iiNet IPTV launches

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 07 July 2010 08:35

Your IT - Entertainment

iiNet has launched its long-awaited IPTV service based on resale of FetchTV and branded fetchtv 2, soon to be followed by fetchtv 1.

fetchtv2 is available only to customers connected to iiNet DSLAMs and requires a minimum downstream bandwidth of 4.5Mbps. The more limited fetchtv 1 will be available on customers served via resale services, so long as bandwidth is adequate.

fetchtv 2, gives customers access to digital free-to-air channels via a tuner in the set-top box and a range of subscription channels - all of which can be paused, rewound and recorded; plus video on demand movies and TV shows; an electronic program guide (EPG) and a range of web applications; all free of download quotas.

Fetchtv1, to be launched in August, will offer the free to air channels, games and other applications and the pay per view movies but will not carry the range of channels offered on fetchtv1, or the preloaded movies on demand.

The service costs $29.95 per month on a 24 month contract, plus $99 set up charge if the set-top box is rented, and $19.95 if the box is bought outright for $399, with no set up charge. iiNet's Bob modem router and home gateway product is also required to use the service. It rents for $9.95 per month.

There seems to have been a last minute price reduction. A month ago Delmiter reported that the fetchtv page on iiNet's web site had gone live and said "On the fetchtv 2 plan, users will pay $29.95 per month to rent the required set-top box, along with a $149.95 setup fee'¦Buying the set-top box outright will cost $499, plus a monthly access fee of $19.95 over 24 months."

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