For years, the scenario in the Portuguese living room remained the same: cables tangled behind the television unit and the operator’s box taking up physical space. But this model has changed rapidly in recent times.
With the maturity of television operating systems and the growth of Smart TVs, the operators’ official applications have taken on the main role, raising a clear question: are the traditional box’s days really numbered?
Specific applications are no longer limited to viewing on a cell phone and have become the main means of watching television in the living room, delivering benefits that go beyond simply eliminating yet another device.
Goodbye to monthly box “rental”
The main reason for abandoning the conventional box directly impacts the consumer’s pocket. Many operators give away the first box upon loyalty, but a second or third unit for rooms usually generates a monthly rental of between €2.50 and €5 per device.
When installing the official app on your Android TV, Samsung (Tizen), LG (webOS) or Apple TV 4K Smart TV, this charge disappears completely. The application authenticates the service via the fixed internet connection (Fiber), releasing the full range of channels, recordings and video club. With fewer devices connected, energy consumption also drops at the end of the month, generating additional savings that can reach tens of euros per year in homes with several televisions.
A single command to control everything
Who has never been bored when switching between the television control, to turn on the device or adjust the volume, and the box control, just to change the channel? When migrating to the operator’s native application:
- You control the entire television experience with the original Smart TV remote or the minimalist Apple TV remote.
- Navigation becomes more fluid. Powerful processors, like those in the Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield, run app interfaces quickly, responsively and without the common crashes found in older operators’ boxes.
The other side of the coin: the limitations of the ecosystem
Despite the obvious advances, the transition to the pitless model still faces obstacles in Portugal. The main one involves network restrictions.
To guarantee stability and protect transmission rights, operators like MEO develop apps so that they only work on the residential fixed network. If you take your Apple TV to a vacation home with internet from another provider, the app blocks live channels, forcing alternatives like Chromecast or AirPlay from your phone.
The trend appears to be irreversible: the traditional box evolves from a mandatory item into a niche solution. And you, have you already given up on yours or do you still prefer classic hardware?
