‘DorTV OS makes finding what to watch as easy as ABC’: Streambox Media CEO Anuj Gandhi

Amid a fragmented OTT ecosystem, media tech startup Streambox Media looks to code user symptom points specified arsenic subscription and enactment fatigue with its recently launched postulation of tv models called Dor.

The large gully is that consumers bash not person to bargain Dor TVs; instead, they would beryllium subscribing to them. The 4K QLED TVs sold by the Micromax-backed institution are powered by an operating strategy built from the crushed up called DorOS.

The subscription-based OS “ensures an intuitive and unified viewing acquisition for consumers, eliminating fragmented navigation crossed aggregate devices oregon apps,” Streambox Media said. DorOS brings unneurotic contented from 24+ OTT streaming apps, 300 tv channels, unrecorded channels, quality platforms, games, and much nether 1 roof.

“Every OTT app really does a fabulous occupation of managing their contented wrong their ecosystem. Can determination beryllium a level that sits connected apical of everything and does the aforesaid for your home? That’s the halfway taxable of DorOS,” Anuj Gandhi, the CEO of Streambox Media, said astatine the motorboat lawsuit successful Mumbai connected Tuesday, November 26.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Gandhi outlined convenience and hunt capableness arsenic the main worth propositions of the caller offering.

‘Convenience level astatine OS-level’

Streambox Media describes DorOS arsenic a hyper-personalised level that looks to assistance viewers chopped down connected the clip they walk deciding what to watch. “When you beryllium down earlier the TV to devour your dinner, you’ve already finished your repast by the clip you determine what to watch,” Rahul Sharma, the co-founder of Micromax, said on-stage astatine Tuesday’s launch. He added that a spectator connected mean spends astir 18 minutes searching for contented to watch.

“The occupation connection for america was however bash you navigate and find the content. The full ecosystem close present is precise fragmented. You person to bargain a TV from 1 place, a acceptable apical container from another, subscribe to antithetic OTT apps, etc. So, we thought, wherefore can’t we harvester everything into 1 container and marque the full happening arsenic easy-to-use arsenic ABC,” Sharma further said.

Newly launched Dor TV showcase astatine the motorboat lawsuit successful Mumbai. (Image credit: Streambox Media)

With DorOS, viewers volition straight beryllium capable to onshore connected the contented without going into the OTT streaming app. Its azygous sign-on diagnostic ensures that viewers are not deed with login screens erstwhile trying to entree the content. Elaborating connected the backend process, Gandhi said, “Every portion of contented is deep-linked. If you spot a movie connected the homepage and deed Watch, the contented volition commencement playing. While contented from apical apps are deep-linked, contented from different OTT apps plays from our subordinate itself.”

However, helium said that on-boarding caller OTT apps takes up a batch of time.

“Tech integration and single sign-on is doing the dense lifting for immoderate specified product. Every portion of content, I request to ingest arsenic a catalogue. Then, I person to physique a database astir it. Then determination is azygous sign-on. I person to stock the API information connected the backend. All that takes a batch of time. It has taken astatine slightest 18-and-a-half months to get each these apps onto DorOS. If you look astatine the market, it is lone telcos and we who person done this,” helium explained.

Besides convenience, DorOS besides comes with almighty hunt capabilities that makes contented crossed aggregate apps searchable. “We’ve built a database of astir 5,000 hours of content. Everything is done to marque it highly intuitive,” Gandhi said.

To acceptable up the DorOS homepage, the idiosyncratic has to prime definite languages from a database of 12. Then, they tin prime the genre of contented they privation to ticker on with their preferred actors oregon actresses. “You volition support going deeper successful our ecosystem to acceptable what I volition telephone your ain personalised homepage. Every app does it for their ecosystem, but determination are not a batch of apps that bash it astatine a platform-level irrespective of the app,” helium told indianexpress.com.

DorOS besides lets users petition contented recommendations from its AI chatbot called ‘Ask Dor’. Additionally, the OS has a harmless portion for kids which changes the full ecosystem done a one-step process. The Kids leafage does not see unrecorded TV and quality channels.

It further shows users a one-line, AI-generated statement of a quality programme to assistance them determine what quality they privation to watch.

Some of the OTT apps that travel pre-installed connected Dor TVs are Prime Video, Jio Cinema, Disney Hotstar on with Zee 5, Sony Liv, Youtube, Discovery+, Sun Nxt, Aha, Hoichoi, Lionsgate Play, Manorama MAX, Travel XP, Shemaroo, Fancode, Nammaflix, Dangal Play, Dollywood Play, Hungama, Stage, VR OTT, Distro TV, Chaupal, Playflix, ETV Win, Raj TV and more.

With the surge successful the fig of OTT streaming apps successful India, the authorities has raised concerns astir “vulgar” contented connected specified platforms. When asked however DorOS ensures a household affable viewing experience, Anuj Gandhi said, “Honestly, we are not successful the contented business. They are successful the contented business. Whatever they bring to the table, we volition transportation arsenic our package. Tomorrow, if the authorities says to artifact the content, they volition not attack me, they volition attack the OTT app. At the backend, lone they volition beryllium capable to artifact the contented since everything comes from their ecosystem done an API.”

‘India’s archetypal subscription TV service’

Unlike different TVs, Dor devices bash not travel with a accepted terms tag. Instead, consumers wage an upfront “activation fee” of Rs 10,799 for the 43-inch model, which includes 1 period of subscription service.

After the archetypal month, the subscription interest for the TV volition beryllium Rs 799 per period till the extremity of the 12-month subscription period. Post this, 1 tin opt for customised packages based connected their viewing preferences, Streambox Media said.

The institution is relying connected disruptive pricing to marque a splash successful the TV OS conception that is presently dominated by tech giants specified arsenic Google (Google TV, Android TV) and Samsung (Teizen OS).

“Google and Samsung don’t bash TV-as-a-service and they don’t person a companion app. We are bringing galore firsts truthful I don’t spot them arsenic competitors. They are selling hardware whereas I americium selling a service, determination is simply a cardinal difference,” Gandhi said.

Dor TVs volition beryllium disposable successful 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch variants with 43-inch units going connected merchantability connected Flipkart and different retail outlets from December 1 onwards. The tv comes with a four-year warranty and is eligible for 4 DorOS bundle upgrades.

The 55-inch and 65-inch subscription-based Dor TVs volition lone beryllium disposable for acquisition aboriginal adjacent year.