Our Fetch TV review is something perfect for everyone who streams videos on-demand. Over the past few years, streaming services have popularized in Australia and became a new and revolutionary platform to date.
One of the reasons for its popularity is the lack of ads. You watch what you want, whenever you want, plus you acquire access to newly released movies and shows.
Out of all the services available, Fetch emerged as one of the strongest challengers. It guarantees satisfaction for your streaming needs, all in one simple place. The thing is, it’s primary premise and appeal are quite distinct from Stan or Netflix.
If you’ve grown more interested in Fetch TV, continue reading through our Fetch TV review. Here, we’re featuring two of their media players: the Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini.
Fetch TV Packaging
The Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini have similar-looking packages that sports a blue and magenta-themed design. These boxes display an image of the Fetch TV products, while the brand’s name is on the upper left corner.
On one side of these boxes, a shade of magenta paints the area. You’ll also find a quick list of all the items included in the package that is necessary for installation, etc. On the box’s rear, it sports an attractive blue shade that’s appealing to the eyes. Here, you’ll find all the functions that the Mighty and Mini offers. There’s also a list of what these can efficiently do.
Inside, you’ll either find the Fetch TV Mighty or Mini, set neatly in their respective boxes. The products are kept securely in between pieces of sturdy cardboard. It helps prevent the Mighty and Mini from moving about while in transit.
Beneath the Fetch TV products, you’ll find the warranty details and quick start guide which is necessary for usage instructions. You’ll also find their remote control tucked securely in-between two boxes. Other items present in each package includes the network cable, power adapter, and high-speed HDMI cable, and the remote’s batteries.
Generally, the boxes for both the Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini have the same contents. The only difference would be the products inside.
Fetch TV Review – Design and Functionality
This section of our Fetch TV review deals with the TV Mighty’s functions and design.
Fetch TV Mighty & Fetch TV Mini Functions
Fetch TV Mighty
Technically, the Fetch Mighty is a box that lets you record Free-to-Air TV, as well as other channels a viewer’s subscribed to. It comes with space that’s enough for extended hours of HD recordings. Plus, it allows you to record single episodes of shows, or opt to set the Series Tag to auto-record all the episodes.
You get access to a wide selection of online and paid content for enhancing your viewing enjoyment. Aside from Free-to-Air TV, it’s also an excellent combination of the internet and external media sources. These include files from your external USB or network.
Additionally, the Mighty offers a quad PVR that has 1TB HDD, allowing up to six recordings in total. You can even have up to 600hs of stable SD recordings.
Fetch TV Mini
Generally, the Fetch TV Mini and Mighty are the same. The only difference between the two is the absence of PVR features on the Mini. Also, the Mini supports the standard and classic HD.
Fetch TV Mini is the set-top box that allows pausing and rewinding Free-to-Air TV, as well as enjoying Catch-Up TV. You’ll even get to watch every TV series that you love.
Get to see a couple of the most popular TV shows and movies via Movie and TV Store. Plus, get to seamlessly log into Netflix, Stan, and other application subscriptions known on the big screen. The only thing you need to do is link the smart Mini box to your TV and broadband to enjoy all shows and movies in one place.
Design of the Fetch TV Mighty & Fetch TV Mini
When speaking of the design of these two smart boxes, the Mighty and Mini are finely-made and well-designed entertainment hubs. Because of their design and build, both of them would look excellent in your office or home’s environment.
Looking at the front portion of the units, you’ll find three LED lights for the remote, internet, plus standby & power. Their IR sensor is at the base of the LEDs. Along the rear of these smart boxes, you’ll spot the SPDIF Jack output, USB input, antenna port, and HDMI output. The power input and Ethernet cable connection are also on the rear.
Exterior and Build
Both the Fetch TV Mighty and Mini sport the same attractive and compact design. They feature floating panels that somehow make the smart boxes appear like they’re floating before your eyes.
The boxes don’t feature any buttons in front, so you’ll rely entirely on the remote for interface navigation. Not only that, but the remote can function to arrange and manage a lot of TV brands. If not, these smart boxes can allow control from programmable universal remotes such as the Logitech Harmony and the like.
When it comes to the dimensions of the Fetch TV boxes, the Mini is smaller and sports a fun-sized form. It measures 120 x 122 x 32mm (W x D x H). However, it isn’t as compact as the Apple TV or Telstra TV. Despite this, the Fetch TV Mini has an adequately small profile. Its design allows it to fit beneath most TVs without it being too obvious.
Looking at today’s Fetch boxes, the company opted for a sleek and classy-looking black design for the Mini and Mighty. The style blends with the floating panels located on each side, as well as the solo blue indicator lights present. The blue light notifies you when the smart boxes are switched on, during recording, or when connecting to Wi-Fi.
