Safaricom’s ‘Big Box’ is now official. The company’s long awaited media streaming box will offer over 30 local free-to-air TV channels and access the internet via Wi-Fi, 3G/LTE or a wired connection. It also serves as a Wi-Fi hotspot like we had anticipated. Users can share the Big Box’s cellular data with up to 10 other devices.
With the Big Box, Safaricom is going after the home entertainment industry targeting at least 2.4 million Kenyan households out of the 3.2 million that have access to digital TV but are not using any of the set boxes available on the market.
The Big Box runs on Android even though you’ll be limited on the number of applications you can install on it. It has just 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal storage. That is however expandable to 32 GB using a microSD card or a USB flash drive. Users can play content stored on external storage media using the iMedia Player application. Navigation of applications on the home drawer and inside apps like the browser can be done via the remote controller. For applicable channels, it will stream in High Definition. There’s a HDMI port at the back of the Box and it comes with a HDMI cable right out of the box. There’s also an ethernet port at the back of the decoder just in case you want to connect it to your wired network setup.
Safaricom will be giving buyers of the Big Box free 6 GB data per month for 6 months and 3 months free YouTube.
The Safaricom Big Box will cost Ksh 9,999. That’s a one-off fee and buyers of the Big Box won’t pay anything else after that unless it is data bundles they are buying which is something different. You can also get it at Ksh 4,999 through the Easy Pay Plan after which you’ll be required to pay Ksh 999 installments monthly for six months.
The following are the data bundles on offer for the Big Box monthly:
- 6 GB – Ksh 999
- 10 GB – Ksh 1,500
- 20 GB – Ksh 2,000
- 50 GB – Ksh 4,000
Users can buy the bundles for the decoder in various ways:
- Dialing *422# from their mobile phones and entering the decoder number after which they’ll be prompted to select their preferred bundle.
- Using M-PESA . This uses the *422# USSD. Dial it from the mobile phone number used to register the decoder upon purchase, enter the decoder number, select the preferred data bundle, enter the PIN and you’ll get the relevant notifications
- Online purchase. Through your computer, smartphone or tablet, safaricom.com/bundles will still work
- Sambaza. We are not so sure how this one is supposed to work since Safaricom has capped data bundle sambaza to just 20 MB and surely 20 MB can never be enough on a media streaming box. Anyway, you can sambaza data bundles to your Box decoder using your primary line i.e. line used to register it. However, it is not possible to sambaza the Big Box’s data to your other devices.
- Directly from the Box decoder itself. From the decoder’s internet home page, select the ‘My Account’ icon on the applications menu, go to TV option and choose preferred data bundle.
The Big Box decoder is available throughout the country in all Safaricom shops.
does it have a hdmi port?
Yes it does.
That offer where did you get the info from from their shops at I’m and Kimathi street they say no such offer exists, the one off for 5 k
Sorry about that, our reporter, alongside others said they heard that mentioned, but we have since confirmed with Safaricom and they say it doesn’t exist.
Aw that was a great offer that never was, I have a digital TV and was willing to buy it for the Android on TV, it looks well built and certainly is a good box. If u get a review unit kindly flesh out full specs which processor, amount of ram internal storage and the version of android.
how many channels?Do you have the list?
I guess they say it is channel streaming, as in that like of the internet, its only they have already book marked them
This a hybrid, just like the average free to air set top box but with android on top, so you get the free channels available to others. We will confirm soon as we have the box with us.
Here’s the list of channels on the big box k24 Tv
Citizen TV
KTN
NTV
Kingdom TV
Express Live TV
Kiss TV
Hope TV
Family TV
Youth TV
QTV
3Stones TV
Kass TV
Two Evolution
GETV
EATV
Property TV
Sauti ya Rehema
Fountain TV
Bazaar TV
Vision
Kaaba TV
Dove TV
UTV
God TV
iTV
KBC Channel 1
GBS
Edu TV
Bunge TV
Lake Victoria TV
Gor TV
Senate TV
Aviation TV
Revival TV
Dream TV
Joy TV
Millenium TV
Adventist TV
Deliverance TV
Times TV
West TV
Daystar TV
Why do you make TV look like a priority?
Well, it may not be for me and you, it is for very many.
Thanx for the info martin..Good job
Other entertainment channels: Supersports, NAT Geos etc , should be incorporated.
