Pollyana

Looking at new packages for my ipad, I've always been with Telstra for molbile stuff, but I'm tempted by the Optus Sport app.
So does anyone on here use it regularly - thinking especially of EPL?

Optus seems to indicate that whatever data it uses is covered by the plan, so if I am on a plan that has the subscription included, then I don't pay extra for data used n the Sports app, is that right? So I could watch all the live matches this season without incurring extra data charges?

And does the app run ok - some of the reviews seem to indicate it hangs a lot and really is more trouble than its worth, but then its usually disgruntled customers who post reviews, not satisfied ones (thay are too busy enjoying the app!)

All opinions welcome!

GarryP

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/318632

Test it out and see what you think.

In general the reviews have not been kind, quality of image is poor.

Pollyana

cheers, I will sign up for a trial but I can't run too much as it will eat my telstra data download - Optus seem to claim that if you sign up for it properly then the data is covered by your plan and you won't get billed extra?
That's why i'm hoping someone on here has been using it and can give me some reliable info.......

Lucas_Dad

I was looking at signing up to Foxtel a couple of years ago so that I could watch EPL. Then Optus secured the rights so my Foxtel would have been for nothing. Of course I would have loads of other channels but with no time to watch them it would have been a waste.

I've been tempted by Optus' EPL deal, but that fact that Foxtel lost EPL makes me worry that if Optus loses EPL I'd still end up with no EPL and other channels I don't want. The reviews I've read too have not been kind. I'm not even considering it any more.

In fact, I recently switched off of Optus mobile in favour of Telstra (better coverage for me). I get to watch AFL for free thanks to Telstra and at the moment am enjoying watching that (go the Swans!) more than suffering Arsenal coming consistently 4th or lower... I managed to watch almost every Arsenal match in 2014-2015 via dodgy internet streams but they're getting more and more rubbish and unreliable so I don't bother any more. I have to get up at 5.30am every day for the toddler anyway so I can't really get up at stupid-o-clock for footbal anyway..

Sorry I know that doesn't help you much Polyanna, but I just felt like adding my tuppence worth. And when was the last time anyone used the word 'tuppence' here anyway? It was worth that alone

Pollyana

It certainly was, always worth tuppence!!

I don't have tv at all, so it would only be mobile for me. Being a Forest supporter (for my sins) I'm just really looking for access to football of some sort, regularly, and the Optus deal looked good, specially as I could run it on my ipad while I'm on nights.
I've got a colleague who has a subscription to BEIN which gets some championship games, and I have his password for that but last season they replaced most Championship games with EPL or Euro leagues

I should add that if I do get optus, watching Arse get smashed will be a highlight of the week, never been a fan of theirs at all, sorry

JoeBloggs80

Hey Polly, if you are a Forest fan, are you aware that overseas EFL fans can now subscribe to see all of their games live?

https://www.efl.com/iFollow/subscribe/

It won't help with your data problem and is currently season pass only ($185 for the year), but is great for lower league fans overseas who have previously been fed the odd crumb from the rich mans EPL table. No idea of the quality, etc as it is a new service (some teething problems wouldn't surprise me)

Pollyana

Yeah, cheers, I did look at that, but the cost - especially with the data made me think twice for now. Might have to chat with my mate with the BEIN subsciption and see if he'll go shares

Dmorgan07

I have just moved here from the UK, I am an Everton fan and one of the most exciting things that I was looking forward to was having access to all 38 Everton games next season. Even a season ticket is only 19 games, and I don't have to sit in the cold. So I read up and like you all I saw that Optus has the rights over here, I think until 2022 if I am correct. Optus is an internet based TV subscription service that is honestly pretty basic when you see what their UK equivalent NOW TV is offering. I imagine Foxtel is the equivalent to SKY in England which I had for 10 years and now that I have moved, I can appreciate what SKY have done for football in the UK.

This is because, firstly Fetch TV/Optus is butchering the EPL and I feel bad for myself and the rest of Australia having to put up with what is unwatchable. They said I could get speeds of 50mbps - 100mbps, in reality its 0.1mbps to 30mps....if I am lucky. That rules out video games for anyone who likes to play online...with a high ping of 60-90, something like that, but thats a different problem. I think Netflix 4k says you need something like 25mbps to stream 4k content so it should be ok right? Nope, we aren't talking 4k here, not even HD, its standard definition football. I would even say lower than standard definition if thats possible? And it can't even stream that clearly, Optus say there is congestion and someone is fixing it, however NBN say no there isn't. So I imagine if you can actually get the 50mbps + speeds you can watch their lowest quality stream with no problems, that's pretty sad, but I would take it.

I will have to get rid of this garbage and try the crappy app which I imagine is even worse, but at least my wife and kids can get clear watchable tv. I bought a new tv to watch the world cup on and its all gone out the window thanks to OPTUS. I rate their coverage of football 0/10, its basically ended football for me, gutted. If anyone knows a way to watch the premier league in HD please let me know. Foxtel have let clowns win the rights.

Bix

Look on the bright side of things. You no longer have to watch that dross team.

I think the Optus deal was 3 years so this is the last season then hopefully Foxtel will have sense enough to win it back. Their viewing figures continue to bomb so they need the EPL.

I use streaming services which are hit and miss and quality is poor but no way am I using Optus.

GarryP

OK, the question is why you are getting slow speeds. You need to look at what technology you are on, and why it's slowed down. Your reference to 100mbps suggests NBN, but is it FTTP, FTTC, HFC, FTTN, wireless, satellite, etc. ? It makes a big difference (thanks to the coalition being arseholes). There's the NBNCo bit that goes from you to the PoI (point of interconnect), and then there's the ISPs bits that go from there to the rest of the world. You need to know which bit is stuffed up (it can be either).

Optus generally have a poor reputation, with an overloaded backhaul network that they don't fix. Even so, they should be better than that. So it's likely either the poor NBNCo part, or that their EPL servers are overloaded. The second you can tell by looking around forum reports. The first is generally technology based (though there can be problems with CVC).

If it's not technology then I think you still have the option of changing to a better supplier and paying $15pm for access to the EPL. Of course there are less legal streaming services as an additional alternative ...

Beoz

Does the Fetch box do HD?

I agree though, but it would up to the Premier League to kill Optus, and since they are the highest bidder, the EPL won't care.

Perhaps writing to the EPL explaining your disgust is the answer.

I too am a little disappointed my business phone account with Optus doesn't include the sports (only on consumer accounts) yet they keep sending me messages about this game and that for the World Cup.

Dmorgan07

Yeah we are bad, but you don't get to pick your team. True supporters still watch, however Optus have other ideas about that. And no its 2022, (collective sigh).

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/optu...hts-until-2022

Dmorgan07

Well I don't know about all the settings, it says internet to the node if that helps. My tv is fine its not that, NBN say the internet is fine... the connection has FA after it, don't know what that means. But the HD setting that optus shows, is worse than standard definition in the UK. I have 29mbps right now and it cant handle streaming for the football.

Beoz

Have you tried another video stream. Say 4K from YouTube just to see if Optus giving you the crap quality? My Stan is crystal clear and I run at about 12 MBPS.

Amazulu

Watch the WC on BBC iplayer and ITV Hub instead

BBC are broadcasting some games in 4k but they are saying that a minimum of 40Mb is required - in general iplayer needs more bandwidth than iplayer as their technology is inferior

As others have said, there are , err, grey area ways to get the EPL