Foxtel has launched its brand new streamlined iQ5 streaming set top box so customers can access the entire portfolio of stations and programs with no cable or satellite installation required.
The iQ5 is a plug and play solution so once connected to your home broadband connection you are connected and streaming Foxtel within minutes.
The unit itself has been completely redesigned and is much smaller than the iQ4.
iQ5 is powered by a new faster processor that’s been designed to handle streaming high quality 4K UHD.
Customers connected via satellite can still receive the signal through the inputs which are still included on the iQ5.
Users can also connect their TV aerial to the box so they can watch free-to-air channels alongside their Foxtel channels.
There’s also an Ethernet port so new customers can easily connect to their Foxtel service without the need for an installation or a visit by a technician. Users can also connect the iQ5 to their wi-fi network.
The iQ5 set top box is a fraction of the size of the iQ4 and includes a detachable 1TB hard drive for those customers who want to record their programs to watch later.
But most of the programs are available to watch on demand even if you missed the show.
Another big change is with the iQ5’s software which will offer even greater personalisation and easier navigation plus recommendations which are based on your viewing preferences and history.
There are also “because you watched” recommendations coming soon as well.
Also onboard are more streaming apps including VEVO – the world’s leading music video network.
This will join Netflix, YouTube, ABC iView, and SBS On Demand.
Amazon Prime Video has also been added to iQ5 and will also be included to the iQ3 and iQ4 later this year.
Also included is Foxtel’s latest remote control which includes button shortcuts to Movies, Sport, TV Shows and Netflix.
And it also includes the latest Voice Control feature so you can find content by asking for it.
“The launch of the Foxtel iQ5 is another major step in our evolution as Australia’s most dynamic streaming company,” says Patrick Delany, Foxtel Group CEO.
“The iQ5 is another proof point for Foxtel as the all-in-one place heart of the contemporary Australian home.
“The iQ5 not only makes it easier for our existing 1.7 million customers to enjoy the best Foxtel has to offer, this streaming iQ opens up Foxtel’s premium experience to another group of Australians who could not access cable or didn’t want satellite.
“This latest innovation requires no install, so subscribers can simply plug in and start streaming the best Australian and international sport, acclaimed dramas, blockbuster movies along with our selection of 100 live channels.
“We believe the future of the premium Foxtel brand and the iQ5 together with a wider set of integrated apps confirms our strategy for Foxtel to be the Australian aggregator of the world’s best streaming content.”
The Foxtel iQ5 will be available to select Foxtel subscribers in September and will be available more widely in the coming months.