So the only channel that can be watched are those on YouTube and others that offer live streaming?
No, it’s a full set top box, that has an Android OS, so you get FTA channels as far as I know, we’ll confirm on Monday.
WHY IS IT HANGING AFTER EXACTLY 30 MINUTES WHEN WATCHING YOU TUBE? ONE IS FORCED TO SWITCH ON EVERY NOW AND THEM……Other wise it is a super BOX!
Internet is cheap, I will go for it. I buy 1.5GB bundles for 1k. but here 1k, 6gb. That is good
It can be awesome if you do a full review, is it a better option than zuku? Coz on zuku I stream YouTube videos without a problem.
A full review is coming, we will give details on what one can expect.
Is this a modem or a set top box? How can T.v viewership be billed in “bundles”. Charging consumers “bundles” then disconnecting them when bundles run out is a sure way for failure.
Safaricom, should stick to a one flat payment fee regardless of the internet data used by the consumer. This is the model used by other providers and it is a success.
Secondly,where is the list of channels it will broadcast?
No on is being charged for viewership. This is still a FTA set-top box. The bundles are for the in-built wifi hotspot that comes with the box.
You can still watch TV without bundles, just that the wifi won’t work.
This is OK as a decoder but as a WiFi hotspot it stinks so bad even the neighbours will complain!
PROS
– As a TV DVB T2 decoder is fine.
– You can record programs to external HDD. I tried with a 500GB hard disk and it was beautiful.
CONS
– Takes a bit longer to start than most other decoders (not really a deal breaker)
– YouTube app is dead on arrival
– It CONSTANTLY loses internet connection.
– Picture is not smooth under heavy WiFi usage.
– Sometimes it shuts down when downloading too much.
– No manual!
– Safcom lied through the teeth on the offer.
– Browser is sloooooooow
– Struggles on Youtube HD using the browser
– Not good value for money.
LIKE
what processor does it have?@Martin Gicheru. where the heck is the fullest review of this box?
Eric this is just a first impressions article, be sure we will have a review coming soon as we have more time with it.
Cheers for the summary.
I would have purchased it just for the internet option but if its slow and it’s always dropping the connection, then it’s a no no.
So I’m off to zuku.
can i watch Netflix, Hulu on this ugly looking box?
Lol at “ugly looking box” wouldn’t call it that but I admit it’s not on top in design. That said, all you need is a VPN set-up and you can register to watch.
hi martin, av had this box since early may-11th precisely.had issues at 1st bt were sorrted n am neva lacking unltd net, hurraaaaay….nwy, guide me on hw to set up this vpn fr netflix, al do that asap
which isp is that giving you an proxy server with an American ip address?
Eric its http://edgemax.co.ke, but i had to drop them, i now use a VPN tool.
Instead of buying that mesh looking aerial can I connect the one for DSTV Dish satelite plug in?
The big box requires that you buy an external aerial. Instead of buying that mesh looking aerial can I connect the one for DSTV Dish satelite plug in?
Lucas, the two are different technologies, you can’t use a satellite dish for a terrestrial set top box, which all are including this one. If it was possible then GOtv users would use DStv dishes. Which they don’t.
Sadly Safaricom is violating the GNU General Public License (GPL by distributing works derived from GPL-licensed without releasing appropriate source code. See GPL v2 Section 3, which demands this.
Let’s get it on the record that Safaricom is violating the GPL.
Is it 6GB every daily for 999?
6GB one off a month for 999 bob.
how much of Nairobi is covered by safaricom’s 4G? I leave in Kahawa west and I have had less that 30 minutes of internet since I bought thie bigbox 3 weeks ago.
If I could, I’d just cancel the TV and use the bundles for other purposes
can the wifi be used to surf in mobile phones
Yes, that’s actually the idea, that family can connect to the WiFi on their smartphones and tablets.
What is the max Upload and download speeds for the big box?
Its a CONBOX. My experience has been bad. Internet drops quite often. They claim 4G connection but you can feel it only by the speed at which the bundles get exhausted but not by the internet performance. One of the services in Kenya where you pay a premium and get poor service
can I watch Netflix directly on my TV with Big Box
I tried directly and I was getting compatibility errors so I thought it was something iam not doing right
HI i have a problem with my Big Box it has lost network. who can help me please.
There seems to be no after sales support for this Big Box..I purchased one but nobody in Safaricom is giving solution to my problems…..