Telstra TV 2 Review

Perhaps its because we didn't like the first Telstra TV (or the Telstra T-Box before it) that we've been so pleasantly surprised with the Telstra TV 2.

The first generation Telstra TV was cute and inconspicuous, shaped like an oversized hockey puck. It was great for people who hate cluttering their living rooms with big black boxes, but it was limited in the things it could do, and slow computing made it tedious to use.

What we like about Telstra TV 2

Telstra has reversed the trade-offs in Telstra TV 2. You now get a significantly more powerful and capable set-top box, but it is a bit bigger too. Happily it comes in a matte black colour, so it still blends into the background beside a flat screen TV.

This extra power is put to good use, with a range of useful new features in the mix. While the original Telstra TV was for streaming internet content only, the new TV 2 now has a TV tuner built in and can play Live TV. With the combination of Free To Air TV and streaming services like Netflix side-by-side, the Telstra TV 2 could be the only box you need.

With the extra grunt, the Telstra TV 2 is capable of streaming Netflix at 4K UHD resolution, which is currently the highest quality video image that most new TVs are capable of displaying.

Things you can watch on Telstra TV 2 include:

• All available Free To Air TV channels,
• 9Now app
• Plus 7 app
• Tenplay app
• ABC iView
• SBS On Demand
• Netflix
• Stan
• Foxtel Now
• BigPond Movies
• YouTube
• Hayu (a streaming service dedicated to reality TV)
• Red Bull TV

Be aware that you will need to organise (and pay for) a subscription to Netflix, Stan and Foxtel Now separately. You might also need to consider a new broadband plan if you plan on streaming a lot of TV from the internet.

Of course, with so many services together, the most difficult thing might be finding something to watch. To solve this the Telstra TV 2 has a universal search function. You punch in a keyword, like 'Batman', and it will search across the Live TV program guide, the BigPond Movie store, and the libraries of the various streaming services, and shows you all of the matching titles and where you can get them. It's a great system and it works well.

In general, the user experience is pretty good. The layout of each page is neat and tidy, and the navigation is straight forward. This is helped a lot by the smooth operation thanks to the upgraded computer inside.

What could be improved?

For anyone hoping to move away from an expensive Foxtel subscription and use Telstra TV 2 as the replacement, the biggest difference is that you can't record TV shows to watch later. Similarly you can't pause and rewind Live TV either -- something you can do if you choose a Fetch TV Mini box instead.

Of course, you could argue that with the variety of Catch Up TV apps installed, you don't need to record TV shows, you just watch them on demand whenever you like.

The tiny remote you get with the Telstra TV 2 takes a little getting used to, especially when using features like Universal Search. There is no number pad, so you use an onscreen keyboard which you navigate by moving the cursor with directional buttons. Entering in your credentials for services like Netflix is tedious, but at least you only have to do it once.

The major disappointment is the limited number of apps available to download. The Telstra TV 2 is a rebranded box from an American company called Roku. If you were to buy this box in the US, you would have access to 4,500 apps (or Channels as they as known in the Roku ecosystem), including other streaming services like Amazon, music services like TuneIn Radio, and niche interest channels for news, sports and documentaries.

There's even a Dog Relaxation Channel. As in a channel you leave on for your dog while you're away from the house. Which is to say, there's a channel for everything, if only we could access them.

For most people, the apps that are available on the Telstra TV 2 will cover most of the things you'd want to watch anyway. But for the rest of us, it is frustrating to know there is so much more to explore if it wasn't for the way Telstra has designed the software.

Who is it for?

If you don't have a smart TV, or if you hate the experience of using your smart TV, the Telstra TV 2 will be a welcome new addition to your living room. More of us are juggling multiple subscriptions to different Pay TV services, and it is great to have a device that puts them all in one place.

At $192 outright, the Telstra TV 2 is a bit cheaper than a new Apple TV, but a bit more expensive than the new Foxtel Now Box or Fetch TV Mini. Still, there's plenty of functionality to warrant the price tag, and it's a great bonus if you were planning on signing up for a new Telstra NBN plan anyways.

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What else can I buy?

Apple TV

If apps are your thing, or you've already invested in a bunch of content from iTunes, the fourth-generation Apple TV could be right up your alley. Like an iPhone for your TV, you get access to loads of apps to access a variety of different shows and movies. The big difference is the lack of a TV tuner, so you'll rely on catch-up apps to access most Aussie content.

Fetch TV Mini

Available on internet plans from Optus, iiNet, iPrimus and Dodo, or to buy outright from the big electronics stores, Fetch TV Mini has a lot in common with the Telstra TV 2. It includes a range of apps for streaming video, like Netflix, it has a new release movie rental service and you can watch Live TV (plus pause and rewind). It also offers a Foxtel like subscription TV service with channel packs for a monthly fee.

Foxtel Now Box

Designed for use with the new Foxtel Now streaming service, the Now Box could be considered a Foxtel IQ replacement for those of us who prefer on demand video rather than broadcast TV. Like Telstra TV, it has a bunch of apps to download and a TV tuner for Free To Air stations, but strangely you can't download Netflix. This will be a turn-off for a lot of people, but its cheaper $99 price tag might make up for its short comings.

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