Best Option for Watching Crows games?

[Smoooothy]

Can you chromecast from the AFL app though?? I have a telstra work mobile so I get the free AFL pass. My bf has foxtel go on his ipad (it's his mums account-hence not on our tv) but we can't work out how to get either onto a TV screen!

I am not very technologically savvy!

Looking at a way to watch this week's game live and on a bigger screen!!

you can do that, but it doesn't look great

 

[FR0GGY]

You can mirror an android device to the Chromecast and run the AFL app (at least you could last season). You can't mirror an Apple device to a Chromecast though, and if you mirror it to an Apple TV, the AFL app detects it and stops.

Thanks for that, I went out and bought a chromescast after feenix said it was good. Couldn't work out how to do it from my iPhone now I know why

 

[Niximus]

Thanks for that, I went out and bought a chromescast after feenix said it was good. Couldn't work out how to do it from my iPhone now I know why

Chromecasts are still pretty good. Great for Netflix, Youtube, hiring movies off Google Play.

 

[Smoooothy]

Vader - just on Telstra TV, somewhere like gumtree is a reasonable place to find them cheaper than $109. understand you might be too far in the hole as far as cash spent is concerned, but an option atleast

 

[dani_giuls]

Apparently you can

Can someone please explain how this is possibke

You can mirror an android device to the Chromecast and run the AFL app (at least you could last season). You can't mirror an Apple device to a Chromecast though, and if you mirror it to an Apple TV, the AFL app detects it and stops.

Yes, I know of the issues with apply TV...

Hmmm so if I take out my work sim, insert it in my android I should be able to mirror through that?

Thank you everybody for the help!

 

[Niximus]

Can someone please explain how this is possibke


Yes, I know of the issues with apply TV...

Hmmm so if I take out my work sim, insert it in my android I should be able to mirror through that?

Thank you everybody for the help!

Swapping SIMs shouldn't be necessary. If you have an AFL live account, just sign in with it on the Android and use wi-fi. You can mirror the screen in the Google home app.

 

[dani_giuls]

Swapping SIMs shouldn't be necessary. If you have an AFL live account, just sign in with it on the Android and use wi-fi. You can mirror the screen in the Google home app.

Ok, silly question. This still works even though my live account is a free telstra account?

If I use my personal phone, I am using optus.

Sorry, just not sure how the free AFL pass through Telstra works!!

 

[Niximus]

Ok, silly question. This still works even though my live account is a free telstra account?

If I use my personal phone, I am using optus.

Sorry, just not sure how the free AFL pass through Telstra works!!

Being a telstra subscriber is what gives you the free live account, but that account will work on AFL live anywhere. When you're using it on a different device you wouldn't have it as unmetered data, as you would on a telstra mobile, but you would be on wi-fi at home anyway as the Chromecast and device need to be on the same wi-fi network.

 

[haydo]

I'm currently having the same conundrum. Last season we had foxtel, standard package and sport with HD added. Was great but the $$ are ridiculously expensive. I have just came across Foxtel Play and currently trying out their free trial. I'm liking it and with sport and a general pack will cost $44 a month which is already substantially cheaper then Foxtel. However, my partner said to me, why don't we currently keep foxtel with the standard package at $25 a month so I can watch my Fox8 and just use the AFL app (as we're telstra subscribers) to stream to the main TV...

My question is, how is the quality streaming from the AFL live app? Is it HD or in standard?

 

[Niximus]

My question is, how is the quality streaming from the AFL live app? Is it HD or in standard?

Neither. It is significantly below SD quality.

 

[haydo]

Neither. It is significantly below SD quality.

So keeping Foxtel Play and buying a Telstra TV would be the best way to get HD footy without spending the ridiculous amount that is Foxtel?

 

[Niximus]

So keeping Foxtel Play and buying a Telstra TV would be the best way to get HD footy without spending the ridiculous amount that is Foxtel?

The only other way is with watchafl.com.au if you are "overseas".

 

[Vader]

I'm currently having the same conundrum. Last season we had foxtel, standard package and sport with HD added. Was great but the $$ are ridiculously expensive. I have just came across Foxtel Play and currently trying out their free trial. I'm liking it and with sport and a general pack will cost $44 a month which is already substantially cheaper then Foxtel. However, my partner said to me, why don't we currently keep foxtel with the standard package at $25 a month so I can watch my Fox8 and just use the AFL app (as we're telstra subscribers) to stream to the main TV...

My question is, how is the quality streaming from the AFL live app? Is it HD or in standard?

It's about 1.2 Mbps. SD is usually around 4 Mbps. Anything below 2 Mbps is barely watchable.

 

[jo172]

It's about 1.2 Mbps. SD is usually around 4 Mbps. Anything below 2 Mbps is barely watchable.

Only really worth doing through telstra as it's unmetred (which is a pain in itself).

 

[Vader]

The only other way is with watchafl.com.au if you are "overseas".

I wish it were that simple.. WatchAFL just doesn't provide a stable picture for live games.

Live matches (i.e. those for which the broadcast is still in progress) have several Quality settings, from 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps. In theory, 5 Mbps could provide an HD signal, if the stream is mpeg-4 standard (vs mpeg-2). In my experience, at 2 Mbps, it spends as much time frozen/buffering as it does playing. At 3 Mbps, it's roughly 80% buffering. I haven't been game to try the 4 or 5 Mbps settings.

