Telstra to launch Roku streaming platform for Netflix, Presto and Stan in September

AN AUSSIE company is launching a new TV service that is set to change how Australians watch television forever.

STREAMING is about to get a whole lot easier in Australia, with Telstra looking to launch its own TV service called Telstra TV, which will offer all the local streaming offerings in one place.

Telstra has partnered with US streaming device maker Roku to be the platform for the new service that’s designed specifically for Australian consumers. The telco wants Telstra TV to be the go-to place for streaming TV and eventually wants to support every streaming service available in Australia.

Pricing and plans are yet to be finalised, but Ms Pollard confirmed that Telstra was trying to negotiate with Netflix, Presto and Stan to deliver a bundle price that would allow customers to subscribe to all three streaming services for less than $30 a month.

Netflix, Presto and movie rentals from BigPond Movies will be available when the service launches in September. Catch-up services will also be on offer, however Telstra hasn’t specified yet what specific channels will be featured. A Stan app won’t be available at first, however Telstra media managing director Joe Pollard told news.com.au that it would be available soon after the launch.

Netflix and its originals like Bojack Horseman will all be there.

Ms Pollard couldn’t confirm whether Foxtel Play, the pay TV company’s catch-up service, would be supported on Telstra TV. She did, however, say that a full list of supported services and apps would be available closer to its September launch date.

If Foxtel Play did come to the service, Telstra TV would be the only device available where you could watch Foxtel, Netflix, Stan and Presto all on the same device.

Unfortunately for Netflix and Stan subscribers, both those services would still count towards your monthly data limit, but Presto would continue to be unmetered for Telstra subscribers.

The Roku 2 box, which Telstra is rebranding as the Telstra TV, is available for $US59 in the United States, so expect it to cost about $100 locally.

The device is praised as being one of the best, if not the best, streaming device on the market, with a speedy, easy-to-use interface and constant updates, so let’s hope Telstra keeps it that way.