Telstra: Difference between revisions

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===Locking purchased content behind new Fetch hardware and discontinuation bricking of Telstra TV devices.===

In 2024 Telstra contacted a customer to advise that they would no longer have access to their library of content unless they upgraded their 'Telstra TV Box Office' to a new Fetch device. This change in policy requires customer to purchase new hardware in order to access the content and media they have paid for. In this instance the customer was provided a new Fetch device for free, however at no time has Telstra offered all affected customers a free device and likely many customers either paid for new hardware or lost access to the content they had purchased. <ref>The Guardian - ‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services</ref>

In 2024 Telstra contacted a customer to advise that they would no longer have access to their library of content unless they upgraded their 'Telstra TV Box Office' to a new Fetch device. This change in policy requires customer to purchase new hardware in order to access the content and media they have paid for. In this instance the customer was provided a new Fetch device for free, however at no time has Telstra offered all affected customers a free device and likely many customers either paid for new hardware or lost access to the content they had purchased. <ref>The Guardian - ‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260224105908/https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services Archived])</ref>

In addition to forcing customers to move to the new "Fetch" device and ecosystem, Telstra has [[Discontinuation bricking|bricked]] all previous "Telstra TV" devices<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Telstra TV Shutdown |url=https://www.telstra.com.au/entertainment/tv-movies/telstra-tv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250918023448/https://www.telstra.com.au/entertainment/tv-movies/telstra-tv |archive-date=18 Sep 2025}}</ref>. The Telstra TV line of products were made in partnership with [[Roku]] and had the ability to stream and playback local content through the Roku Media Playback app or through Plex, and retailed at one point for $219AUD<ref>{{Cite web |author=Orion_2012 |title=Telstra TV3 - Review - Media Players |url=https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2789846 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224110000/https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2789846 |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref>. While sales figures for these devices may not be public, this decision has officially turned all of these capable devices into e-waste for which Telstra suggests recycling them at your local Telstra store.<ref name=":0" />

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 ===Locking purchased content behind new Fetch hardware and discontinuation bricking of Telstra TV devices.===
-In 2024 Telstra contacted a customer to advise that they would no longer have access to their library of content unless they upgraded their 'Telstra TV Box Office' to a new Fetch device. This change in policy requires customer to purchase new hardware in order to access the content and media they have paid for. In this instance the customer was provided a new Fetch device for free, however at no time has Telstra offered all affected customers a free device and likely many customers either paid for new hardware or lost access to the content they had purchased. <ref>The Guardian - ‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services</ref>
+In 2024 Telstra contacted a customer to advise that they would no longer have access to their library of content unless they upgraded their 'Telstra TV Box Office' to a new Fetch device. This change in policy requires customer to purchase new hardware in order to access the content and media they have paid for. In this instance the customer was provided a new Fetch device for free, however at no time has Telstra offered all affected customers a free device and likely many customers either paid for new hardware or lost access to the content they had purchased. <ref>The Guardian - ‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260224105908/https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/may/14/my-whole-library-is-wiped-out-what-it-means-to-own-movies-and-tv-in-the-age-of-streaming-services Archived])</ref>
 In addition to forcing customers to move to the new "Fetch" device and ecosystem, Telstra has [[Discontinuation bricking|bricked]] all previous "Telstra TV" devices<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Telstra TV Shutdown |url=https://www.telstra.com.au/entertainment/tv-movies/telstra-tv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250918023448/https://www.telstra.com.au/entertainment/tv-movies/telstra-tv |archive-date=18 Sep 2025}}</ref>. The Telstra TV line of products were made in partnership with [[Roku]] and had the ability to stream and playback local content through the Roku Media Playback app or through Plex, and retailed at one point for $219AUD<ref>{{Cite web |author=Orion_2012 |title=Telstra TV3 - Review - Media Players |url=https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2789846 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224110000/https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2789846 |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref>. While sales figures for these devices may not be public, this decision has officially turned all of these capable devices into e-waste for which Telstra suggests recycling them at your local Telstra store.<ref name=":0" />