Set to launch in mid November this year, MyStar HD will offer about 15 HD channels to subscribers, with content mirroring Foxtel’s own expanded HD offering. With the launch, more SD channels will also be available – again, much like Foxtel.

The box itself will go by the model number T600 (Judgement Day must be getting closer), and is likely to include a 320GB HDD like the iQ2. Inside the box, the number of tuners will remain the same, but be upgraded to HD.

There’s no word on pricing at this stage, but all things considered, it seems like a pretty top-notch piece of kit. Obviously we’ll keep you updated when any of this gets confirmed…

The full screen video addition is interesting, but not the Video on Demand service we were really hoping for. Instead, it offers promotional clips – in most cases it appears to be the same ones that are actually broadcast on Foxtel - that can be scaled to full screen. Unfortunately, at the moment they appear to be rather low resolution - scaling to full screen on my 20-inch iMac results in a pixelated mess that can barely be made out.

You have to assume that this update to Foxtel’s website is a precursor to the introduction of online functionalities for the iQ2 – remember, their HD DVR has an ethernet port in the back, although at the moment it’s lying dormant, waiting for Foxtel to spring it to life and start offering some irresistable VOD options. At least, that’s what we’re hoping for. We’ll see what they actually do with it sometime later this year.

UNLOCK ENTERTAINMENT ONLINE AT foxtel.com.au

FOXTEL today announced a revolutionary new website www.foxtel.com.au offering a unique television experience online. foxtel.com.au fuses FOXTEL television with the internet to provide an entertaining online destination.

The new-look foxtel.com.au now offers visitors an extensive collection of full screen video, can recommend must-see FOXTEL programming, and for the first time offers FOXTEL subscribers the ability to manage their account online.

foxtel.com.au is also an exciting next step toward providing subscribers with a fully integrated online entertainment service where they can access their favourite FOXTEL channels and shows from the PC.

FOXTEL Executive Director of Sales and Product Development, Patrick Delany said, “FOXTEL’s new site brings TV to the net, we’ve taken a huge amount of video clips and promos and put them online to watch at any time. The entire screen comes alive with video and the website framework is available underneath.

“foxtel.com.au is the online window to FOXTEL and is the best way for us to show people what FOXTEL offers. If you’re new to FOXTEL, the site will help you discover what FOXTEL is, and it also provides existing subscribers with a range of new features to expand FOXTEL’s services and functionality.”

Be entertained online and sample the best of FOXTEL programming by viewing hours and hours of video clips in full screen. Find video promos and clips showcasing over 60 shows at any one time from either the home page or the What’s On section of the site.

There’s always something great to watch on FOXTEL and now it’s easier than ever to find these shows using the new site’s true recommendation technology. The recommendation functionality is designed to help viewers discover new programs, as well as find shows they already enjoy watching. The 14 Day Online TV Guide also hosts the new recommendation features and is seamlessly integrated with Remote Record, which sends selected shows straight to the FOXTEL iQ or iQ2 set-top-unit planner to watch any time at home.

In a FOXTEL first, it’s now possible to access your FOXTEL account online. Simply register at My FOXTEL to get a web account which allows you to access the services of My Account, Remote Record and the FOXTEL Preview Newsletter.[1]

My Account is a quick and easy way to manage your FOXTEL account online. Subscribers can now sign up to view monthly bill summaries, payment history, check or change appointments with FOXTEL technicians, update account details, order[2] or cancel FOXTEL Box Office movies, Main Event and Adults Only programs, use the secure EasyPay Direct Debit system, and more.

Delany continued: “Subscribers are looking for the convenience and ease-of-use that an online system offers, such as with online banking. Once signed up to My FOXTEL you have one web account that allows you to navigate around the site and is linked to your set-top-unit at home so you can use My Account and Remote Record.

“My Account provides 24/7 flexibility from any internet connection so there’s no need to pick up the phone to manage your account or order movies and Main Events – simply log-on from work, home or anywhere.

