Is Nine Entertainment getting worried about the arrival next year of Hubbl with one tech reporters claiming that last week’s announcement of the name was “rushed” at Foxtel’s Media Up Front Event.

The name Hubbl was in fact registered over 12 months ago by the Foxtel Group according to business name registration listed at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.

The journalist who appears on the networks struggling morning show Today, took exception to the claim “Hubbl is like nothing in the market – ‘it is TV and streaming made easy’ – seamlessly integrating world-leading technology with a purpose-built design and unrivalled app integration that sets it well ahead of the curve.”.

This is despite his lack of exposure to the box or more importantly the new software that is being developed by one of the world’s leading streaming and media Companies Comcast, and the UK Sky operation, who have the benefit of already delivering tens of thousands of similar streaming boxes in the UK.

As for streaming going forward it’s actually not about the box, yes, the box is important, and yes it has to have a powerful chip and W6 connectivity as well as the right audio processors which are widely available and set to be built into the new Hubble Puck.

The unlock key today is software and the way it’s designed to deliver a superior viewing experience.

I have seen the Foxtel puck as well as the new TV, which are both being branded Hubbl, and I am confident that they will be more than capable of handling the processing of the software, which is being developed for the Australian market.

What I think is a standout with the new Hubbl offering is the one bill concept and access to multiple streaming options, coupled with the use of AI to intelligently deliver information on a user’s viewing habits via a voice command or a tap of a remote button.

Fetch TV who are set to launch their own puck next year, don’t have this offering and as the research revealed at Foxtel’s Media Up Front night shows more than 65% of Australians are fed up toggling between streaming services.

Intelligence, the marriage of data and the profiling of programs will deliver information from multiple streaming platforms into one interface, with users able to switch on and off from a streaming brand after watching a series, before picking up another series or movie from another platform.
Currently there is nothing worse than having to scroll across Netflix, Prime Video or Paramount to find a show or series you want to watch.

With Hubbl you won’t have to because information on the shows will sit side by side on a content carousel.

The reporter claims it’s going to be like Google TV, in fact it’s not going to be anything like Google TV which is a platform that is given away by Alphabet to any TV manufacturer who wants to load it on a TV, simply because Google wants to get more information on consumers in the home, they are already tracking your mobile and PC and Google TV is just one more way for them to sell a service.

He then takes a pot shot at Delaney’s quote “Hubbl is like nothing in the market” – mate, have you fired up a Fetch box?

All I can say to this is that Fetch that is now 51% owned by Telstra is a very different offering to what the Foxtel Group is set to roll out with Hubbl.

The Fetch box is an extremely good hardware offering and the software offering implemented this year is also good. However, you still have to pay separately for each app whether it be Stan, Netflix or Amazon Prime.

What Hubbl is doing is taking TV viewing, access to content and the management of apps to a new level, beyond what we have seen before in Australia.

Credit: Fetch TV

Telstra who owns over 30% of Foxtel bought into Foxtel after ditching their struggling Roku Telstra TV offering. Globally Roku is struggling with the US Company join a long list of brands including Nvidia, Google and even Apple who have failed to introduce new products this year.

Apple who is struggling with the Apple TV offering is set to have a crack with new a new software and hardware offering tipped to be released soon.

The most recent Apple TV 4K was released in 2022 and the latest Chromecast with Google TV (HD) was launched in September 2022. Nvidia Shield has not seen a refresh since 2019.

Amazon is the exception, with the launch of the second-generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Apple has an event planned for next week, but Bloomberg has previously reported that the next Apple TV will not launch until 2024.

References to a new Chromecast with Google TV has been found, but nothing concrete has emerged so far.

Roku has explicitly ruled out the possibility of new hardware leaving Hubbl as the platform to watch for next year.