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Telstra TV will go head to head with Apple TV when it launches at the end of this month, bringing Telstra customers catch-up TV and SVOD apps alongside content channels such as YouTube and Red Bull TV. But while Netflix will be available on Telstra TV from launch, the telco is looking after its home turf first, offering unmetered streaming of titles through BigPond Movies and Presto.
First announced in July, Telstra TV is a rebrand of one of the US market’s most popular set-top box streaming services, Roku, targeted solely at Telstra home broadband customers. Telstra may have ditched the Roku name, but the hardware will offer a similar service to what’s offered in the US : subscription video on demand services, catch-up TV and apps such as Dropbox, all delivered through the user’s home broadband connection to watch on a regular TV.
The telco has now confirmed that Telstra TV will be available online and in Telstra stores nationally from 27 October, with a AU$109 price tag — the same price as the current version of Apple TV. Telstra TV will also be included with selected L and XL broadband bundles.
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Telstra has confirmed a number of apps will be available on Telstra TV from launch. These include SVOD services Netflix and Presto (which is owned by Foxtel, itself part owned by Telstra) and catch-up TV services SBS on Demand, PLUS7 and 9JumpIn. There will also be a number of other content apps including YouTube, Red Bull TV, Awesomeness TV, Wall Street Journal, GoPro, Vimeo, Crunchy Roll, Dropbox and Roku Media Player.
The Stan streaming app joined the fray shortly after launch, with Telstra bringing ABC iView and the NBA app to the platform from December 15.
Content streaming and downloads from Bigpond Movies and Presto will be unmetered on Telstra Home Broadband accounts. Customers who get the Telstra TV before December 25 will also receive a AU$15 BigPond Movie voucher, a bonus three months subscription to Presto and a three months subscription to Stan.
Telstra TV comes with 256MB of onboard storage with USB 2.0 and MicroSD ports for expanding storage, wireless and Ethernet connectivity, an HDMI 1.4 port, and support for 1080p video and Dolby Digital 7.1 sound.
Update, November 6 at 12:00 p.m. AEDT: Updated with details about Stan app and bonus Stan subscription.
Update, December 14 at 4:35 p.m. AEDT: Updated with information about the arrival of the ABC iView and NBA apps.
