Telstra TV overview
Telstra isn’t just about mobile and broadband plans. The giant telco also offers Telstra TV – a service that allows you stream content on your TV or mobile device through your favourite apps, using a set top box or the Testra TV app.
But there’s a lot of competition out there when it comes to Over The Top (OTT) devices. With popular OTT devices like the Amazon Firestick, NVIDIA Shield TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Roku, and Apple TV dominating the market, how do you know if Telstra is the right choice for you?
We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. In this post, we’ll tell you all about Telstra TV and how to use it, so you’ll have all the information you need to decide if a Telstra TV box is worth a try. Read on to find out.
Price and benefits
Purchasing a Telstra TV box outright will cost you $216. While this is a lot more than other popular OTT devices like the Firestick and Chromecast, Telstra TV is better compared to the NVIDIA Shield TV device which costs around $250.
If you still believe the Telstra TV box is too pricey, the teclo offers a monthly payment plan to make things easier. You can purchase the device for just $9 per month for 24 months.
Telstra’s monthly payment plan is the first benefit for their OTT device, and the telco actually encourages customers to go this route by offering an attractive incentive. If you choose to purchase Telstra TV on the 24-month payment plan, you’ll be rewarded 20,000 Telstra Plus points when you add it to your Telstra account.
That brings us to another benefit – if you have other Telstra services like their SIM Only plan and others, you can add your Telstra TV monthly charges to your Telstra bill along with subscription payments for apps like Netflix. Grouping all of your monthly payments into one bill simplifies things significantly by helping you keep track of all costs without breaking a sweat.
Telstra will also give you BINGE Standard free of charge for 3 months when you purchase Telstra TV as a new customer. This benefit is available to you regardless of whether you purchase the device outright or on the monthly payment plan.
And unlike other OTT devices, Telstra TV comes with 5 free-to-air Catch-up TV apps – 10 Play, 7 Plus, SBS On Demand, 9 Now, and ABC iView. This is a standout feature that other set top boxes don’t have, so take full advantage of it. Telstra TV is also compatible with popular streaming apps like Kayo, Netflix, Stan, and more. Telstra TV is now compatible with Disney Plus as well, which wasn’t the case when the device first launched.
You can actually use Telstra TV on your smartphone or other mobile devices by downloading the Telstra TV app. That means you can stream your favourite entertainment content on the go with your mobile SIM plan. And, thankfully, you don’t have to use a Telstra mobile or broadband plan to stream on your Telstra TV box or app – any data or Internet plan from any telco will do.
How to set up Telstra TV
Setting up your Telstra TV box is quite easy. Here’s a quick guide:
- Connect the included HDMI cable from your Telstra TV to your Television.
- Connect the power supply to cable to your Telstra TV box and plug it into a power socket.
- Power on your TV and select the HDMI source that Telstra TV device is plugged into to get started.
- After inserting the included batteries into your Telstra TV remote control, pair it to your device by pressing and holding the pairing button until its light flashes.
- Connect your Telstra TV device to the Internet by using its remote to select WiFi connection, then choose your WiFi network and enter the password. Alternatively, you can use your broadband modem or router directly by connecting the Ethernet cable to the back of your Telstra TV device. In that case, use your remote to select Wired (Ethernet) connection and click OK to start enjoying your favorite streaming apps.
Conclusion
With a Telstra TV box, you can stream your favorite entertainment apps and content on your television, and even group any monthly charges and subscriptions with other Telstra service on your monthly bill.
Although Testra TV has a lot of benefits, it isn’t the only streaming device out there – there are a ton of cheaper options to choose from, and they mostly perform just as well as Telstra TV. Considering this point, you might want to shop around before settling for a Telstra TV box.