Why is there a set top box charge for Foxtel?

irajohn90 on 13/04/2015 - 19:12
Last edited 13/04/2015 - 20:39

So I'm looking at signing up to foxtel so I can get main event and other sports channels, where foxtel is the only one that broadcasts main event in Australia. What I don't get is why there is a charge for the IQ box ($125 for the IQ3 & $75 for the IQ2). The box still remains the property of foxtel and regardless if you cancel you have to return it with no refund.

Seriously the same goes with the HD option, you pay for a HD box but then you have to pay additional for HD channels ($10 month)

If I could I'd go with fetch but obviously foxtel has most content rights

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Comments

  • belongsinforums on 13/04/2015 - 20:01
    +4

    That's how you make $4 billion

  • mskeggs on 13/04/2015 - 20:17

    As you observe, they have a monopoly on certain content. You should really be asking why they charge so little!

  • Charity on 14/04/2015 - 04:04
    -1

    Good points. Foxtel targets the "less than intelligent" consumer.

    This is why they charge the big bucks for SD as standard. Idiots still don't mind paying for intentionally-downgraded, piss-poor, 576i in 2015.

    On top of this, foxtel is riddled with ads. When foxtel first started, their main selling point was NO ADS (that's why you pay!). That made sense. Now, and for a long time, it has more ads than free-to-air TV. lol

    Unless you are addicted to TV + non-internet savvy + money burning holes in your pockets, Foxtel is a bad choice.

    • cypher67 on 14/04/2015 - 08:16

      As it sounds like you are an intelligent consumer, how does one watch sports in HD in Australia without Foxtel? I dont feel I meet your criteria mentioned but I dont watch the reality TV crap on free to air and love my live sports, so please educate me.

    • spersephone on 14/04/2015 - 12:32

      I must refute that one statement that Foxtel had no ads when they started. They always had ads, they were just their own ones, advertising shows coming up. Now they're just as bad as FTA, if not worse, as you're paying extra for the service.

      • Heres Johnny on 16/04/2015 - 02:15

        What do you mean? They still only advertise their own shows. That's all they ever advertise. They'll take it off and then people will complain why they weren't informed of a special show starting tomorrow. Go figure.

  • baker bob on 14/04/2015 - 09:30

    I do laugh at Foxtel's policies and the people that go along with it.

    Someone wanted Foxtel in our unit block which requires backboning at our cost and they don't do 1 unit only, they do the whole building around 300-400 a unit.

    I laughed, they want us to pay for infrastructure and then they are going to make money from the infrastructure. Yeah right mate sounds like a great deal for a service that will be dead in 5 years time.

  • Ramrunner on 14/04/2015 - 10:19

    Like the other posters above - the reason is "because they can". Australians love their sport, so now Foxtel have bought ALL the sports people want to watch. They also have exclusive on Game of Thrones.

    Now they can charge whatever the hell they want.

    Unfortunately instead of people saying "enough is enough" and boycotting, they will flock, and pay their $750 per year.

    That's life.

    Did I mention my uncle in Holland gets 100Mbps Unlimited Internet and 200 channels per month including Eurosport and Sky for less than 15 Euro?

    Murdoch is just bending everyone over. Dead simple.

    Also - Son ofa Zombie - Is it just me or are the so called "HD" sports channels not even in 5.1 surround??? I was at my dad's who succumbed last week and got Foxtel installed (Can't do without his F1 :( ) and we got no activity in the rear speakers. I checked the guide and AFL, F1, Supercars, MotoGP are all listed as STEREO! Some of the movies listed as DD which I assume is Dolby Digital, but hell, I used to get 5.1 on OneHD for my sports. You pay this much per month and it's not even in surround???? What gives???

    • tonyjzx on 14/04/2015 - 12:42

      i dont think sports is recorded in surround

      • Ramrunner on 14/04/2015 - 14:49

        I will concede I'm not sure about AFL but F1 and MotoGP on OneHD are absolutely in 5.1 surround, In fact below is the MediaInfo from China. Malaysia was the same. I have MotoGP Qatar and Circuit of the Americas here also all the same. AC3 6 channels and when I put it on the sound comes out everywhere. Not so V8 Supercar highlights though.

        I will also concede OneHD cheats and runs 1440x1080 scaled to 16:9 instead of true 1920x1080

        None of them are 5.1 on Fox :(

        So pay for your viewing get less??

        General
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        Complete name : \media-pc\Shows\Formula One - 2015-04-13, 9-30 PM - 2015 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix.mpg
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        Duration : 1h 59mn
        Overall bit rate mode : Variable
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        Duration : 1h 59mn
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        Bit rate : 7 044 Kbps
        Maximum bit rate : 80.0 Mbps
        Width : 1 440 pixels
        Height : 1 080 pixels
        Display aspect ratio : 16:9
        Active Format Description : Full frame 16:9 image
        Frame rate : 25.000 fps
        Color space : YUV
        Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
        Bit depth : 8 bits
        Scan type : Interlaced
        Scan order : Top Field First
        Compression mode : Lossy
        Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.181
        Stream size : 5.90 GiB (89%)

        Audio
        ID : 672 (0x2A0)
        Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
        Format : AC-3
        Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
        Mode extension : CM (complete main)
        Format settings, Endianness : Big
        Codec ID : 129
        Duration : 1h 59mn
        Bit rate mode : Constant
        Bit rate : 448 Kbps
        Channel(s) : 6 channels
        Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
        Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
        Bit depth : 16 bits
        Compression mode : Lossy
        Delay relative to video : -657ms
        Stream size : 384 MiB (6%)
        Language : English

        Text
        ID : 577 (0x241)-801
        Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
        Format : Teletext Subtitle
        Language : English

        Menu
        ID : 257 (0x101)
        Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
        List : 514 (0x202) (MPEG Video) / 672 (0x2A0) (AC-3, English) / 577 (0x241) () / 8150 (0x1FD6) () / 1400 (0x578) () / 1410 (0x582) () / 1420 (0x58C) ()
        Language : / English

  • Jamesalex02 on 15/04/2015 - 08:31
    +1

    So it costs around $5 to rent a dvd from Blockbuster video for a night. When we return it why don't we get our money back? It's their property. $5 a night for a year $1825. $125 equipment cost for iq3 which you have for 10 years $12.50 a year. Seriously it ain't that bad. Foxtel is a luxury item. If you can afford it and not whinge about the price all the time then get it. If you can't afford it then don't whinge about what is on free to air tv. Foxtel offer to broadcast aports. Blame the sports themselves for taking the money and not thinking about the people. Simple.

    • Ramrunner on 15/04/2015 - 10:14

      Not sure the IQ3 will last 10 years (Hard Drives generally do not being mechanical devices) but agree with your other points. If you want to record Fox, $125 is actually sweet FA in the scheme of things when you're paying $50 p/m.

  • outlander on 17/04/2015 - 21:52

    Same reason they have the 'basic' subscription channel, which is full of channels nobody wants, but have to buy in addition to the stuff they do. By breaking it up into multiple subcharges, it appears more transparent and easier to swallow.

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