Disney Plus Hotstar-Disney Plus was tossed in the United States in 2019, after which the gushing service quickly prolonged to many other countries, including India. But instead of getting a nifty app, Indian users saw the existing Hotstar streaming platform rebranded as Disney Plus Hotstar.
When it hurl in India in April 2020, the new Disney Plus Hotstar bundle increase subscription prices and add a variety of new content to the existing service. This article tells you everything you need to know about the platform that competes with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in India.
What Is Disney Plus Hot Star?
In 2018, The Walt Disney Firm acquired 21st Century Fox in a $71 billion acquisition. It made Star India, which owns Hotstar, part of the Walt Disney Group. As previously mentioned, Disney Plus Hotstar is a collaboration between Disney and Startup in India’s existing streaming service Hotstar.
Therefore, when Disney Plus officially launched, it was only natural that it would leverage Hotstar’s existing infrastructure in India to promote Disney’s massive content library.
In March 2020, the old black and neon Hotstar logo replaced a royal blue Disney Plus Hotstar emblem. Disney then added all of its content to Hotstar the following month, marking the official launch of the new streaming service in India.
The platform now includes access to original content from Disney Plus, previous Disney titles and hundreds of other films and series, including shows from HBO, Fox and Showtime. It also contains a lot of sports coverage and is known for hosting professional live cricket matches.
Is Disney Plus Hotstar Worth It?
Disney priced somewhere between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The former costs a lot more, while the latter is perhaps one of the cheapest streaming services in India.
Disney Plus Hotstar Has A Lot Of Content To Offer.
However, it has a lot of content to offer, primarily since it also streams most of HBO’s existing and new TV shows. It joins the growing list of Disney original content, classic titles, local language Hotstar originals, live sports, etc.
While the service’s content is one of its greatest assets, the streaming resolution is one of our most significant weaknesses. The platform charges premium 4K content. But very few titles are available in 4K. You won’t find ample content that goes beyond 1080p. And the quality usually drops even more if you don’t have a stable internet connection.
You Won’t Find Ample Content That Goes Beyond 1080p.
The good news is that telcos like Airtel and Reliance Jio offer one year of Disney Plus Hotstar VIP membership for free with specific packages. So if you use one of these service providers, you can try Disney Plus Hotstar before signing up.
Overall, you won’t be disappointed if you pay for the streaming service. It has a clean interface and engaging content and is cheap compared to Netflix.
How Much Is Disney Plus Hotstar?
The streaming service presently has two subscription tiers in India.
The annual subscription price for the top tier is Rs 1,499 (~ USD 20.30). It is an increase from the previous price of Rs 999 (~$13.50).
You can also pay the premium plan monthly at Rs 299/month.
A higher-quality subscription costs 899 rupees per year (~$12.15).
Both plans include access to all original content from Hotstar and Disney Plus. You also get satisfied with HBO, Fox, and Showtime.
A super subscription comes with few ads and no access to 4K streaming. Premium accounts remove ads and allow four simultaneous screens and the two-screen super limit.
Premium members also have exclusive access to the latest regional and Hindi movies.
If you are not already a member of the service, you can become one by clicking the button under and subscribing to your preferred membership plan.
Where Is It Available?
While Disney Plus is available in many countries, Disney Plus Hotstar is currently only available in India and Indonesia as of September 2020.
Since its official introduction in India, Disney Plus Hotstar has amassed over 28 million paid subscribers.
Overall, recently had more than 46 million paying subscribers. Disney Plus alone has more than 129 million subscribers worldwide. Almost a third comes from India, and the trend is rising.
How Do I Get Disney Plus Hotstar?
You can access the service from many devices. Here is the full list:
- Desktop Web
- Android
- iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
- Amazon FireTV Stick
- WebOS on LG TVs
- apple tv
- cast chrome
Unlike Disney Plus in added countries, 4K content is minimal on the Indian version of the service. The service has yet to announce the availability of 4K streaming but has begun upgrading select titles to 4K. We have confirmed this in our use of the platform.
Currently, the default resolution is set at 1080p and sometimes even reduced to 720p, making the experience less enjoyable than services like Netflix and Apple TV Plus.
Disney Plus Hotstar: What To See?
The service has an extensive library of TV shows and films in English and local languages. It includes all of Disney’s biggest live-action and animated titles like The Mandalorian, WandaVision, some of the best HBO shows, and Hotstar’s library of specials.
The platform also hosts all the Marvel and Star Wars pictures in India. So you can watch the whole Avengers series or all Star Wars animated movies and shorts on the platform.