Foxtel, Australia's leading pay-TV service, has launched a number of streaming apps in recent years. It first came to Xbox as a way for people to log in outside of their primary set-top box. Eventually, that same functionality made its way to Telstra TV. Next up is Foxtel Go, an app for iOS and Android devices that allows existing customers to catch up on their favorite shows on the go. Foxtel Play launched soon after, offering Foxtel subscribers their first delivery of the full television service over the Internet. For the most part, customers must have an existing Foxtel cable subscription (unless they have a separate Foxtel Play subscription). This meant bringing Foxtel service technicians into your home to install a Foxtel box (installation and hardware costs included), paying an expensive monthly subscription and, in the case of all but the most expensive Foxtel plan (which costs € 99 per month), with a contract of at least 12 months. That's a lot of money and effort on your part if all you want to do is legally watch the latest HBO shows in Australia. Fortunately, that's not the case with Foxtel Now, a simple streaming service that doesn't require a traditional pay-TV subscription or extra hops. The new service offers a Netflix-style streaming-only Foxtel package that lets you watch all of the service's catch-up content, as well as its live TV broadcasts. All you have to do is register online, download the app, log in, and you're done. So now that Now is here, is this the Foxtel streaming service we've all been waiting for?
Compatible devices
Unsurprisingly, Foxtel offers apps for iOS and Android, from which users can stream shows or movies to their TVs using a Chromecast or Chromecast Ultra. PC and Mac users can also stream Foxtel Now in their web browsers, and while device compatibility was negligible at launch, it has improved dramatically in the years since. For starters, there are now more ways to get Foxtel Now on your TV, including the ability to search for shows on your TV screen with a remote via dedicated apps for many Hisense, LG, Samsung and Sony smart TVs. streaming to a Telstra TV Box or via the PlayStation 4 app. Foxtel Now is currently not available for streaming on Xbox consoles.
Plans and rates Foxtel Now
Like its existing cable TV service, Foxtel wants its customers to tailor their Foxtel Now experience to what they really want to see, and offers a variety of packages (divided into Starter Packs and Premium Packs) that include content from various of different channels. These are purchased monthly so you can cancel at any time, and there's a 10-day free trial period on offer as well. When it launched, customers could use the Foxtel Now service for as little as A$10 per month. However, Foxtel Now's pricing tiers have changed, meaning you'll now need to spend a minimum of AU$25 per month for the now-mandatory Pop and Lifestyle packages. Do you remember the Doco and Kids packs? While once the cheapest options at AU$10 each per month, the individual packages have now been phased out entirely. Right now, the only way to get Kids and Doco content is to buy the AU$104 per month All Packs plan, a pricey option that will no doubt put it out of reach for some families. Fortunately, the Drama Extra package is still here and continues to be priced at AU$10 per month, and while the Premium Movies (AU$20 per month) and Sports (AU$29 per month) packages are the same price as 'At launch, the minimum cost to access it is now higher thanks to the initial AU$25 you have to spend on the Pop and Lifestyle packs - the effective minimum cost for movies is now €45 per month, while that the effective minimum cost for films is now €45 per month. Access to sports will cost you at least AU$54 per month. Having to sign up for specific packages for certain shows is likely to create some confusion for Foxtel newbies, especially those used to paying a flat monthly fee for everything Netflix and Stan have to offer.
Image credit: TechRadar However, Foxtel could be onto something with this approach. For example, the way the packages are presented suggests there are two types of Game of Thrones fans: those who want to supplement their time in Westeros with hard-hitting dramas like The Sopranos and Wentworth, and others who love the favorites. and Fear the Walking Dead. This actually makes a lot of sense, even if it means customers with more eclectic tastes will be forced to sign up for the Drama and Pop packages. Of course, Foxtel Group's Streamotion division has since launched a new streaming service called Binge that offers much of the same content as Foxtel Now starting at just AU$10 per month. Now the only question is, how is Foxtel Now content different from Binge and is it worth the extra money?
Are you satisfied with its content?
Image Credit: TechRadar When the streaming service launched, being able to stream Game of Thrones without the need for a traditional cable plan was one of Foxtel Now's main selling points. As you may already know, Foxtel owns the exclusive rights to broadcast and broadcast HBO content in Australia, which means Foxtel Now subscribers can stream content like Lovecraft Country, Succession, Raised by Wolves, The Undoing and more. The arrival of Foxtel Now means you no longer have to worry about setting up an installation for any program, you just need to have a device capable of running the Foxtel Now app. If you're willing to pay for all the packages on offer, Foxtel Now's library becomes vast and beautiful, with a range of shows and movies that clear the floor with the competition. On top of that, you also have the option to watch live sporting events, which neither Stan nor Netflix dared to participate in. That being said, Binge now offers access to HBO content, as well as a great selection of other shows that were previously exclusive to Foxtel Now, and at a much more affordable price. So the real question is, are Foxtel Now's bonus content deals worth it in a post-Binge world? Well yes and no. It really depends on what you plan to stream.
Image Credit: TechRadar If all you want from Foxtel Now is your obligatory Pop and Lifestyle package, or your extra Drama Extra package, we'd say sign up for Binge, because almost all of that (and more) is there to stream on. less. half the price per month. That being said, if you like sports and the latest movies, Foxtel Now is your best bet. Sports fans will be more than delighted with the huge selection of shows and games available to stream... Of course, the joy of watching sports is not streaming old games, but witnessing them as they happen, and thankfully the TV section Foxtel Now live has you covered in this regard. When it comes to movies, Foxtel Now's selection is huge, with a number of fairly recent and major releases available to stream. Movies like The Invisible Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Way Back, The Gentlemen, Joker and Birds of Prey are just a few clicks away, while the service also offers a number of classics and fan favorites including Blade Runner, Independence Day, Lost in Translation, Braveheart and more. Kids also have a dedicated section, with a number of family-friendly movies and TV shows available to stream, including your favorite cartoons.
User Experience
Image Credit: TechRadar Now that we're all used to streaming shows and movies on a daily basis, there are a few things we expect from a streaming service's user interface. The app is divided into four tabs: Home, Live TV, On Demand, and Kids. Just like Netflix, titles are listed horizontally in subject rows, only here the rows include things like Best of HBO, Foxtel Originals, Best of Lifestyle, and Trending TV. Towards the bottom of the home page, you'll find an On Now line made up of live TV shows that were airing at the time, complete with a progress bar. For a more comprehensive overview of the titles Foxtel Now offers, the On Demand tab divides TV shows, movies, sports, and channels into various sub-genres. While Foxtel has done a decent job of approximating the typical streaming experience with the Foxtel Now app, it lacks some really basic things that give Netflix and Stan the edge in usability.
Image Credit: TechRadar For starters, while you can now add shows and movies to a watch list (which means you can throw out the pen and paper you probably used earlier), there's no way to create profiles for individual users. There's so much going on in the app, too, with its multiple tabs, genres, channels, and live TV sections, that navigating through it can be a bit confusing (and perhaps a bit intimidating for the less tech-savvy). We are also very disappointed to see pre-roll ads in the app. While Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus will occasionally run short commercials for their own original shows and movies before they begin streaming, Foxtel Now will occasionally require you to watch a 30-second commercial for something completely unrelated, like home insurance, before you. you can go to your football game already broadcast. This happens regardless of whether you pay the minimum price of AU$25 per month or the maximum price of AU$104 per month, and frankly, it's not something we'd expect to see on a premium streaming service in 2020.
Image credit: TechRadar Another drawback is that streaming from a smart device isn't ideal for monitoring. On the iOS and Android app, the show you're watching doesn't automatically advance to the next episode once it's...