Telstra TV 2
TELSTRA WANTS YOU TO STREAM BIG.
DESPITE THE LIKES of Apple and Telstra flaunting the term ‘TV’ in the titles of their media streaming boxes to date, the Telstra TV 2 is actually the first local device of this kind to include an aerial input and digital TV tuner to let you watch local free-to-air channels. On the free-to-air side, you have both a live TV interface for flicking through channel descriptions while watching a show or the broader TV guide interface, displaying full program schedules. There’s also the catch-up element that includes the return of all the local catch-up services from the first model. The free-to-air offering combines with Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan to offer an impressive smorgasbord of perfectly integrated streaming service apps. What is perhaps the standout feature of the Telstra TV 2, however, is the accompanying Android and iOS app. This app lets you use your phone to see the TV guide, change the channel, search for titles across all your subscribed services at once, and gives you additional remote functions, such as keyboard input and voice searching. The Telstra TV 2 app even has a list of recommended shows from all the streaming services on its home page that you can save to a central watchlist to remind you of what to watch later. Its only limitation, then, is the playback of locally stored media, which relies on one rudimentary file storage and playback application. Whilst you could use the last Telstra TV with just a free-to-set-up Telstra ID, there were some apps and services that were limited to Telstra Broadband users. This arrangement is likely to be the same on the Telstra TV 2, making it an excellent product for a niche market.