Back to basics: How Streambox’s Dor simplifies the cable TV experience

In an age where streaming services dominate entertainment, content consumption remains a fragmented experience. Multiple subscriptions, scattered platforms, and endless scrolling often leave consumers frustrated.

Streambox Media, a media-tech venture founded by Anuj Gandhi and backed by Micromax Informatics, Nikhil Kamath, and Stride Ventures, has introduced an innovative solution that promises to simplify home entertainment: Dor TV.

This first-of-its-kind subscription-based TV device seeks to address two major pain points for consumers: the need for multiple subscriptions across OTT platforms and the time-consuming hassle of endless scrolling to find desired content.

With Dor TV, viewers gain access to over 500,000 hours of content, including 24+ OTT platforms and 300 linear TV channels, all for a highly competitive price of Rs. 799 for the first year.

The price of the 43-inch TV is Rs 9,999, and the prices of the 55-inch and 65-inch TVs are Rs 16,999 and Rs 24,999, respectively, excluding the Rs 799 monthly subscription for a year.

After the initial subscription period, users can opt for customised plans based on their preferences, ensuring cost efficiency and tailored viewing experiences.

Streambox Media unveils subscription based TV service Dor

Bridging the gap between OTT and the simplicity of cable TV 

Explaining the vision behind Dor TV to afaqs!, Anuj Gandhi, founder and CEO of Streambox Media, shares, "Our goal was to simplify the connected TV experience and make it as seamless as the cable TV era. Back then, a single connection provided access to a wide variety of content for an affordable price. Today, the fragmented streaming landscape forces viewers to juggle between apps, subscriptions, and interfaces.”

He says this approach highlights Dor TV’s dual advantage: combining the convenience of cable with the versatility of OTT platforms, empowering users to curate their content choices without unnecessary complexity. While platforms like Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar are available on Dor, Netflix is unavailable at the moment; however, the founders are hopeful of getting them onboard soon.

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What do OTT platforms gain from it? 

According to Gandhi, India has 950 million internet users, but only 10% subscribe to OTT platforms. This untapped audience presents opportunities for both OTT platforms and Streambox.

With the connected TV market projected to double to 100 million users within 2–3 years, Dor addresses consumer concerns like pricing, accessibility, and ease of use while helping platforms combat churn.

“Our target market includes anyone without a CTV or looking for a better solution,” says Gandhi, adding that the brand aims for double-digit market share in the CTV segment within two years.

How is it different from ‘content aggregation’

While several content aggregation platforms like Tata Play and devices like Airtel Xstream and Amazon’s Firestick are available in the market, Rahul Sharma, co-founder of Micromax Informatics, asserts that the Dor TV is a groundbreaking, revolutionary product.

According to Sharma, Dor is powered by India’s first AI-integrated operating system for TVs. “This isn’t just a TV—it’s a smart screen redefining entertainment,” says Sharma.

Sharma explains that Dor’s AI assistant, AskDoor, uses natural language processing to help users discover content. For example, if a user is an Amitabh Bachchan or an Avengers fan, they can get the entire filmography from across platforms on a single screen rather than having to search for a movie or a series on different platforms and check for the respective subscriptions.

Asked what pushed Streambox Media to launch a high-investment device solution for the CTV ecosystem, Gandhi says that the brand's core product is the OS, and the TV screen makes it much easier to display that.

"However, we want to be available on more and more screens and can explore doing so while being available in different formats like set-top boxes or USB sticks in the near future." Gandhi adds that Dor is being positioned as an ‘OS built in India for the global market’ and will be foraying into the international market very soon. 

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What’s in it for advertisers? 

According to Gandhi, Dor can offer advertising solutions through banner ads on the TV interface. Despite acknowledging the dominance of major players like YouTube and Meta in the competitive landscape, Gandhi expresses optimism about future advertising potential as the user base grows.

Retail and marketing strategy

The Dor TV is exclusively available on Flipkart from December 1, 2024; however, the brand is open to other e-commerce and physical retail outlets once the brand scales, says Gandhi.  

According to Gandhi, the brand will initially utilise social media and influencer marketing campaigns to educate audiences about Dor's offerings, before switching to mass campaigns.

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