Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Hey guys.

I realised this morning when I watched half an hours Foxtel, that I literally hadn't switched the box on for at least 3 months. Pointless paying for something we simply dont use. I have looked at Fetch TV which looks like a suitable and probably better option.

Question: Do any of you have Fetch, or a similar product. Or perhaps a better question is, what is currently the very best way to watch TV. I am sure there are loads of other options out there that a non tech savvy person such as myself is completely unaware of. I would greatly appreciate any advice from anyone who is well up with the current technology.

Regards our setup, we are on the iinet 200 Gb naked broadband | ADSL2 with a BOB. pc and BOB are in one room TV is in a different room about 10 metres away.

Cheers

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Any feedback guys. I would be really keen to hear anything at all, before I blow Foxtel off.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Well it does depend on what you want to watch, where its from, and what routes appeal to you.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

...and of course what is your attitude to legal compliance? Are you a fan of copyright law - or are you happy to ignore it?

If you wanted to, you could investigate joing a private torrent tracker, installing uTorrent and 'sourcing' your entertainment needs that way. You may want to move your computer close to your TV so you can output directly to it. It is of course not legitimate, but you'd be joining hundreds of thousands of others in Australia who get their TV that way.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Hi. Yes we already download several things via torrents. I was looking more at a more upto date way of doing things than simply chucking $70 - 80 a month at Foxtel. iinett have FetchTV which seems a good option, but has limited channels. There is also Hulu, but that is US based at present. I presumed there would already be people who have dispensed with Foxtel, and found a better option.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

1. Get an Apple TV - it's a cheap, easy user friendly way of streaming stuff to your TV for $120
2. Sign up with unblock US - http://unblock-us.com/ and put the settings into your wifi router. This will unblock all US and UK sites.
3. Sign up for Netflix.com account
4. In settings on your Apple TV make the itunes store location USA. Netflix will appear as an icon on the menu now.

So for $10 a month you have unlimited access to 100,000 Netflix titles and all the box set multi season goodness that you can shake a stick at. Instantly streamed rather than waiting for downloads or torrents.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Thank you, that was more along the line I was hoping to go down. Great advice. Any more will be greatly appreciated. Have you actually done what you say, or is this something you know is possible ?

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Yes, this is what we have but also signed up to Hulu Plus for another $8ish a month.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

It really does depend on what you want to watch, and what methods you will accept - which you haven't been clear on.

I take from your comments
a) you aren't that fussed about the content types on foxtel
b) you want it to be idiot friendly
c) you aren't paranoid about copyright cons

Taking the content types in turn, if you predominately want :

1. Movies & TV Series : Look to the DVD-by-post services, or the streaming services (if you aren't too interested in quality). The usual issue is that what you want to watch isn't available on the service you want to use, at the time you want to view it, or at a sensible price. Also some services require you to pay for their box - these are a bad idea. Personally I'd go the 'by post' route, on the basis that the more old fashioned, the more likely to work in your favour.
2. UK TV : Get some kind of VPN and use iPlayer/40D/etc. to watch. Or download popular progs via torrent.
3. US TV : Get a VPN and access Netflix or Hulu. Or download popular progs via torrent.
4. Aus TV : Are you nuts?

Some tips. If you are getting VPN for both US & UK get a service that allow you to easily jump between the two, and doesn't cost a bomb. Also get one where you have enough bandwidth. Unblock US plays games with your DNS to access specific media sites, which could theoretically go south if companies started smarter checking; but most of the connection is via your usual ISP. VPN Authority is a full VPN so everything goes via them (meaning bandwidth is more of an issue), but means you can access where you want (eg ordering stuff).
Apple TV is one possible box to attach to your TV to access content - but is not without its problems. In particular you are getting snared in the apple walled garden where they constantly look for you to buy their stuff to make it work. Personally I prefer standards compliment to allow me to share around the house, access wherever, etc.

Services like FetchTV are fine BUT you are using services licensed in Australia to do things they want to allow you to do in Australia, and most of the service is either Foxtel type channels, or Freeview - and where's the fun in that? You get only what they want to give you, when its licensed for Australia. And given the rights situation that can mean you only get it long after is been available on UK/US TV.

Job 1 - make a list of what you actually want to watch...

Oh, and consider if you want a Video Jukebox, content on smartphones/tablets, or have a smart TV which might already allow you options, without buying new hardware.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

I have it running right now. Easy to set up. Easier to use. By using Unblock US it not only allows netflix or Hulu on Apple TV (or any computer) but also you can use BBC iplayer.

I'm happy to torrent, but wanted something that we could just get in, turn on the TV and watch something without pre-planning it and a no hassle experience.

Enjoy.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Thanks for all of that advice, this is excellent.

OK what we generally like to watch are things like; Dexter, The Good Wife, Revenge (all currently already downloaded via torrent this morning) Then stuff like Nat Geographic, and similar educational/interesting stuff. This morning for example I would have wanted to watch the Ryder Cup live, also like to watch soccer, athletics and other golf, all live if possible. Programmes such as documentaries and also shows where you are shown how to build stuff (New Yankee Workshop for example) are always good.
We currently have a 50'' LG lcd TV if that helps, we can stream stuff to it off the net, but need a usb dongle to do that, we also have a pc rather than a Mac. Due to the wiring in the house the pc is at one end of the house, the TV at another end. There is no option to put the pc in the same room as the TV. From what I have read on iinet we would need some sort of a bridge to wirelessly transmit the stuff through the house.

Brilliant, sounds easy, I am not 100% sure what you mean by 'Apple TV' though, is that a box to add to your TV, or is it actually an Apple television to replace a conventional TV or are you running something off an Apple mac ?

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

So your basic US TV series...

Hmm, more problematic. Combination of US and UK TV usually

Getting sports live and not paying through the nose is difficult, its their primary sugar to get signups since its hard to copy and the catchup services don't offer it. That's why people buy foxtel.

Even more difficult I would think. Its not the usual stuff that's covered (classed as filler by most)

Getting good quality means either Wifi N, or a wired connection. You might like to look a 'homeplug' adapters that route the network signal over the mains wiring. More tractable for video streaming purposes.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/aud...-900409/review
From the situation you are in, probably not a great move. Your LG TV might be a smart one, and thus capable of doing much of it anyway.

I'd probably look at a combination of VPN based access to US/UK catchup services, and torrents. All going in to either the smart TV or an open set top box. Sounds like movies aren't your thing - but there is no easy route to sports coverage.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

Apple TV - A small box that you plug into your TV via HDMI cable and joins your wireless network to stream things from the internet. $109
http://store.apple.com/au/browse/hom...amily/apple_tv

It has nothing to do with your computer. It will however stream things from your computer if you wish, to your TV. You plug it it, it sees your wireless network and off you go.

It also means you can rent or buy movies from Apple itunes should you wish, although Netflix or Hulu as I've described above is a no brainer.

However - Netflix or Hulu is only good for TV show seasons, movies and doco's. As to sport or current events such as the news you will have to rely on normal TV routes.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

OK thanks to all the people who have taken the time to reply. SOme great advice, I will follow up on it all this week.

Re: Fetch TV / Foxtel or other (better options)
 

has anyone tried this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2511614725...84.m1438.l2649