Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of Airtel, has announced Video On Demand that will allow customers to connect their set top boxes (STB) to their broadband connection and download TV content from an on-demand video library. Currently the service is available in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, NCR, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore. However, the company plans to expand the service in other cities too. Airtel claims that this service will allows users to download movies and series on fashion & lifestyle, health & fitness, home & family, devotional, among others from its on-demand library. It's not clear whether all TV programs from all the channels currently available on Airtel Digital TV will be available for download. It should be also noted that on-demand videos are available only in Standard Definition (SD) and not HD. Airtel attributes this to the fact HD videos require too high a bandwidth (which means that users will hit their unfair "Fair Usage Policy" easily on a broadband connection). No WiFi support What's surprising is that the STB only supports Ethernet based connection. Thus it's quite possible that if you have multiple devices requiring Internet connectivity and a single Internet connection, you're out of luck. This not only reduces the usability but also creates wiring issues. The STB also does accept 3G/4G dongles. Customers can avail the service by sending an SMS to 54325. Rs 125 installation charges will be applicable. Rentals While the service does not have any subscription charges, one will be charged on a per video basis, with videos start at as low as Rs 10.…