Although aesthetic, the boxes sport a simple design that’s clean and pleasing to the eyes. They won’t look out of place next to your gaming consoles, and other devices available.
Next up on our Fetch TV review are the key features for these smart boxes.
Key Features of Fetch TV
This part of our Fetch TV review is where we focus on the features of these Fetch TV box.
Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini share the same features, except for PVR, which isn’t present in the Mini.
Pause and Rewind Live Feature
Watching a live stream and missed something? All you have to do is stop, rewind, and then play the show again. If you’re unable to see something due to your schedule, Fetch can record the entire series for you.
Series Tags
Use Series Tags to instantly record every episode of your favourite shows. After that, you can save these in folders and sort them by episode number and series to make searching easier.
Seven-Day TV Guide
Fetch TV comes with a seven-day TV guide that lets you see what’s showing for the whole of the week. If you missed something you wanted to watch, the integrated Free-to-Catch-Up app allows you to see the episodes you’ve missed.
On the Go Entertainment
Set recordings, watch movies, and TV shows for on the go entertainment. When disconnected to data, download purchased TV shows and movies.
The next section of our Fetch TV review will be the specifications for the Fetch TV Mini and Mighty.
Specifications
For the Fetch TV Mini and TV Mighty, they sport the same specifications when it comes to a few things. They both have 5.1 surround sound and optical audio out. The two also have HEVC or High-Efficiency Video Coding and are Bluetooth-compatible.
Now, we’ve listed the different specifications for each of the Fetch TV boxes.
Mighty
The Fetch TV Mighty comes with 4 TV tuners and 2 USB ports. It comes with 1TB HDD and supports UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution. For its dimensions, the Mighty measures 260 x 260 x 60mm (L x W x H)
Mini
As mentioned, the Mini measures 120 x 122 x 32mm (W x D x H). It supports HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and comes with a 4GB flash memory for pause/rewind live TV. Also, it sports a single TV tuner and one USB port.
Now on our Fetch TV review, we’re getting more hands-on with the Fetch TV Mighty and Mini.
Hands-On with the Fetch TV
Setting up the Fetch TV
Establishing the Fetch TV smart boxes is easy, so you won’t need any technical expertise to configure them. Here are a couple of things you’ll need to begin the setup.
You’ll need a broadband connection, TV, a Free-to-Air antenna, either the Mighty or Mini box, and a subscription. Both of the smart boxes will be linked to a modem using Wi-Fi. However, if your connection isn’t always reliable, you may require the PLA device to connect successfully.
The PLA devices are available from your Fetch service provider.
When it comes to setting up the boxes, you have to connect the TV antenna first. The reason for this is because Free-to-Air channels are captured via standard TV antennas. These will be connected to the smart box before linking to the TV.
Next, you’ll have to connect the box to the internet. Make use of the provided Ethernet cable to connect the device to a modem properly. If these items aren’t in the same room, you can link using Wi-Fi instead. Once done, you can connect the Mighty or Mini to your TV.
Generally, there are different connection options available, but despite this, it’s best to utilize HDMI. When you’ve plugged everything, you’re all set and just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy your shows.
Using Fetch TV
Fetch delivered superior streaming quality. While flicking channels, we didn’t encounter any lag, and the two boxes were highly responsive. These were also some of the most responsive TV boxes we’ve tested.
Switching between streaming services and the movie box was also a great experience since it was all fast. When we used it with other gadgets like tablets and gaming consoles, everything went smoothly. Closing an app and opening another one was also fast, which was surprising since doing this usually takes a lengthy loading time.
When it comes to Fetch TV’s interface, it was user-friendly, and we had a great experience with it. The movie box had new improvements, such as the filtering of shows by theme, genre, and other categories.
Overall, the Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini are some of the best TV boxes today. Switching from streaming services to movie box was as fast as changing channels, and the stream quality was impressive.
Streaming Service
This part of our Fetch TV review focuses on the Streaming Service that Fetch offers.
What Content does Fetch TV Deliver?
Fetch TV has a movie library that offers a lot of first-release titles. Their availability is simultaneous to that of other sources like Google Play, iTunes, and more. In addition to these, there are also a couple of reasonable back catalogue films.
Generally, new releases are well-supported; however, you shouldn’t expect to find a lot when it comes to the classics. Also, you shouldn’t anticipate much in finding World movies.
Do note that film rental prices can range from $5 to $6 on new releases. For HD new releases, they’re approximately at $7. For back-catalogue titles, they’re usually around $2.96. What’s great is that a lot of titles are also available for purchase. Plus, their prices are somewhat similar to other online movie shops.
If you enjoy TV series, you can purchase them either as an episode, or the entire series. Additionally, Fetch users can get popular series such as The Walking Dead, Outlander, and more. Also, note that the boxes receive all the digital FTA channels in both HD and SD.
