Telstra TV will close at 11:59 PM on 31 October 2024, when the Roku-based boxes will be deactivated over the air—that’s it.
Telstra states, Once disabled, your Telstra TV will not work at all. This includes browsing, watching, app access, and settings changes.
It has been some time coming, but Telstra stopped selling the boxes and cancelled Telstra TV repayments on 1 June 2024. At the same time, it stopped Telstra Box Office movies.
Telstra recommends Fetch Mighty Gen 4 set-top box with an RF antenna if you want similar functionality. The Fetch Mini may be an alternative. You can move most of your purchased library to your Fetch account for continued viewing.
While Telstra TV is just a Roku Box it is locked to Telstra and cannot be reflashed.
It was was never popular but it should have been. Analysts state that Telstra sold 800,000+ 1080p and 4K TV boxes over nine years. But the problem was that “very few users were using the box.”
The majority of users were those who wanted to add a digital RF tuner and some Apps to older TVs or monitors
This is purely a commercial move by Telstra to move you to Fetch. I guess Telstra does not care about customers who paid $216 to buy the box. I did not notice any offer to provide me with free Fetch boxes for my two boxes used daily.
If you don’t need the RF antenna connection, look more closely at the Google/Android 4K TV dongle (new model coming) or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max and 4K Gen 2 for a better Internet streaming experience.
14 comments
Glenn Thomson
Telstra shouldn’t be bricking these devices and adding to landfill. Instead, owners of the device should still be able to use all the apps on the device. By all means remove Telstra ones if you want.
Ray Shaw
Could not agree more – it is shamefully wasteful, especially for those, like me who used the box to breathe new life into old TVs. This behaviour is what I have come to expect from Telstra.
Jeremy
If Telstra owns 35% of Foxtel why are they pushing Fetch over Hubbl?
Ray Shaw
Jeremy the truth is that neither Fetch Mini or Hubbl do what Telstra TV Roku did. They own most of Fetch too. I would take the Fetch Box any day.
Robert Williams
I have been a loyal user of the Telstra TV from Day 1(version 1, 2 and 3) and use it as my “go to” box for everything streaming. One other importanrt function that I use on it has been their in-built media player that enables me to use the DNLA server built into the Telstra Modem to stream my own personal content to my TV in the living room.
Telstra have given me a Fetch Mini free of charge, but it doesn’t have a in-built media player, nor does it allow me to play Kayo or Binge, however there is a “place-mat” inside the fetch Mini for the two Hubble apps to be developed at a later stage, but they haven’t said when.
In the meantime Hubble have offered me a Hubble box for $29.70 with 2 x months of Binge for $5/month and 3 months of Disney Plus for Free which I have taken up. It seems that Telstra has decided to close the Telstra TV down a bit early without Kayo and Binge apps at the expense of Hubble.
I also have a Chromcast, but it’s a bit messy to use everytime you want to turn on Binge and Kayo, but allows me to use VLC to stream my own media content. Looks Like Hubble is going to win me over at the expense of Telstra. Long Live the Telstra TV !
Ray Shaw
Many thanks for the update. Yes there was nothing quite like the Telstra TV box.
Matt
Should open the lock on the firmware so these can be flashed to generic roku.
Silly this isn’t an option. Ewaste
Ray Shaw
Could not agree more. It appears that these are locked to Telstra Servers and Roku OS is not compatible with these boxes.
LC
Hi .. They are/were great IMO and not happy my extra ones wont work any more HOWEVER go into any Telstra shop and get your primary one replaced for FREE with a Telstra Fetch Mini – just walk in and ask for it 🙂
Ray Shaw
Thanks for the updat.
Keith
I was an early adopter and the Telstra TV never worked properly for me , they stated a download speed it would run at but never happened
It has been a good paperweight for a number of years
Ray Shaw
I object to Telstra expecting us to simply junk them!
Kerry Clark
I got offered a Hubble box from Telstra Free to replace the Telstra TV box. I think I wrote a query in the Telstra App?
Ray Shaw
Thanks will try that.