Set-top boxes go black as digitization deadline expired

Hyderabad: Digitization deadline expired on Monday, over 5 lakh TV sets within HMDA limits without set-top boxes went blank across the country.

According to India Today, Hyderabad, Pune, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Patna, Srinagar and Coimbatore were among the 38 cities across 15 states selected for phase-II of the digitisation process.

By March 31 they were asked to switch to settop boxes, however cities like Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodra and Surat have the access a stay from courts.

January 31 is the original deadline but an extra two weeks time was given for the transition.

On Thursday, cable TV operators siege to MSO Hathway office at Himayathnagar when the analogue signals in HMDA stopped according to DC.

M.Jithender, Telangana Cable TV Welfare Association said, “We have no objection to the norms. But it’s the responsibility of Hathway to provide set-top boxes for consumers. They failed to provide STBs to over 5 lakh consumers.”