MUMBAI: Facing an uphill task to sell digital set-top boxes (STBs), Hinduja-owned, Incablenet, has decided to offer them free on a trial basis to their direct subscribers.

The multi system operator (MSO) plans to deploy the boxes to all its 50,000 direct subscribers in Mumbai and 15,000 in Delhi. The STBs will be offered free for a month so that the subscribers can get a digital experience and be lured to buy the boxes, says IndusInd Media & Communications director-in-charge, Ravi Mansukhani. "We will be deploying these boxes in all our direct points. We hope the one-month digital experience will persuade our subscribers to buy the boxes. We want our digital cable TV service to reach a reasonable volume," he adds.

Incablenet is offering to its digital cable TV subscribers 173 channels including 16 audio channels. By placing more channels, the MSO hopes to convert its analogue subscribers. "With our cable pipes choked, we are not able to offer new channels in our analogue system. This can get accommodated in our digital service," Mansukhani says.

Is the cable network planning to offer exclusive content channels for its digital subscribers? "We have to first reach a minimum density of STBs, at least in one city, before we can offer thematic channels. We have a huge library of movies. We can design a movie channel without commercial breaks. We can also premiere movies on these channels," says Mansukhani.