Foxtel’s answer to the Apple TV has a launch date, with options for both set-top box and ready-to-use QLED TV coming in March.
Yet another gadget to help you consume TV shows and movies looks set to launch in the next few weeks, as Foxtel’s “Hubbl” is dated for release on March 10 following the announcement of its pricing earlier this year.
Designed to be a sort of service manager, Hubbl isn’t so much a service as it is an operating system on a device. Essentially, the technology is what Sky uses in the UK as “SkyStream”, bringing together paid streaming services such as Netflix and Disney together with free-to-air streaming services, so you can access it all under the one system.
In Australia, this will work with the regular free-to-air players including ABC and SBS, as well as the paid services you might have, all coming together under an app that manages the programming to allow you to search between apps.
Upon first glance, this doesn’t sound terribly different from what Apple TV’s TV app presently does, though there is a different in price, with the Hubbl set-top box set to cost $99 in Australia, versus the Apple TV 4K which at $219 is over twice the price.
Hubbl will also have two TVs with the Hubbl operating system pre-installed on them, arriving in 55 and 65 inch QLED TVs, though neither Foxtel nor Hubbl would detail which manufacturer made the panels and processing tech when we asked. The TVs will also sport Dolby Atmos support with up-firing speakers, with the logic being you’ll just need to plug one of the Hubbl TVs in and connect it to your WiFi in order to get watching.
“With 18 global and local apps integrated into the experience, Hubbl will make streaming, searching between apps, watching and subscription management easy,” said Dani Simpson, Executive Director for Hubbl.
“We’re excited to get Australians Hubbl’n from 10 March with a simplified TV and streaming experience,” she said.
While it remains to be seen whether the term Hubbl’n will take off, Australians will get to see what all the fuss is about on March 10. Here’s hoping Hubbl turns out better than Gabbo.
