Telstra TV
Verified192 reviews
Unusable Rubbish – "State accurate facts and be objective". Accurate fact: This is the worst piece of tech so far launched. It's what happens when you outsource to the lowest bidder. If Telstra wants Its customers to pay for any content, then they better get an Aussie company to make a product that actually works. Fetch is simply unusable. Nothing works. It plays… Read more
random movies and won't let you out. Takes far too long to load anything. It's a joke. Get you act together or lose customers.
Unreliable – If you want flawless live TV watching do not purchase the Telstra TV. It constantly freezes when forwarding or rewinding whilst watching live TV. I need to constantly restart the little unit just so i can keep watching a live TV show. Most times I miss crucial moments as it may take up to 10 minutes to get it to function properly again. Purchase another type of unit and stay away from the Telstra TV. Show details
WORST REMOTE EVER – It’s so small that we lose it constantly, everyday we are looking for the remote, you touch it the slightest and it gets straight out of what you’re watching it’s soooo frustrating. It’s like you can’t even look at it or breathe at it, it will exit what you’re watching!!!
Reviews with attachments
Frustrating piece of junk – We've had this P.O.S for around a year, it's clunky and antiquated....at best. It keeps freezing and god forbid you'd need to pause a program. If you do you best wait until it appears on the appropriate app and watch it later because this junk just freezes and unless you UNPUG it from the wall then wait for the stupid thing to reboot etc. Which is… Read more
exactly what's going on in the attached photo, 10 minutes and counting. Grrrrr!
Did sit on the phone with telstra...for ages...at least 3 times and they finally agreed to send a new one. Got it but it's exactly the same. I've never in my life hate a product so much. Complete junk!
Don't do it people, it's almost traumatic
Apps are limited and system experiences moderate lag – The controls on the unit are very limited so if you lose the remote you need to get a new one. The app installed on my phone which connects to the TV seems to require connection via the remote first so this is kind of pointless. There is still no Disney+ and this has been promised for a while now. The software needs an update and it sometimes… Read more
lags. The device is not always responsive to the remote and you need to press down for more than a few seconds to receive a response. Overall, the interface is ok, however I would love if there was an option to add my favourite apps to the home screen for ease of access. I wouldn't recommend this product, considering the price point and the other competitor products out there.
Positive reviews
Otherwise Good – When I signed up for Telstra TV I felt a little conned. I cancelled my account at the first opportunity as I just became a widow and couldn't afford the paid account any longer. Now down the track, I use it to watch live TV (rarely), streaming, Netflix and Disney. I find it works great for this, no complains there. I also use the app sometimes, mainly for the remote feature. Sorry, I don't have proof of purchase, I binned it all when I moved. Show details
Happy with the streaming! – I haven’t had any problem with my Telstra TV. The upscaling is great and works well with my 4K TV. I haven’t tried rewinding but Apps work well . Very happy to be able to stream free mivies with Tubi!
A great product – Have been using the Telstra TV for a number of years and have always been happy with it. However the latest model that I've had for 6 months is even better, as it makes the TV remote obsolete: can turn the TV On/Off and can control volume all from the Telstra TV. Very content with the unit. Show details
Negative reviews
PoS out dated by a full decade plus – Poor quality, slow response and near unusable. This is the worst example of entertainment technology available! Click on the remote and get a response over 10sec later, TV quality alone is a downgrade and this device does not support HD as advertised. It’s a scam people, your smart TV is a thousand times better and higher quality Show details
Telstra TV thumbs down – Worst. S#*T. Ever. Telstra should pay me for the time I sit around waiting for the stupid thing to work. I wish I could give negative stars. Show details
Yeah Nah – Ummm the idea is good but the operating system and equipment are absolute junk , pause - -then fast forward yeah Nuh that don’t work , what does “ you have reached your maximum limit of pause actually mean ? And why can’t I just fast forward through my “stored” paused program?? voice activation, was a bit dodgey in the beginning but that’s cool ,… Read more
once it stopped working altogether I don’t need to be frustrated by that function any longer , Feeding the remote control the batteries it announces it needs every 3weeks has gotten really old . So after having Foxtel for 20years and my kids telling me I was getting ripped off - - I bit the bullet, I packed up all both my Foxtel boxes and sent them packing !! ordered 2 Telstra Tv units , opting to just whack the payments on my phone bill for a couple of years , I mean I was looking forward to sticking it to Foxtel and slide into the next 20 years with my TT units - - well I couldn’t be more disappointed, I don’t know if I can possibly wait the 18months until the two *^%# boxes are paid off , I might just bite the bullet again and recycle the plastic TT boxes and remotes and crawl back to Foxtel and see what deal I can get . The End- - * Turns out really was the end for Telstra Tv !! Ha ha see ya
Recent reviews
annoying – always freezes when forwarding or rewinding then have to shut down and restart
Needs more – Easy to use with crisp streaming quality. However please add more apps! I so badly want to stream Optus Sport to my Telstra TV so I can watch the English Premier League. Even an airplay feature of some sort would help if you can’t come to legal agreements. Show details
Find out how Telstra TV compares to other Set Top Boxes / PVRs / DVRs
Know better, choose better.
