Other Ways To Watch AFL

[Hagla]

I have Foxtel and couldn't live without it. Up in Brisbane if the Lions or Broncos aren't playing you aren't guaranteed to have coverage.

Anyway, I pay $80/month and have every channel bar the movie set. I don't get any pay per views or main event stuff and I have the HD option as well. I'm loosely in the media industry and have found the Fox box the best PVR available apart from TiVo.

All the options you receive as part of the package make it worthwhile for me. I use Foxtel Go on my Telstra work phone to watch the Footy and it is uncapped data. I can remote in and record whatever, whenever.

Also I watch the Super Rugby and the EPL so I view it as value for money. The wife and kids watch and record their crap shows as well. I think we have 34 episodes of Modern Family recorded ... Seriously WTF?.

I had foxtel until last year when I decided it costs too much for me to justify keeping it (i didn't use it for much other than sport alone though). The only thing I really needed it for was afl so I decided to try streaming through the afl app and mirroring from the iPad to Apple Tv instead. (Foxtel is still better for footy but the savings outweigh the service for me).

For normal Tv shows I switched to Netflix and Hulu plus. Both cost around $7 or $8 a month, so $15 total. The beauty of them is that there is no need to record anything as you can watch what you want when you want anyway.

I could never go back to paying $70 to $80 a month for foxtel now after using Netflix for the past year and a bit. If they offered a stand alone sports package for $20 a month I'd jump on it though.

On a side note, it is standard practice for Foxtel to offer you 6 months at half price if you call up to cancel, so maybe threatening to leave is worth doing for the savings.

 

[3066]

Isn't it only available outside Australia?

I subscribed to the live pass last year and it was appailing. Yes I live in the country and my internet may not be very good, but it was rubbish. First game i tried to watch I ended up turning it off and listening to the radio.

I understand it's all about money, but the easier the AFL make it for people to watch the greater the audience. It's the best way to grow your market AFL!

Oops my bad, yeah I meant live pass. Did you end up watching any games in full and knowing the download amount for 1 full game?

I still can't find any info on how big the download is. All I can find is the sales pitch about Telstra being unmetered or "data charges may apply" if you're with another ISP.

 

[Black_White]

Oops my bad, yeah I meant live pass. Did you end up watching any games in full and knowing the download amount for 1 full game?

I still can't find any info on how big the download is. All I can find is the sales pitch about Telstra being unmetered or "data charges may apply" if you're with another ISP.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87

While not live sport, it gives you an indication.
.7 GB per hour for SD, up to 3 GB per hour for HD.
I have seen other quotes of 1 GB per hour for SD.
So a game of 3 hours, including pre match, could eat 3 GB in SD or 9 GB in HD!
Better have a big allowance.

This may help you as well
http://www.whistleout.com.au/Broadband/Guides/Broadband-Usage-Guide

 

[Laurie Holden]

Oops my bad, yeah I meant live pass. Did you end up watching any games in full and knowing the download amount for 1 full game?

I still can't find any info on how big the download is. All I can find is the sales pitch about Telstra being unmetered or "data charges may apply" if you're with another ISP.

No idea on how much data sorry. I watched a few replays, but it was too painful. Only tried watching one live game and it was unwatchable.

 

[3066]

I signed up for the 2 week freebie for AFL Live pass this morning to test it out and it's around 250mb for 1 quarter which isn't bad as far as bandwidth ..... but as far as vision it's pretty crap (~360p) ..... mind you this was via ADSL2 TPG (onto my Galaxy Note 2 =>HDMI onto TV). If I had cable, which aint going to happen, then I guess it could potentially get up to 720p.

I watched the 2nd quarter of Anzac Day 2014 and last quarter of the GWS game .... plus a 10min BIO on Pendles which was pretty cool Games only seems to go back to 2012 too.

