GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL DTH FACE-OFF

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL DTH FACE-OFF





Cable TV set-top boxes are getting smarter, with 4K display, recording to USB drives, and Wi-Fi transfer to smartphones

The ICC T20 World Cup is around the corner, but is your home entertainment setup ready for it?
Sure, you may have a shiny new 4K TV, loads of packets of chips stashed in the kitchen, and beer stocked in your refrigerator; but do you have the right DTH service to enjoy the matches?
Having a Full HD or 4K screen isn't going to be helpful if you have a standarddefinition connection, but it also doesn't help that it is so tedious to find a DTH service that will cater to your needs. That's where we come in. We've summed-up and compared the top DTH brands in India to help you choose the best service that will truly have you ready for the upcoming festival of cricket.

4K ULTRA HD BOX

If you have a 4K Ultra HD TV, then you should probably go with a UHD set-top box. In India, only two service providers currently offer 4K services ­Tata Sky and Videocon D2H. Although we don't have many 4K channels as of now, except Star Sports 4K, which too broadcasts at 4K resolutions only occasionally, the service providers offer a set of their own channels that broadcast 4K content.Moreover, the boxes can still broadcast your usual HD and standard content.

The Tata Sky 4K comes with HDMI 2.0, and Dolby Digital Plus delivers an amazing audio experience. The set-top box has a clean UI and isn't laggy. It's priced Rs 6,400 for new customers and Rs 5,900 for existing clientele, and it comes with its Tata Sky Active 4K services, which contains 4K content. Upgrading to 4K will also let you enjoy various existing HD channels and SD channels.

The Videocon D2H 4K too comes with HDMI 2.0, Dolby Digital Plus, and supports 60p playback. The set-top box also lets you record the shows on a USB thumb drive for an additional Rs 30 per month fee. The user interface is a bit laggy when compared with Tata Sky's box, which can get a bit irritating, but once you've picked your channel and settled in, it's smooth sailing. The Videocon D2H 4K set-top box is priced at Rs 6,590 for new customers, and Rs 5,990 for existing customers.

Broadcast quality on both is phenomenal, and the sharp details are breathtaking. When looking at a UHD TV, 4K playback really does make a lot of difference, with the level of detail and sharpness the high resolution offers. Now, the Tata Sky 4K box doesn't come with recording, whereas Videocon does, so Videocon D2H definitely has an advan tage here.

HD BOX

Many won't have a 4K TV yet, but almost everyone now has an HDTV.

Switching to an HD set-top box from a standard defini tion box makes a big dif fer ence.

The level of detail when com pared to a standard defi nition box is phenomenal, and most major channels now offer an HD version.

All the DTH providers in India offer HD connections, the top 3 contenders being Tata Sky, Videocon D2H, and Dish TV.

Tata Sky comes with a HD set-top box for Rs 1,985, which doesn't come with the recording feature. If you wish to avail a recording set-top box, it'll fetch set you back by Rs 7,890 if you're an new customer or Rs 9,655 for existing customers. A third option is the Transfer recording settop box, which will let you transfer your recorded content to Tata Sky's iOS or Android app via Wi-Fi to watch on-the-go.

Videocon D2H's HD box costs Rs 1,900 with new connections, and it also comes with recording function through USB.Also, you get a radio frequency remote rather than the IR remote provided by other brands, which has a much stronger connection. You just need to avail the recording feature for Rs 30 per month.

Dish TV too comes with a similar box, with USB recording for Rs 1,700, but you don't get the radio frequency remote.

All three service providers broadcast at 1080i and support Dolby Digital Audio, but Videocon D2H also supports SPDIF input, which comes in real handy for an awesome audio experience. When comparing image quality, Tata Sky was by far the best, as its set-top box rendered sharp and crisp images.

Videocon and DishTV were at par with their overall quality, which wasn't disappointing and still looked way better than any standard connection.

In this face-off again, Videocon D2H wins, as the set-top box it offers comes loaded with some amazing features, such as SPDIF input, radio frequency remote control, and recording function, which is cheaper when compared with Tata Sky's recordable box.

CHANNEL PACKAGES

Tata Sky's top of the line package, including all channels with HD channels (197 SD channels & services, 41 HD Channels + 4K Service + Star Sports Add on Service HD) would fetch you for Rs 660.

Videocon D2H's top tier Platinum HD pack (471 channels including 37 HD channels) comes for Rs 608 per month.

Dish TV comes with their top of the line New Titanium pack (348 channels and 50 HD channels) including the HD add on for Rs 695, coming to be the most expensive amongst the trio, and also offering most number of HD channels.

BOTTOM LINE

When comparing all the DTH brands and the packages they're offering, here's the summary. If you want the best quality of set-top boxes, broadcast quality, and pack ages, you should opt for a Tata Sky connection. If you want something which is more value for money, and still provides a decent broadcast quality, we recommend Videocon D2H.

Mohit Khanna

MM7MAR16