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In pictures: Foxtel Play

12 Photos Campbell Simpson (Good Gear Guide)

We test drive the new Foxtel Play app on PC

  • Foxtel Play has just launched in Australia. It's an online streaming video version of Foxtel, giving you access to a grand total of 47 live TV and movie channels and a large library of catch-up TV. We took a look. The main screen of the Foxtel Play app shows you some of the featured TV shows and movies on the service.

  • The Live TV screen lets you pick from the list of channels you're currently subscribed to, with the default panel being a small streaming video window with a vertical list of channels.

  • There's also a more extensive guide window available, showing you what's on now, next and later throughout the day.

  • The Catch-up screen shows you the library of archived video-on-demand, with filters depending on the show or movie, the TV channel it premiered on, or its alphabetical order.

  • Currently the most popular show on Foxtel Play, Combat Pawn's debut is available as a catch-up TV episode.

  • The video is best viewed in the full-screen mode; the title and playback bars at the top and bottom of the screen disappear in a few seconds. This is the show streaming in the lowest quality available on PC. The quality cannot be set by the user while watching TV, but can be adjusted in the app's settings.

  • This is Sky News Business playing at the lowest possible resolution.

  • When adequate bandwidth is available, the Foxtel Play app automatically adjusts the video quality to show better detail at a higher data cost.

  • There's a Parental Controls screen in the settings that lets you restrict access to certain classifications, lockable across your account with a PIN.

  • There's also a screen that shows you what devices you have registered to the service, with a maximum of two simultaneous devices playing and three per account, with one change possible per month after the initial setup.

  • You can choose from the Low or Best video options. Low constantly streams the lowest possible video quality stream (170MB/hr on 3G/4G phone/tablet, 320MB/hr on Wi-Fi phone/tablet, 470MB/hr on PC/Mac) or the best possible video quality depending on the connection available (up to 320MB/hr on 3G/4G phone/tablet, 420MB/hr Wi-Fi phone, 720MB/hr Wi-Fi tablet, 1310MB/hr on PC/Mac).

  • There's also quick access to the same frequently asked questions as are available on Foxtel's website.

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