Hathway Play Box, Ultra Smart Hub Android-Based OTT Set-Top Boxes Launched in India, Priced at Rs. 2,999

In a new development, Hathway has announced the arrival of a new OTT set-top box based on Android TV. The Hathway Play box allows users to stream Google Play content and play Android games on the bigger screen. It comes with a voice-enabled remote that sports dedicated YouTube, Netflix, and Google Play buttons, and supports Google Assistant as well. Alongside, the Hathway Ultra Smart Hub - a cable hybrid box - was also announced, and it essentially combines linear TV with Google Play services in HDR quality.

The Hathway Ultra Smart Hub brings easy navigation and allows linear TV users to download apps from Google Play. It works only where the Hathway cable is present, while the Play box is available to broadband users as well. Both the OTT boxes are priced at Rs. 2,999. Apart from Google Assistant support, the new set-top boxes also come with inbuilt Chromecast from streaming content on the big screen via the mobile app. Both the boxes will go up for booking in November, with availability from December. Hathway claims that more OTT app integration is in the works.

"One of the strengths of Hathway Play box is our cooperation with some of the most popular play-services. In addition to Google Play and YouTube, we are delighted that Netflix, the world's largest streaming service will be available in Hathway Play box at launch and that our customers can easily access their content via the button on the remote control," Rajan Gupta, Managing Director, Hathway, said in a statement.

"We are pleased to be working with Hathway and look forward to leveraging their extensive broadband and cable network to enable more exciting and useful Android TV experiences for consumers," Pranab Mookken, Head Android, Chrome & Play Business Development, India, said in a statement.