Reliance Jio started offering free Jio Set-Top Box to its existing users as well as new customers of its JioFiber broadband service, following the launch of tariff plans. The Jio STB is an Android-based media streaming player and comes with a Bluetooth based remote control, and HDMI and Ethernet connection ports. JioFiber STB comes with preinstalled streaming apps such as JioTV+, HotStar, Voot, ZEE5 and SunNXT to stream Live TV channels. Similar to Airtel Xstream, Dish SMRT Hub and Tata Sky Binge+, Jio 4K Set-Top Box allows users to watch both Cable TV and OTT content without any hassle. Users have since complained about the limited number of options available on Jio STB. The JioTV+, however, seems to offer much more than initially revealed.
The JioTV+ from Reliance is a content aggregator delivering live TV channels, TV shows and movies and much more from various apps and services.
JioTV+ is Not the JioTV App We Know
While internet service providers Airtel and ACT Fibernet have partnered with OTT content providers to offer bundled broadband plans, Reliance Jio has taken a different approach. Airtel Xstream Fibre plans, for example, Amazon Prime membership and Zee5 premium membership with broadband plans starting at Rs 999.
Reliance JioFiber will allow customers to view the content directly from the STB via the JioTV+ app. It combines content from different apps to give access to varied content from several platforms. The JioTV+ application is similar to PatchWall UI on Xiaomi Smart TVs or Oxygen Play on the OnePlus TV Q1 series
Hotstar, ZEE5 and Other Platforms Offer Live TV Channels
The JioTV+ combines content from Hotstar, VOOT, ZEE5, SonyLIV and SunNXT apps. The Hotstar channels on the app include: Star Utsav, Star Gold, Star Plus, Star Sports HD, Fox News, Sky News, ABP News, Aaj Tak HD, India Today among others. The JioTV+ exclusive VOOT channels include Comedy Central HD, History TV 18HD, Nick HD+, Colors HD, M TV HD Plus, MTV Beats HD, Colors Rishtey, CNBC TV18 Prime HD, CNBC TV18 SD and CNBC Awaaz (Hindi) (Full Screen). There is an exclusive Jio Bollywood Premium HD for latest Indian cinema movies.
And the ZEE5, SunNXT and SonyLIV apps also offer Live TV channels to the users, as we have seen it on our Jio 4K Set-Top Box. Our Jio STB is running on Android TV 7.0 platform which is dated right now, but the company is expected to roll out Android TV 9 Pie update very soon to the existing users.
Reliance also plans to announce new partnerships with OTT content service providers in the near future.