As far as catching a must see game though and I can't get to the ground or pub e.g if I'm up in Brissy for work then I'd do a weekly pass for sure. For when I move back into my house, meh, I think I'll leaning back towards Foxtel to be honest. Live pause and rewind is just a feature too friggin awesome when watching a game especially when the Missus decides it's "important" to interrupt and ask me something that clearly isn't when Collingwood are playing ;-P

 

[Hagla]

watchafl.com.au is only for customers outside of Australia. You could use a VPN to watch this but without a VPN you will not be allowed to view it. VPN's generally slow your connection a little as well but if you have 10mbps plus, you should be ok with the right VPN service. I haven't tried UnoDNS or similar DNS work around methods with this site but I dare say they will not work because watchafl.com.au will not be in their database.

Well I've just been doing a bit of research for this season and realised that I was wrong and Unotelly's DNS workaround does work for watch.afl.com . This means you won't need to use a real VPN if you want to want to stream from watch.afl and you won't experience the slowdown that comes with using a VPN.

https://www2.unotelly.com/channels

https://www2.unotelly.com/channels#channel-watch_afl


It's $139 USD this year for the http://watchafl.afl.com.au/ subscription which I think is a little more expensive than previous years and UnoDNS will cost about $25 for 6 months or $48 for a year. But that's still cheaper than Foxtel and should work out to be less than $20 a month.

Here's a section from their FAQ in regards to resolution:

Streaming Video Resolution

We utilise adaptive streaming technology that automatically adjusts to your internet connection.

Desktop (flash) /iOs/Android

For Desktop/iOs/Android we offer an adaptive bitrate and resolution with the following profiles:

1280 x 720
3000 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

640 x 360
800 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

512 x 288
400 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

 

[PepperFace]

Well I've just been doing a bit of research for this season and realised that I was wrong and Unotelly's DNS workaround does work for watch.afl.com . This means you won't need to use a real VPN if you want to want to stream from watch.afl and you won't experience the slowdown that comes with using a VPN.

https://www2.unotelly.com/channels

https://www2.unotelly.com/channels#channel-watch_afl


It's $139 USD this year for the http://watchafl.afl.com.au/ subscription which I think is a little more expensive than previous years and UnoDNS will cost about $25 for 6 months or $48 for a year. But that's still cheaper than Foxtel and should work out to be less than $20 a month.

Here's a section from their FAQ in regards to resolution:

Streaming Video Resolution

We utilise adaptive streaming technology that automatically adjusts to your internet connection.

Desktop (flash) /iOs/Android

For Desktop/iOs/Android we offer an adaptive bitrate and resolution with the following profiles:

1280 x 720
3000 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

640 x 360
800 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

512 x 288
400 kbit/s; 25.000 fps;

Whats wrong with the AFL app? $89au for the year subscription to all games live and extra content.
I've been running with it for the past couple of years and works a treat.

 

[Hagla]

Whats wrong with the AFL app? $89au for the year subscription to all games live and extra content.
I've been running with it for the past couple of years and works a treat.

That's what I've been using too. The only problem with it is that it's an app and therefore only available through your phone or tablet. I know you can mirror from there to your tv but for those who want it direct to computer might like this.

 

[Maggie5]

If in Australia, I watch on Foxtel on ipad. My daughter has Foxtel and she is entitled to view on up to 5 other devices.
So I have her password and login and watch the games that I can't get to. Cost: zero for me.
If you have a family member or friend with foxtel and they are not using on all their other devices, ask them whether they are prepared to share.

 

[jasonwilde]

Flirted with the idea of getting Foxtel when I had a child and didn't think I'd be able to attend as much I used to but:
- only really watch Pies games (I'll half watch other games or check the score)
- it's not worth paying for all the other crap

Can't wait for the day when I can buy a package of Collingwood games from the club & give them my money. Until then- I'll still attend as often as I can, go FTA or pubs for the others

 

[TradeDraft]

Flirted with the idea of getting Foxtel when I had a child and didn't think I'd be able to attend as much I used to but:
- only really watch Pies games (I'll half watch other games or check the score)
- it's not worth paying for all the other crap

Can't wait for the day when I can buy a package of Collingwood games from the club & give them my money. Until then- I'll still attend as often as I can, go FTA or pubs for the others

I would love that to Happen. You can watch them Live thru Stream or you Can Download or get a DVD for afterwards of the Game

 

[Jasper84]

Whats wrong with the AFL app? $89au for the year subscription to all games live and extra content.
I've been running with it for the past couple of years and works a treat.