Pretty good But! – Overall a good all rounder for streaming, catch-up and live tv in one place But a major flaw that needs updating asap is not having the ability to hide unused and unwanted FTA TV Channels in the TV guide
Mislead By Telstra – Live TV doesn't work as advertised. It's a waste of time to use pause and rewind. Telstra has mislead me again! Show details
APPLE TV 3 MONTHS FOR FREE THROUGH TELSTRA TV - RUBBISH – Just signed up for 3 months free of Apple tv through telstra tv. Of course the first thing they did was take money from my account. Absolute Rort Telstra. Show details
Absolutely rip off for films – Warning to any person who is silly enough to be purchasing movies from Telstra tv . Majority of these movies are available of streaming services for less that 15.00 per month. Telstra is absolutely price gouging and ripping people off , do not waste your money Show details
Telstra set top box – Well where do I start, it keeps dropping out on live stream TV, I'm sitting here supposedly watching rugby league, $9 a month,9 cents ,is more realistic a beer coaster at best,I also have another set top box that doesn't miss a beat,my God if it was a woman I would marry it, I'm going to hand it back to telstra,if they don't take it I will run it… Read more
over with my car, a humane death for the poor thing,anyway I'm off to the vets to get some horse tranquillisers to calm me down ,kezza cairns unhappy
Unreliable remotes – The first remote which came with the unit lasted 7 months, a replacement was ordered and after a one week wait with no access, a replacement arrived. This remote lasted 6 months, a second replacement has been ordered and I have again been left without access to Netflix and Kayo etc for over a week. Less than impressed with this product and would… Read more
recommend against parting with your money for this sub standard product. Also Telstra make it very hard for you to make direct contact. You end up communicating with a bot. Very frustrating.
Constant glitches apps don’t work just a headache – Glitches constantly have too reset which do not work half the time.Telstra are making everyone direct debit well so they say. It will be the only we can use services. Show details
Rewind function rarely works & the device freezes & requires regular full power shut down & reset to get working again – Do not get this product! This is the second telstra set top box we've had & i now remember why we got rid of the first one. It freezes regularly & will can only be turned off by pulling the ac power cord. Show details
Can’t get it to work! – Was excited to find I was entitled to a free Telstra TV because I was a Gold member of Telstra Plus. But disappointingly I’ve not been able to get the Telstra TV to work, despite following the instructions to a tee and even moving house and trying from the start to set it up again in my new house. Very frustrating, it sounds like it could be a great product if it worked. Show details
Find out how Telstra TV compares to other Set Top Boxes / PVRs / DVRs
Know better, choose better.
Disgusting!!!!!!! – I put up with Telstra's incompetence for years. When my service was faulty it took months to repair, I was lied to, abused, and then in the end treated with bored indifference. Over priced, hopeless service and no rewards for loyal customers. Steer clear of this company, they have nothing.
The Worst – Worst set top box ever, I've never had to re-boot anything as often since my window 7 computer. terrestrial television reception is not great. If they didn't give it to us nor nothing I would ask for a refund. Very disappointed. Show details
Rentals/purchases on Telstra TV Box Office may already be free on a streaming service – Telstra TV Box Office do have some great movies available - for a rental/purchase cost. The downside is that a large number of titles are already available on other streaming services (a monthly subscription) as part of their collection. In other words you MIGHT find a release on Telstra TVBO that warrants the rental price or to purchase… Read more
outright. But most likely not. Even most of the older movie rentals ($4.99) on TTVBO is about a third to half the price of a full months subscription on other streaming services. And already available in other providers monthly subscription packages. Again, even the TV show and season titles are pretty short in quantities and over priced (my opinion only). I have 3 other subscription streaming services (plus the free to air "catchup" Apps). I wouldn't have Telstra TV BO if it wasn't free as their pricing and collection isn't really that good. E.g The movie "Venom" is available to buy ($29.99) or rent ($24.99). This, along with other fairly new releases are already available on the monthly subscriptions. Telstra TV is just not worth the money to rent a movie. Buying is another story although their prices are quite high against purchasing from other sources. Sorry Telstra - but that's my opinion.
Freezes when FFWing live tv – The Telstra TV 3 set top box is a cheaply made piece of crap Roku. Plenty of Roku devices work well, but this isn’t one of them. It works fine when streaming Netflix and other apps, but if you want to use it to pause, rewind, and fast forward live tv, half the time it freezes up and the only recourse is to power it completely off and reboot it… Read more
(which means you’ve lost all that live tv you had paused while cooking dinner for example, for those who like to fast forward through ads during the news). We thought it was a faulty box, after trouble-shooting, and Telstra was kind enough to send us a new one — which froze in the same way on day 1. I suspect part of the problem is that it overheats (and no amount of “breathing” space fixes that). I really hope Telstra upgrades to something better, or at least provides the option for a more powerful set top box / PVR such as Fetch Mighty. The current Telstra Tv 3 box is terrible if you use it to pause / fast forward live tv. So annoying!
