internet

From Foxtel to Foxtel Now

Peter G Foxtel, Foxtel Now, internet, Petesmusic's Blog, Sport, technology, video streaming , , ,

I have decided with not getting the National Broadband Network in Australia was not to subscribe to the Foxtel cable service by Foxtel & instead get Foxtel Now (formerly Foxtel Play) which uses an online connection to get a set of Foxtel channels. The main difference between Foxtel and Foxtel Now is the prices you pay & the number of channels you receive. The packages you get on Foxtel and Foxtel Now are completely different. With Foxtel, you need a set top box. I am currently using Foxtel Now through the Samsung smart Blu- Ray Player. No need for a professional installation. Can use Foxtel Now as well on the personal computer & get the Smart phone app if I want to. Foxtel Now for people who live in the United Kingdom & Ireland is Australia’s version of Now TV.
With Foxtel Now, there a few base packs to choose from:

  • Pop pack
  • Lifestyle pack
  • Drama pack
  • Docos pack
  • Kids pack

You can use every pack on a one month trial before choosing to pay for any of the packs. You can either choose from one base pack or choose every base pack after the one month trial. For financial reasons, I have chosen the Pop pack because I like the programs more with this pack compared with the other starter packs. The Pop pack & Drama pack by themselves cost $A15 per month while the Kids pack, Docos pack & the Lifestyle pack costs $A10 per month. Not to forget the Pop pack & the Drama pack combined costs $A25 per month.
With the Pop pack, the channels you receive are:

In addition of the base pack(s), you can choose the next tier:

  • Sports pack ($A29 per month)
  • Movies pack ($A20 per month)

You can either choose wither the Sports pack or the Movies pack or both packs but must get the base pack(s) first. Included if you pick one of the packs as the minimum are the channels you receive in addition:

The main positive with Foxtel Now is the opportunity to watch channels like Showcase & The Comedy Channel through a pack worth $A15 per month. With Foxtel, to get those very channels would cost a lot more money in a month. The main drawback is I feel is the cutting the number of channels that were available from Foxtel Now earlier this year. For more information, go to the Foxtel Now website.

NOTE: This information is only related to the Australian market. This is an independent review & I have no relationship with Foxtel as an employee or contractor. This post has all the information updated as at May 28 in 2018 from the original post from December 20 in 2017.

foxtelnow

Not getting the NBN

Peter G computers, internet, NBN, Sydney, Wireless , , , ,

My last blog post was preparing for the NBN. To recap, NBN is short for the National Broadband Network which is the name for the broadband network that exists in Australia. The NBN is a wholesaler providing the infrastructures which exists in a lot of homes in Australia. To get an NBN order, you must ring a telecommunications company providing the NBN technology for an order. For several years, I have been a customer of the Optus cable technology. Before the NBN was ready, I had high hopes with the availability of this technology in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney which is the area of my residence. Not long after my last blog post, the NBN was ready around my residence. I got letters from telecommunications companies where I am not a customer. Not long after it was Optus. Their letter had a disconnection date with the current technology as early as September 2017. If not making an NBN order by that date. For personal reasons, I was not ready to make an NBN order considering trying to make for September but given June or July connection dates which were not to all right for me. I made two orders for Optus NBN but cancelled them both for personal reasons. I decided not to make another order for the NBN with Optus or other companies because I was very dissatisfied big time with customer service of a very low standard.

I did manage to buy a 4G wireless broadband product with a subsidiary brand of a big telecommunications business & got connected with no hassle after going to an electrical business to buy a modem. The current strange scenario is I have a 4G wireless broadband account with this other telecommunications business & as well, still have an Optus home account with their technology. The disconnection date of the Optus letter never happened & the date of disconnection is not till the end of 2018 according to the NBN. It is a shame that I have spent hundreds of dollars no thanks to Optus that I could have saved. I could have connected with the 4G wireless broadband with the telecommunications business I recently signed up with later for my liking. If I want to proceed with future disconnection, I must ring Optus personally to switch it off. Not at all using this so called old equipment for free either. I am totally not all interested in getting the NBN now. Sticking with this 4G wireless broadband product that I have signed up with for quite a while.

Not NBN Ready Yet

Peter G Australia, digital TV, Foxtel, laptop, NBN , , , , , , ,

foxteliqhdThe Australian NBN is coming to my neighbourhood. The NBN is short for the National Broadband Network which is an Australian Government Business Enterprise. I have looked the at the NBN website & the rollout in my neighbourhood is in May to June 2017. It could be in time or it might be delayed. This NBN is about the having the latest technology related to the landline telephone, broadband internet & pay TV. There are a number of technologies involved depending where you live in Australia. I currently have a landline telephone, broadband internet & pay TV. I use the older cable technology in the meantime. I am happy using it. I live in the inner western suburbs of Sydney in Australia.

I have got good news with Optus TV featuring Foxtel. The sports pack stayed at $25. It did not go up in price at all. Good on you Optus. This deal however will only last to the NBN switchover. If I really want Foxtel in the future. Have to contact Foxtel. With their cable service, the base entertainment, sports & high definition version of these channels. I am proven right of hitting well over the 60 Australian dollar mark for a month. Not including a set top box tax & installation fee. Only a $50 discount. Dreadfully overpriced I afraid. Not worth the trouble & not worth the money. Getting Foxtel Play is a better bet if really want Foxtel in the future with live & catch up TV application for online viewing. The prices are more reasonable as well. Can view this application via a number of devices. Can put the application on the laptop & connect a cable to the TV set.

I am an Optus customer. With the NBN ready offer, they don’t offer Foxtel. They have joined forces with budget pay TV outfit Fetch like number of other Australian telecommunication businesses. Their brand name is “Yes TV by Fetch”. Their NBN ready offer is a new modem for NBN broadband, a phone with choice of pay for phone use or a phone pack & of course, their Fetch TV pack. No point buying a Fetch box at JB Hi-Fi when Optus will give it away for me if I really want it. For the time with TV, enjoying watching Foxtel provided by Optus with this old relic of set top box which will be an antique piece very soon. This photo above will be handy for any memories down the track of the way I used to watch TV.