DTH operator Tata Sky recently announced a new Video on Demand (VoD) platform for its subscribers. Called Tata Sky Binge, it brings live TV and OTT streaming services in one package. Tata Sky Binge service is offered in partnership with Amazon where it is using the Fire TV Stick to bring a world of content to you. When you subscribe for the ‘binge’ service, you get the Amazon Fire TV Stick (Tata Sky Edition) for free.
We have already reviewed the Amazon Fire TV Stick, so I won’t dive deeper into its experience. It is the same HDMI dongle that you would otherwise buy from Amazon. However, there is one small change – you get Tata Sky Binge app that lets you access live TV and Tata Sky content. Here are my first impressions.
Tata Sky Binge pricing
The Fire TV Stick is usually available for Rs 3,999 via Amazon India. However, being a Tata Sky customer, you get the dongle for free. All you need to pay is Rs 249 per month, which also includes a complimentary subscription to OTT streaming services.
Tata Sky Binge streaming services
As a part of the package, Tata Sky is offering complimentary access to Hotstar, Eros Now, Sun NXT and Hungama Play. Hotstar Premium subscription is available for Rs 299 a month, or Rs 999 a year. Similarly, Eros Now subscription is available for Rs 99 a month or Rs 950 per year. The Hungama Play subscription is usually available for Rs 149 a month, and Rs 1,399 a year.
A total of these three yearly subscriptions come to Rs 3,348. But with the Binge service, you end up paying a total of Rs 249 x 12 = Rs 2,988. You save a marginal Rs 360. As an add-on, you also get free Amazon Prime Video subscription for three months. Of course, the Fire TV Stick platform also lets you download ALT Balaji, ZEE5 and Netflix app and enjoy that content too.
An add-on to your DTH
Besides the OTT services, you also get Tata Sky Binge app. It is a platform that lets you watch live TV channels that are available in your DTH subscription. You also get catch-up TV service where you can watch your favorite shows that you missed. The catch-up TV service supports episodes for up to past seven days. And you get all this at no extra cost. This service is not something that you get otherwise on the Fire TV stick.
Initial Impressions
I have been using the service for the past few days and so far, it is going good. I like the idea of having live TV and OTT in one package. Being the monsoon season, it has been raining in Mumbai over the past few days. And as always, the DTH transmission goes off when it starts raining. But with Live TV streaming on Binge app, I was able to watch the TV shows without any interruption.
It is times like these when I think the service will come in handy. But is it reliable? Does it make sense to have Tata Sky DTH and Binge service at the same time? Well, I’ll answer that after using it for a few days. So, stay tuned for my review.
