MUMBAI: In what is likely to boost its rural subscriber base, Reliance Big TV is making its pay channels free for a year while also providing up to 500 free-to-air channels for five years without charge. The pay channels include the direct-to-home (DTH) operator’s range of high-definition (HD) entertainment channels.
Moreover, the operator aims to pioneer a digital revolution in entertainment with a HD HEVC set-top box (STB) practically free of cost. “We are extending our pan-India network to support our customers, enriched content for all at superior digital quality and affordable services with the latest cutting-edge HD HEVC device,” Reliance Big TV director Vijender Singh said in a release issued by the company.
Its HD HEVC STB will come with features such as schedule recording, USB port, Youtube, recording and viewing channels simultaneously.
Singh added, “Today, Reliance Big TV is going to mark the beginning of a new dawn in the way Indians have been accessing entertainment on their TV sets. Starting from today, entertainment comes effectively free of cost, with the latest offer by Reliance Big TV. Now every Indian household can enjoy high-quality home entertainment and students can have free-of-cost access to education content with the latest HD HEVC STB.”
Singh said that the idea was to support the Digital India initiative by bringing urban and rural India “on the same platform for entertainment and education with [a] unified consumer offer.”
Interested customers will have to pay a booking amount of Rs 499 on Reliance Big TV website. On the receipt of STB and outdoor unit (ODU), buyers have to pay the balance amount of Rs 1500 and enjoy a plethora of pay channels absolutely free for 1 year including HD Channels and up to 500 FTA channels free of cost for 5 years.
To claim loyalty, subscribers need to recharge monthly amount of Rs. 300 from the second year onwards for all pay channels and on completion of subscription of pay channels continuously for next 2 years with Reliance Big TV subscribers will get back Rs. 1999 as a loyalty (the amounts paid during booking and receipt of the STB) in form of recharge.