Foxtel is set to launch a major marketing push to promote its new streaming TV hardware, Hubbl. As viewers watch TV adverts showing Hamish Blake dancing across their screens dressed as a Hubbl set-top box, many will ask a not unreasonable question: “Don’t my TV do this already?”
Most Australians now have a smart TV. Australia got serious about streaming TV in 2015 with the launch of Stan and Netflix. The general lifespan of a TV is between 7 and 15 years, meaning most Australians now have smart TVs or have equipped their TVs with a plug-in device to make their TVs “smart”.
Even the smallest, cheapest TV you can buy from JB HiFi these days (the $199 FFalcon TV) has smart TV functionality with the Android TV operating system.
If Foxtel has to launch its own streaming hardware to compete with such over-saturation of the market, it needs to offer a product that’s good enough, compelling enough to make Australians choose TVs powered by software and hardware from global tech companies like Apple, Google, Samsung and more. , Amazon and Sony.
Has Foxtel achieved the impossible here? Surprisingly, Foxtel’s Hubbl makes a pretty good case for itself, even if it doesn’t quite pass the sniff test.
Hardware – average performance
Hubble comes in two flavors: a set-top box that connects to your TV, and a true 4k television that comes in 55- and 65-inch versions with a built-in soundbar.
The Hubbl Glass branded TV set looks quite striking with its simple black color. But we can easily imagine that potential buyers will be impressed by the fact that, just like a newly released iPhone, the TV comes in some pretty subtle color options: Anthracite Black, Ocean Blue, Racing Green, Dusky Pink and Ceramic White.
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If you’re someone who cares about getting the best picture quality you can from the screen, these mid-range TVs won’t impress you. But if you’re looking to buy a TV, and the fact that the TV is available in a nice Dusty Pink shade and the picture looks pretty good, then this TV suddenly starts to look like a contender. It’s priced competitively with other TVs and comes with a built-in soundbar.
It is these unambitious people that Hubbl targets. It is designed to be as user-friendly as possible, with a plug-and-play principle. This simplicity is its strongest characteristic and its greatest weakness. This is most evident when it comes to the operating system that powers the Hubbl Glass TV and the Hubbl set-top box.
Software – user-friendly up to a point
For undemanding, unadventurous viewers whose viewing extends to some free network apps and perhaps a Netflix, Stan, or Binge account, the Hubbl platform is actually pretty good.
The advantage of Hubbl is that it brings all your apps into one interface and you don’t need to open individual apps to find something to watch. This is actually useful.
But to achieve this, the entire experience relies on partnerships between Foxtel and various streaming services. Apps include: Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Binge, Kayo, LifeStyle, Flash, YouTube, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Stan, Optus Sport, ABC iview and ABC Kids, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play.
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What if Hubbl hasn’t established a relationship with a service you like, like UK drama streaming service BritBox? Or the horror movie app Shudder? Or the target of the reality show, Hayu? You’ll need a completely different device to access them; these are not on Hubbl.
Additionally, all linear channels from your various installed applications are integrated into the box. It also has an antenna port on the back for adding channels from a home antenna. This is all pretty useful, but if you want to save something Hubbl won’t be able to do it.
The user experience is actually really pretty good. But if you’re considering purchasing one, you need to think carefully about what you’re doing and don’t want to stream.
Friendly on the wallet
One of Hubbl’s biggest selling points is that it will offer you discounts on paid streaming services. If you want to let Hubbl manage all your bills for various services, you can create a bundle and save between $5 and $15 per month, depending on the number of services you bundle.
Should you press play on Hubbl?
Trust your initial thought about Hubbl and know that there is nothing interesting about Hubbl that would make you want to replace any functional device in the house with it. But where you might want to consider this is if you’re upgrading hardware.
The user interface is really easy to use. And it really does a great job of integrating this content into one place for you to choose from. And it has a good remote control. And discounts are always welcomed.
But you are limited to the available apps. There is no guarantee that Foxtel will add the apps you want at a later date. And there’s always the possibility that one of the partnerships will end and remove the app from the platform.
These are perhaps risks worth taking if your options are limited, but that’s not the case here. Every TV today has smart functions and will likely have all the apps Hubbl has and thousands more.
This is a good, nice product that does a lot of things right. However, it has limitations that are too great to ignore. Of course, you can choose this among many other options, but why would you?