update Ten months after it kicked off a trial of the service and almost a year after it was launched by rival iiNet, national broadband provider Internode has launched the FetchTV internet video service on its network, pricing the offering at very similar rates to those offered by iiNet.
The service, which FetchTV is also working to offer through rival providers like Optus and Adam Internet, will sell in two options — a ‘Full’ version which offers complete access to FetchTV’s streaming TV channels, and a ‘Lite’ version which offers access to the library of on-demand movies from major movie studios, as well as the normal free to air functions of the FetchTV set-top box.
Like iiNet, Internode will charge $29.95 per month on a 24-month contract for customers to rent the set-top box, which connects into customers’ TVs, and access the full service — or $14.95 per month for the Lite service. Alternately, the set-top box can be bought up-front for $399, with the Full service then being available contract-free for $19.95 per month or $5.95 per month for the Lite service.
The only difference between Internode’s FetchTV plans and iiNet’s appears to be Internode’s additional option to buy the set-top box up-front and use it on a $5.95 monthly basis with a Lite plan.
In a statement, Internode managing director Simon Hackett said FetchTV was “a new, leading edge, digital entertainment and information service.” “We expect demand to grow strongly as people recognise just how great it is,” he added. “Our six-month trial identified how customers use this sort of service, so we’ve optimised our national network and our service to ensure that FetchTV delivers a great customer experience.”
In a separate emailed statement responding to a question about the timing of the launch, Hackett said FetchTV’s service and technology had been undergoing huge levels of development and improvement over that twelve months.
“We have extremely high standards for the services we provide to our customers, and we are of the view that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” he said. “With the launch of the new graphical user interface for the service, today, as a part of our full commercial launch, we believe that the service is now at the standard and capabilities that our customers will demand of it. We think its really come of age this week – and that very much makes it the week that we are ready, willing, and able, to provide it to our customers.”
In order to gain access to the Full FetchTV service, Internode customers will need to be connected to one of Internode’s own DSLAM ports in their telephone exchange — not a resold service from a wholesale telco like Telstra or Optus. However, customers using any type of broadband infrastructure can get access to the Lite service and receive unmetered downloads. A similar restriction applies through iiNet.
In its statement, Internode noted that it had certified its FRITZ!Box 7390 and 7270 routers and its Billion 7800 series routers to deliver the best FetchTV experience, although it has also provided sample IPTV configuration guides for a range of other routers — including the Billion 740x and 730x models, as well as OpenNetworks hardware and the NetComm NB64 series.
“However, customers who elect to use non-certified routers may need to obtain a certified router if they are unable to make a non-certified router work with the service,” the company’s statement said.
Coinciding with the launch, FetchTV has also unveiled a new user interface, with the company’s chief executive Scott Lorson said featured a new “simple and clear navigation system” which floated above the channel which users were watching, as well as an on-screen carousel offering content suggestions directly from the service’s front page. It is not yet clear when the new user interface will become available to existing customers.
In general, the FetchTV service offers a range of content to customers — with its basic TV channels featuring brands such as Discovery and National Geographic, BBC World News, CNBC Australia, Al Jazeera English and more, as well as a large range of add-on packages. Movies from major studios are delivered on a pay per view basis, and the service when reviewed through iiNet also auto-downloaded a number of movies weekly for free consumption.
Image credit: FetchTV
I love the UI and the broad range of international news channels.
But… Foxtel is always going to have the content! Unless Foxtel and Austar let Fetch buy into XYZ Networks.
I really just want to be able to get the Rugby but FetchTV is unlikely to ever get rights to this are they?
Only if they become rich enough to compete with Premier Media Group (Fox Sports) and FTA networks for broadcasting rights. I.e. not likely!
I was one of the people that trialled it on Internode and wasn’t really impressed. The UI is great, in fact everything about the hardware is really good. It’s the content that sucks. I’d describe the IP channels as VHS quality. Certainly well below the resolution of DVD/FTA and very visible compression artefacts.
As for HD? There was one lonely 720p demo channel that looped pretty cars. That’s it. Hopefully there is more on offer than when I trialled it because I found it rather useless.
The movie downloads weren’t much better and prices are too high for new releases, given how cheap Blu-Ray rentals are now (which also obviously look and sound 100 times better).
I think this is the type of service that needs the NBN to thrive. The actual multicast delivery system and hardware are obviously capable of great things, but even on ADSL2 there just isn’t enough bandwidth for a high quality service (particularly if you are using that same connection for multiple users in the same house).
If Foxtel onsold Fox Sports to Fetch I would buy a Fetch TV service. I currently don’t have Fox and would love to watch the footy live but don’t want to pay for $45 of Foxtel channels I wouldn’t watch just so I can pay an extra $16 for the channels I would.
Ahmen to the sports issue. IPTV should look at providing an EPL channel, Rugby etc. If they can’t contemplate doing that its a dead duck as far as I’m concerned!
These services seriously need the NBN to thrive in Australia. So if this is the future of paytv services then we need a much faster and reliable internet platform through which to access it.
This is really a crock of crap for me. Installed Internode Fetch TV nearly a month ago…..and in spite of repeated visits from ETech, Telstra, Adelaide Data Cabling, and some hours on the phone to support…still not working. Why? It only ever worked intermittently. Now it does not work at all. Its been escalated, discussed, Fritzbox has been rejigged, and endless hours of re-boots etc. Nada!
Have a view that the whole box of crap is going back to Internode, and will ask them to restore my home and services to the state prior to their arrival. Had FOXTEL for 16 years. Not a problem. Thought I was saving money as I only ever really watch a few channels like BBC but with Fetch, cannot get anything except free to air, and guess what….that is free anyway.
I got it a few months ago. Works flawlessly for me now. I am not using a Fritzbox, I believe they are having problems with them and some of the firmware releases. Set it up myself with no issues and it was even on an unsupported modem so I had to work out the settings myself.
Comments are closed.