Sky offers its subscribers a special Tata Sky edition of the Amazon Fire TV Stick, whereas Dish TV provides a dongle as the DishSMRT Stick.
Both of these devices come with pre-installed applications on them. Also, the registration process is quite similar for these services, and the subscribers have to register for them through the website. For DishSMRT Stick, the customers pay directly to the representative, whereas Tata Sky’s Binge service conveniently deducts the monthly subscription from the subscribers’ Tata Sky accounts.
Differences in Content, Subscription and Other Drawbacks
Tata Sky Binge service comes with installed applications onboard the Fire TV Stick which include Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Sun NXT, ZEE5 and so on. The subscribers of Tata Sky Binge also enjoy a free trial of Amazon Prime membership for three months after which they are required to pay Rs 129 per month to continue the services. The plus point of this service is that Tata Sky Binge bundles free subscription to four content streaming services which include Hotstar, Eros Now, Hungama Play and SUN NXT. Also, you can easily flip between DTH channels and the content available on these content platforms.
Similarly, DishSMRT Stick also comes with apps which allow the subscribers to access content from sites like Hungama Play, ZEE5, SonyLIV and more. The subscribers will have to plug this device into their Dish NXT HD set-top box to access the content. The dongle will also require an internet connection to function. The drawback of DishSMRT Stick is that it does not bundle any subscriptions with it and you will have to buy them separately, and this dongle also does not come with popular streaming services like Amazon Prime or Netflix, while the former is available on Tata Sky Binge.
Verdict
It is an easy decision between Tata Sky Binge and DishSMRT Stick as the latter misses out on bundled subscriptions and some of the major content platforms. The Amazon Fire TV Stick, which is a special edition from Tata Sky has presence of popular OTT apps, and the bundled subscription along with free Amazon Prime benefit is something that gives the edge to Tata Sky Binge. However, if you are already a Dish NXT HD STB user and you would like to access some of the OTT apps mentioned for DishSMRT Stick, then the dongle from Dish TV is an affordable solution worth a shot.
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