To add to the FTA channels, Fetch offers a distinct broadband-delivered subscription service to its users. What’s significant here is that it provides an extra 50 channels to enjoy.
These FTA and Subscription channels are accessible via a single combined TV guide. Identically, the playback and PVR recording functions work regardless of whether the content is subscription or FTA-based.
Cable Television Streaming Entertainment Packs
This time, we’re looking at the available Fetch TV Services that you can take advantage of.
Generally, its subscription channels feature a standard cable selection. The four primary packs, which include Kids, Vibe, Knowledge, and Variety, are subscribable to a month-by-month basis. It costs around $6 each or $20 for all the four packs at once.
You can fully enjoy Fetch’s entertainment, but you’ll have to pay an extra monthly charge of $20. This amount is to let you buy the full entertainment pack that includes over 35 channels for your enjoyment.
To make things more interesting, there are several niche subscription bundles available like special interests and languages. The latter includes Italian, Japanese, Chinese, etc. For special interests, you can find Optus Sports, beIN SPORTS, and more.
FTA Services
Although the idea of having all these channels can be exciting, they may be a little too much for you. With that, it’s likely that you won’t get to watch everything regularly. But don’t worry since the bundle can be broken down into four different ones, and just cost you about $6 per month.
If you want, you can include the world and particular interest packs to your collection. Of course, you can opt-out from purchasing these if they aren’t your cup of tea. Plus, if you don’t want to pay for an additional subscription, Fetch can work with various FTA services. Some of them include SBS On-Demand, ABC iView, and Tenplay.
For about $500 or less, Fetch TV can function as your brand new home entertainment hub.
Generally, these featured channel packs are quite affordable and are perfect for those who enjoy watching specific channels. If you’re into sports, we highly suggest that you opt for the Vibe pack. Though if kids are around, you can go for their Kids’ pack instead.
Of course, there are other bundles available, and you simply need to select which one suits your entertainment needs best.
Digital Channels and Online Catch-Up Services
With Fetch TV, you can access all the available FTA options, which include every digital channel and online catch-up services. You can pause or rewind, and if you have the Fetch TV Mighty, you can record up to 585 hours. The service also grants access to online content like Youtube, WikiTV, NASA TV, and to your big screen.
Accessing the TV Store also lets you enjoy premium TV series. Here, you can purchase a whole season or one episode of a series. The best thing about the TV Store is that it’s accessible to all Fetch TV users.
TV and Movie Store
The TV and Movie Store is also accessible for users who want to enjoy the latest blockbuster movies or the latest binge-worthy TV shows anytime. There are about 6,000 latest releases available, and that’s every new release coming to Hollywood.
Hits like Black Panther and the like are available, and all the films are for you to rent or purchase.
Premium Fetch TV Entertainment Channels
When it comes to Premium channels, there are a total of 46 channels that are available for Fetch streaming. Of course, they also included premium services for you to take advantage of.
You only need $6 per month to enjoy all the Premium channels that Fetch TV offers. And what’s great about this is that the channels are all based on your preferences and interests. There are four packages available, including Vibe, Knowledge, Variety, and Kids. If you plan to get all the packs, you’ll need $20 per month.
The Movie Box
Fetch TV also gives you access to the Movie Box feature that allows you to have 30 pre-selected rental films. What’s more, all these films are available for viewing, anytime. Though the availability of these movies is on a 30-day rotation. It means that a movie switches out for a new one for people to view.
The Movie Box is part of the Starter Pack for Dodo, iPrimus, Optus, and iiNet customers. For retail users, they can opt to include the Movie Box for $1 a month. Special interests are also available like beIN Sports or Horse and Country, which is available at a monthly rate.
Plus, there’s also the UFC channel on the pay-per-view basis. So, anyone who signs up for Fetch TV through Optus can include Optus Sports. This inclusion allows you to view the Premier League Games, which is pretty neat. Not only that, but you can add the Hillsong + ACC to the subscription, free of charge.
Now for those who enjoy international content, we suggest that you go for the World TV package. It’s available for a specific amount that goes for $9.95 – $49.95 a month. As of October 2017, the company already included Hayu to their list. It’s a special reality-TV streaming service that is accessible to all its supported services.
Fetch TV Review Summary
Fetch TV is an excellent solution for those that want access to the latest TV Shows and Movies as well as FTA TV and Sports. The Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini have a lot of impressive features, and both delivered superior performance. These offer a wide range of channels to choose from, you so you won’t have any issue with limitations.
To conclude our Fetch TV review, we highly recommend the Fetch TV Mighty and Fetch TV Mini.
If you want one of these Fetch TV boxes, they’re available for online purchase from the company’s official website.