Frustrating in more ways then one. Telstra TV 3 – I’ve had a few different cheap T.V boxes and they were pretty well straight forward. We got the first one on a plan with Telstra, the second one we got as a rewards bonus so we’ve got two running in the house. First off I thought it was great.. then with constant use there are so many issues it’s ridiculous. First one noticed was the remote… Read more
eats batteries within 2 weeks of constant use. This isn’t using the speech feature at all. So I decided to start using my phone as a remote through the Telstra TV app. This is a downright pain if you’re using it for two different Telstra T.V’s as you’ve got to always go into devices first to switch to what T.V you want to use your phone as a remote for.
Secondly, the Live T.V is glitchy. Your guide tends to muck up a lot, therefore you’ve got no idea what channel you’re going to next, there’s no up and down for channels, you literally need to scroll through the channels to select or key in the numbers with the arrow keys as there are NO numbers on the remote, this is easier if you’re using your phone though as you can select channels from your phone screen.
The speech feature rarely ever works, and when it does the voice can be static. I’d also like to point out we’ve got great internet connection so this isn’t the issue.
The media player’s outlay is terrible. Like most smart T.v’s and boxes you will see every single file simply by scrolling up and down within a file. Instead with this it scrolls left to right and doesn’t stop (keeps repeating the scroll). This isn’t just one line either, you could have 5 lines you need to scroll through which makes it difficult to notice if you’ve already scrolled past the file you want. (apologies if that doesn’t make much sense lol)
And the biggest hate of this device, the screen’s ratio glitches and enlarges to one quarter of the screen. This means you need to get out of what your watching, go back into it and hope that it doesn’t do it again. Sometimes your lucky, other times it keeps doing it no matter how many times you get in and out of it. This is a common issue with other Telstra tv users, do a quick google and you’ll find a lot of other users experiencing the same. Ours run on two different branded T.Vs. The solution is apparently messing with the T.V ratio settings but it is never a permanent fix.
Honestly this is a damn awful media player. It has a nice look to it, and has got great features but there should’ve been so much more thought put into it before releasing it. Defiantly not user friendly.
Telstra tv – I’m a Telstra customer for 20 years and they offered a free box office move for people on the Telstra app it was a free gift mine was a Telstra box office off course to watch one you need to download the app sign in you redeem your voucher code in the account then find a movie I tried 6 times even though I have the credit it would not work the app itself is really bad it blacks out and is just bad the tv box might be better. Show details
Poor performance – Firstly whilst watching live tv it will switch to menu mode on its own. Secondly and the most annoying is that closed captions cannot be permanently turned off. Whenever you turn T box on closed captions is on, you have to press the star icon on the remote to change the setting from always on to off, whenever you swap from Any app back to live tv,… Read more
closed captions reappear and you have to turn them off. This happens many many times depending on how often you use T Box. Telstra are aware of the issue but have no immediate plans to fix the issue. I will be sending mine back, it’s not worth the subscription fee each month.
Absolute piece of crap – All apps zoom in when changing definition quality which makes it completely impossible to watch anything. Literally doesn’t do the one thing it’s designed to. Considering the price it is extremely cheap and basic. Go the Apple TV. Show details
Captions!!!! – The Telstra set top box is fine…however, the ‘captions’ keep coming on no matter how many times you go to settings and turn them off…it is very irritating!…I would suggest that the default setting should be captions off. Show details
How can Telstra sell this frustrating junk in all conscience – Constantly frustrating. Turns any function into a sluggish, often non-responsive, process. Endlessly having to press and re-press buttons to make it work. Cant believe we paid good ones for this. T box was waaay better. UGH! Show details
Rubbish – So many issues. We gave up foxtel for this! Many issues. The rewind function is useless it freezes and doesn't work. Had to unplug the damn thing to wake it up again. It constantly logs us out of apps randomly. Worst decision to get it. Show details
If Telstra TV was a country, it'll be the poorest country in the world with a Gucci belt – We got the Telstra TV using our bonus points from Telstra. After 2 days of working well, the voices were out of sync and we also had to login to all of our apps every time we use it. We gave up after 3 weeks and went back to our previous Chromecast. We wasted our point (ticked off emoji) Show details
Hopeless….restarting all of the time – Swapped internet provider to Telstra about 18mths ago and they convinced me to switch from fetch to Telstra TV. Hate it. I need to restart the system at least 3 times a week. Remote uses batteries like I have never seen, have to swap the batteries at least once a month. Remote also not recognised by system regularly, on third replacement remote. Movies and shows are expensive compared and can’t record show other services. Show details
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.