Replays (games for which the broadcast has finished) are at a lower resolution. The highest Quality setting is 2 Mbps. It is completely stable, and I have no buffering issues at all. At 2 Mbps the picture quality isn't amazing - but it's definitely watchable.

The problem is not at my end. I can watch replays at 2 Mbps, but live streams are constantly buffering at 2 Mbps. I have no problem watching other streamed TV shows, even in HD quality. The problem appears to be at the Foxtel end.

 

[Heafy83]

We just got Telstra TV and I saw the AFL app on there. Are you able to stream live games via that app?

Obviously have the free AFL Live subscription through Telstra

 

[Smoooothy]

We just got Telstra TV and I saw the AFL app on there. Are you able to stream live games via that app?

Obviously have the free AFL Live subscription through Telstra

nope

 

[Smoooothy]

We just got Telstra TV and I saw the AFL app on there. Are you able to stream live games via that app?

Obviously have the free AFL Live subscription through Telstra

if you haven't already, sign up for your 2 weeks free foxtel play. you won't look back

 

[dani_giuls]

Swapping SIMs shouldn't be necessary. If you have an AFL live account, just sign in with it on the Android and use wi-fi. You can mirror the screen in the Google home app.

Ok, silly question. This still works even though my live account is a free telstra account?

If I use my personal phone, I am using optus.

Sorry, just not sure how the free AFL pass through Telstra works!!

 

[Niximus]

Ok, silly question. This still works even though my live account is a free telstra account?

If I use my personal phone, I am using optus.

Sorry, just not sure how the free AFL pass through Telstra works!!

Yes.

You won't be using mobile data anyway, so even if it didn't work with optus it wouldn't matter.

The AFL Live app works via any provider, if you happen to be with Telstra you get the premium version for free instead of having to pay for it. The premium version is linked to your AFL account, not the phone. You can sign in on an ipad, and android phone, a windows phone, a virtual android running on a PC, even in the Virtual Reality footy app.

 

[BRL121]

I wish it were that simple.. WatchAFL just doesn't provide a stable picture for live games.

Live matches (i.e. those for which the broadcast is still in progress) have several Quality settings, from 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps. In theory, 5 Mbps could provide an HD signal, if the stream is mpeg-4 standard (vs mpeg-2). In my experience, at 2 Mbps, it spends as much time frozen/buffering as it does playing. At 3 Mbps, it's roughly 80% buffering. I haven't been game to try the 4 or 5 Mbps settings.

Replays (games for which the broadcast has finished) are at a lower resolution. The highest Quality setting is 2 Mbps. It is completely stable, and I have no buffering issues at all. At 2 Mbps the picture quality isn't amazing - but it's definitely watchable.

The problem is not at my end. I can watch replays at 2 Mbps, but live streams are constantly buffering at 2 Mbps. I have no problem watching other streamed TV shows, even in HD quality. The problem appears to be at the Foxtel end.

Yes. The problem is that the servers are overloaded because of the large number of people such as yourself trying to do the same thing at the same time: it's not a matter of bit-rate per se. In fact, this gets to the nub of the matter, i.e., that streaming, basically narrowcasting, is an inherently bad technique. Broadcasting is much more sensible and efficient.

 

[Vader]

Yes. The problem is that the servers are overloaded because of the large number of people such as yourself trying to do the same thing at the same time: it's not a matter of bit-rate per se. In fact, this gets to the nub of the matter, i.e., that streaming, basically narrowcasting, is an inherently bad technique. Broadcasting is much more sensible and efficient.

Which boils down to Foxtel not having sufficient server/bandwidth capacity, at their end, to cope with the number of users that they have sold subscriptions to. Put another way, they have deliberately oversubscribed their service. There are laws against that sort of thing...

 

[BRL121]

Which boils down to Foxtel not having sufficient server/bandwidth capacity, at their end, to cope with the number of users that they have sold subscriptions to. Put another way, they have deliberately oversubscribed their service. There are laws against that sort of thing...

Good luck with trying to enforce that! There will do doubt be getouts in their terms and conditions that you are forced to "sign". I think some of the problem may be that, in addition to their "Play" subscriptions, there are many free "Go" subscriptions which no doubt use the same delivery process. The latter are available to all of their normal subscribers as an addition on portable devices: they probably had little idea of the likely load from that class of subscriber.

This sort of problem is rife elsewhere. For example, the famous Netflix have a business model to not provide sufficient streaming capacity, inveigling ISPs to host their "free" servers in their networks. Telstra, e.g., have been reluctant to take up this invitation, so many of their customers (e.g., me) suffer terrible Netflix streaming at peak periods. Good luck to me, also, complaining about that. The TIO, for example, will send back any complaint about "speeds", especially streaming. The internet was never designed for streaming, and Telstra are very reluctant to compromise general internet performance to appease the wholesale streamers.

 

[Infra Ted]

Can someone help me? I can't watch the game on Saturday. Does anyone know how the AFL live pass free with Telstra works? Can I just go to the servo and buy a $2 sim, chuck it in the phone and I'll be able to watch the replay? Or do I have to buy credit or something? Help pls.

 

[dani_giuls]

Yes.

You won't be using mobile data anyway, so even if it didn't work with optus it wouldn't matter.

The AFL Live app works via any provider, if you happen to be with Telstra you get the premium version for free instead of having to pay for it. The premium version is linked to your AFL account, not the phone. You can sign in on an ipad, and android phone, a windows phone, a virtual android running on a PC, even in the Virtual Reality footy app.

Awesome, thanks. Just wanted to make sure!