Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government today launched the distribution of free Set Top Boxes to subscribers of the state-run cable TV corporation as part of its initiate to switch to the digitization process as mandated by the I&B Ministry and also to fulfill the poll promise of ruling AIADMK government.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K Palaniswami, distributed the STBs and inaugurated the MPEG 4 upgraded control room for digital signal transmission.
As per the latest offer Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) subscribers will now have access to 180 channels in digital quality at a monthly subscription of Rs 125.
The Centre had given Provisional Digital Addressable System (DAS)licence to Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Corporation in April this year.
An official release here said the STBs would be distributed to users through local cable operators. Operators are permitted to charge a one-time activation fee of Rs 200 from them. Consumers have the option to choose from four packages, all of which includes both pay and free channels.
While 180 channels are on offer for Rs 125, they get 230 channels for Rs 175, 260 for Rs 225 and 300 for Rs 275. The subscription fee is exclusive of 18 per cent GST. The distribution of free STBs to all subscribers will be completed in three months, the release said.
STBs come with a three-year warranty and TACTV is the first and only state-owned undertaking in India to offer STBs free of cost.
