Dish’s new AirTV streaming box has officially launched, and it carries a premium price tag for over-the-air channel integration.
The AirTV starts at $100 but jumps to $130 for a package that includes the optional AirTV OTA adapter. The adapter can also be purchased later for $40. Customers who buy Dish’s new streaming device will receive $50 in Sling TV credits, which are available to both new and existing Sling TV customers.
Dish is also offering AirTV Pro antenna installation products and services alongside the AirTV launch. Starting at $100 for indoor and $150 for outdoor, the service will provide an antenna and a professional to install the device in the optimal location for receiving OTA signals. AirTV Pro Install service is using Winegard FlatWave Amped indoor antennas and Televes DigiNova BOSS outdoor antennas.
“For those times when it becomes more than a do-it-yourself project, AirTV Pro Install delivers expertise to your door, including a skilled technician armed with a ladder, tools and the know-how to make it simple for you,” said Mitch Weinraub, director of product development for AirTV, in a statement.
“We have identified, evaluated and tested indoor and outdoor OTA antennas to choose two trusted solutions for our customers,” Weinraub added. “They are well-designed for effectiveness, aesthetics and affordability, and we’ll help determine if they are a good choice for our customers.”
RELATED: Redesigned AirTV will integrate OTA channels, Netflix, Sling TV in single UI
"Zatz Not Funny" has been tracking news about the in-development AirTV device for months, and in December it spotted a landing page highlighting some of the features of the device. Those early reports indicated the device would come with a dedicated remote with voice control and a user interface that integrates OTA channels with OTT services like Sling TV and Netflix.
Today’s announcement confirmed those reports as well as the AirTV’s Android TV-based build, which includes access to the Google Play store. Besides preloading Netflix and Sling TV, YouTube will also come already installed on the device. AirTV said it will likely add more streaming services in the future.
“AirTV Player connects consumers to some of the most popular streaming platforms now, and we’re interested in adding even more choices in the future,” said Weinraub in a statement.
The AirTV also includes 4K compatibility as well as dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi support. But the price of the box could make it difficult for the device to compete in an already crowded streaming box market. At $130 for the OTA package, AirTV is priced close to the Apple TV at $150.
RELATED: Roku undercuts Amazon, Google with new $30 streaming device
Meanwhile Roku, which already controls a commanding portion of the streaming device market, recently launched a redesigned lineup of products that start at $30, less than the relatively low cost devices available from Amazon and Google.
This article was corrected to reflect that the AirTV does not cost more than the Apple TV.