Would you be able to run the app through a smart tv like my Samsung?

 

[Hagla]

Would you be able to run the app through a smart tv like my Samsung?

No, the app will have to run on your phone. There is an AFL app for Samsung smart Tv's but as far as I know this doesn't show live content? Do you have an android or apple phone? I haven't successfully mirrored the app from an android phone but as I said earlier in the thread (3rd post) you can mirror from your iphone or ipad using Apple Tv.

If you really want to make it seem like it is running from your Tv you could use a Raspberry Pi and put an android app on it but it will be a massive headache to get going if you aren't into that sort of stuff already.

 

[TradeDraft]

No, the app will have to run on your phone. There is an AFL app for Samsung smart Tv's but as far as I know this doesn't show live content? Do you have an android or apple phone? I haven't successfully mirrored the app from an android phone but as I said earlier in the thread (3rd post) you can mirror from your iphone or ipad using Apple Tv.

If you really want to make it seem like it is running from your Tv you could use a Raspberry Pi and put an android app on it but it will be a massive headache to get going if you aren't into that sort of stuff already.

Though it be very hard to watch a Full/Live Game on a Phone wouldn’t it?

 

[Hagla]

Though it be very hard to watch a Full/Live Game on a Phone wouldn’t it?

The Apple TV mirrors the stream to your Tv screen so you're not really watching it on your phone. If you have a good enough internet connection it actually looks pretty good.

You just need to make sure the phone is connected to your wifi so you don't use all of your phone data (apparently streaming through the AFL app doesn't use data for Telstra users though, it's free for them since it's part of BigPond).

 

[TradeDraft]

The Apple TV mirrors the stream to your Tv screen so you're not really watching it on your phone. If you have a good enough internet connection it actually looks pretty good.

You just need to make sure the phone is connected to your wifi so you don't use all of your phone data (apparently streaming through the AFL app doesn't use data for Telstra users though, it's free for them since it's part of BigPond).

In Australia can you have good enough net to Stream it? and What happens IF you don’t have AppleTV

 

[Hagla]

In Australia can you have good enough net to Stream it? and What happens IF you don’t have AppleTV

Yeah you can but I think the afl app only has a few different stream qualities 3mbps, 800kbps and 400kbps (like watchafl.afl.com.au), this means that unless you have a really good internet connection you'll be streaming at 360p. Apps like Netflix and Hulu have a few more stream qualities like 1.5mbps (which is a sweet spot for average connection speeds in Australia). When I watch I think it bounces between 3mbps and 800kbps because sometimes it looks really nice and then it'll go blurry for a few seconds while it bumps back up to 3mbps. It's a shame you can't manually set it to stay at a chosen bit rate.

I'm not sure how you will get it to your Tv if you don't have Apple Tv. I think you can do it but when I tried to mirror to my Sony Bravia smart Tv without Apple TV it was choppy and no good for video.

 

[PepperFace]

No, the app will have to run on your phone. There is an AFL app for Samsung smart Tv's but as far as I know this doesn't show live content? Do you have an android or apple phone? I haven't successfully mirrored the app from an android phone but as I said earlier in the thread (3rd post) you can mirror from your iphone or ipad using Apple Tv.

If you really want to make it seem like it is running from your Tv you could use a Raspberry Pi and put an android app on it but it will be a massive headache to get going if you aren't into that sort of stuff already.

If you have a samsung smart tv and a samsung phone you can mirror content including the afl app. If not you can buy a mircast dongle and mirror an android phone. Works just like apple tv

 

[Old Spice]

Yeah you can but I think the afl app only has a few different stream qualities 3mbps, 800kbps and 400kbps (like watchafl.afl.com.au), this means that unless you have a really good internet connection you'll be streaming at 360p. Apps like Netflix and Hulu have a few more stream qualities like 1.5mbps (which is a sweet spot for average connection speeds in Australia). When I watch I think it bounces between 3mbps and 800kbps because sometimes it looks really nice and then it'll go blurry for a few seconds while it bumps back up to 3mbps. It's a shame you can't manually set it to stay at a chosen bit rate.