Want to know more? foxtel.com.au is the one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about FOXTEL. Visit Shop, Discover, Support or search via the new Google interface to find the information and answers you’re looking for.

[Foxtel]

The Mini Mote lets kids navigate through eight kid-friendly channels: Animal Planet, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, Nick Jnr, and CBeebies. The remote has dedicated buttons for each station, plus volume and channel controls. Plus, there are two extra buttons (in the shape of a star and a moon) that parents can either enter additional appropriate channels (like Fox8 for the wrestling, perhaps?) or use it as a “Favourites” button.

The remote itself costs $29, which isn’t too bad all things considered, and is availble at those Foxtel kiosks you see at shopping centres around the country.

The new FOXTEL Mini Mote will be on every kid’s wish list this Christmas and is now available from FOXTEL kiosks to families across Australia – just in time for these school holidays.

FOXTEL’s Mini Mote lets kids choose from eight of the world’s best children’s TV channels providing entertaining, educational, appropriate and safe programming.

Using the remote is child’s play, simply press the channel button you want to watch and the remote takes you straight to that channel. Select from Animal Planet, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, Nick Jnr, and the completely ad free BBC channel, CBeebies.

FOXTEL Executive Director of Sales & Product, Patrick Delany said: “Families will love the FOXTEL Mini Mote because it’s fun to use, can be customised with photos, and gives kids their own remote without having to share with mum or dad.

“Best of all the Mini Mote puts kids in control of what TV they want to watch while parents have the security of knowing what they see is limited to selected children’s channels. FOXTEL already provides comprehensive parental control features and the Mini Mote is a fantastic complement to these services.”

The Mini Mote can be used to turn any FOXTEL set top unit on or off, change or mute volume, and scroll through all channels up or down. Plus the two additional Star or Moon buttons allow parents to directly program additional channels or their kid’s other favourite channels to the remote.

It’s kid friendly with large hard-capped buttons, the Mini Mote has undergone stringent child safety and durability testing and is suitable for children aged three years and over.

FOXTEL’s Mini Mote comes with a customisable image compartment that can be updated with any choice of photo or picture of a FOXTEL character.

FOXTEL also offers family friendly functionality with its PIN protection setting that allows parents to block individual channels and programs, and set adult filters and viewing restrictions so that children will be unable to view programming which may not be suitable.

The FOXTEL Mini Mote is only available via FOXTEL kiosks located in major shopping centres nationally from Wednesday, December 17, 2008. The retail price is great value at $29.00 and batteries are included. A simple Mini Mote guide with full instructions is available at www.foxtel.com.au.

ENDS

[Foxtel]

The IPTV service, which uses the currently disabled ethernet jack on the back of the iQ2 box, will let users download video on demand over the internet, and will be launched in the first half of next year. Of course, we’ve known that IPTV was coming to Foxtel sooner rather than later (why put an ethernet port in the back if you’re not going to use it?), but this is the first definitive timeframe we’ve heard.

The service will be available to all iQ2 subscribers, but at the moment they haven’t worked out any agreements to have content unmetered, meaning you’ll probably end up paying for the content twice.

But the more exciting news was the announcement of the iQ2Go device, which will let you take programs stored on your iQ and play them back on a portable device.The iQ2Go has been in the making for a few years now – I remember writing about it back when I was at T3 magazine – but historically it was always going to be in the form of a PMP that plugged into your iQ to copy content, and you’d take that device with you.

Now though, Foxtel have announced that instead of a dedicated PMP with a battery and screen, instead they’ll be using a 16GB USB key that’s so packed full of DRM (so you can’t copy it and to ensure you’re a Foxtel subscriber), it makes the iPod look open source.

Moving the iQ2Go concept to a USB stick will save Foxtel a heap of coin, which we’re hoping is passed on to subscribers. Of course there’s no word on pricing yet, nor specific information on what types of devices it will work with (Macs? PCs? PMPs? PSPs? iPods?), but at least we should know more withing the next six months or so.

[The Age]