Last year, Telstra began migrating away from its TV streaming device, Telstra TV, as it prepared to introduce Fetch, replete with new devices and accounts. Caught in the migratory crossfire is purchased content. These are two different services that require different primary accounts for use. As Telstra begins to shut down support for Telstra TV, users who paid for content via the Telstra TV Box Office service, which allowed for digital rentals and purchases rather than subscriptions, will no longer have access to that content.
Unless they spend more money by moving to Fetch, that is.
Telstra has put up an extensive FAQ about the shutdown of Telstra TV Box Office, explaining that the app will close from 11:59pm on 30 June 2024. The telco said that, from this time, the movie catalogue, including the ability to buy or watch movies, will stop working. The ability to rent movies will cease even earlier, on June 17.
By extension, previously purchased TV shows and movies will no longer be accessible, nor will TV Box Office settings or user wishlists.
“From this date, we no longer have the right to make the titles available to you,” Telstra said in the FAQ. Adjacent services, such as the web version, Smart TV version, and mobile app version will also stop working.
A Telstra spokesperson told Gizmodo Australia that it had begun notifying customers that Telstra TV Box Office was beginning to close in 2023, and began the migration process of ‘select cohorts’ last year, with the Telstra TV device being unable to be purchased from September 31, 2023.
“While the current Telstra TV and Box Office products remain popular for streaming, the underlying technology needs to evolve, to support new content offers, help you manage your Telstra account on the device and help you unlock rewards through Telstra Plus,” Telstra said on Twitter (X) in response to a user highlighting the closure of Box Office.
this is why some people keep physical media. Yeesh. https://t.co/mkG8cErGkE https://t.co/GRi49AqMqS pic.twitter.com/LWAE5tx2ZS
— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) May 2, 2024
But fret not, Telstra TV Box Office users, because Australia’s largest telco has a solution – just spend more money, though more solutions may be on the way. “We’re currently offering select customers a Fetch device and we’ll be introducing another offer to more customers soon. We’ll provide further updates to our customers with any relevant information, migration offers and tips on how to recycle their Telstra TVs ahead of the shutdown,” a Telstra spokesperson said in a statement to Gizmodo Australia.
Because Telstra now offers movies and TV via Fetch, users can transfer their purchased movies and TV shows over to that service – provided that they buy a Fetch device from Telstra. The company is very clear about that last point: “You cannot move your Telstra TV Box Office library to a Fetch that was purchased from a retail store or from another Internet service provider.”
With a Fetch device, you can move your purchased library from Telstra TV Box Office to the new box. “Any purchased content that you move to Fetch will no longer be available on Telstra TV Box Office, and instead will be ready for you to enjoy anytime on Fetch from Telstra. Rented content will not be moved. A small number of titles cannot be moved. They will remain on Telstra TV Box Office,” Telstra wrote in a guide for users looking to transfer to Fetch – though transfers will only be allowed until January 31, 2025.
Fetch from Telstra will cost $396 outright for the ‘Mighty’, or $198 for the Mini, though both are available on 24 or 12-month plans. Telstra points will continue to work on the Fetch devices for purchasing content.
Truly just a bad situation for all impacted. If you’re thinking of Telstra TV or Fetch alternatives, we’ve got an article on that. It’s only the latest in the history of digital services making arguments for preserving physical media – the closure of Funimation being the last major incident, with Sony offering subscribers “appropriate value” for their lost libraries in the migration to Crunchyroll.
Image: iStock/Gizmodo Australia
This article has been updated since it was originally published.