I'm not sure how you will get it to your Tv if you don't have Apple Tv. I think you can do it but when I tried to mirror to my Sony Bravia smart Tv without Apple TV it was choppy and no good for video.

So I have an iPad2 and if I buy Apple TV thingo I can watch on TV. Does anyone know how much data one game would chew through? I guess if you save money on Foxtel you can always bump up your internet package to unlimited. I'm with TPG on I think 20 gig per month.

 

[PepperFace]

In Australia can you have good enough net to Stream it? and What happens IF you don’t have AppleTV

Ive been streaming for the past couple of years. I use a mircast dongle. About $25 off ebay

 

[Jasper84]

If you have a samsung smart tv and a samsung phone you can mirror content including the afl app. If not you can buy a mircast dongle and mirror an android phone. Works just like apple tv

All my gear is Samsung. Can you give me a crash course in mirroring tablets and phones to a smart tv?

 

[PepperFace]

All my gear is Samsung. Can you give me a crash course in mirroring tablets and phones to a smart tv?

I dont have a Samsung smart TV so I don't use this method but my sister just got one and it was only last night I tested it out and works a treat. My bro-in-law put the TV onto a mirror setting so I don't know what function he went to there. But in my Samsung galaxy s5 I went into settings>connect and share>screen mirroring. Then my phone gave me the option to connect to the TV so I clicked it and it was mirroring withing 5 secs. I'm not a tech head but it was simple.......I just couldn't tell you what the TV setting was on

Edit: I just googled it and it says to press the input button on your TV and there is a mirror option

 

[Hagla]

So I have an iPad2 and if I buy Apple TV thingo I can watch on TV. Does anyone know how much data one game would chew through? I guess if you save money on Foxtel you can always bump up your internet package to unlimited. I'm with TPG on I think 20 gig per month.

Yep, I use the Apple TV with my missus Ipad 2. You'd probably want to bump your internet package up a little if you plan on streaming. I'm not sure exactly how much data they use per game though sorry mate. It will also depend on how fast your internet connection is. The faster your connection, the higher bit rate it will stream at and the more data it will use, but it will also look nicer.

You could go to speedtest.net and see how fast your connection is. If it's too low it may be worth sticking with your current setup but if you have a 10mb + connection speed it should be ok for streaming.

Ive been streaming for the past couple of years. I use a mircast dongle. About $25 off ebay

Does Miracast work with Iphones and Ipads as well or is it just android? Sounds like a good alternative. I've just looked them up and realised that my Roku 3 should be able to do this. That will come in handy for me when I'm struggling to get a hold of my missus Ipad haha. I'll just take my phone into the bedroom and miracast to that Tv via the Roku 3.

 

[Hagla]

I dont have a Samsung smart TV so I don't use this method but my sister just got one and it was only last night I tested it out and works a treat. My bro-in-law put the TV onto a mirror setting so I don't know what function he went to there. But in my Samsung galaxy s5 I went into settings>connect and share>screen mirroring. Then my phone gave me the option to connect to the TV so I clicked it and it was mirroring withing 5 secs. I'm not a tech head but it was simple.......I just couldn't tell you what the TV setting was on

Edit: I just googled it and it says to press the input button on your TV and there is a mirror option

Not sure if Samsung Tv's are the same as the Sony ones in this regard but with my Sony you can only mirror if connected to the Tv's built in Wifi... This negates the whole benefit of mirroring for the AFL app as it means that you will need to use your phones 3g/4g data to connect to the app and it's wifi to connect to the TV rather than your home wifi for both.

Edit - I have been playing around with the screen mirroring on my Bravia this morning and I can mirror to it without disconnecting from my home network after all. I think I was doing it via Direct Connect last time instead of Screen Mirroring. Still had a problem with how smooth the video was though, Apple Tv is much smoother for me.

 

[Anzacday]

For those who don't have Foxtel.

You can get a free subscription to AFL Live Pass (online streaming of the games - worth $90) by creating and filling an AFL fantasy league. You can add 10 'celebrity' teams, so you'd need 5 mates to join.

https://fantasy.afl.com.au