AussieExpat TV

Rodney Sprague

New Member
May 31, 2017
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If you live in Bali you may have seen a recent full front page advertisement for AussieExpat TV. Essentially an online live streaming service providing access to all Australian free to air TV stations (except SBS) and up to 5 Fox Sports stations dependant on the package you chose.
My wife and I subscribed to the service some 5 months ago.
Being the cautious type I only paid by month via PayPal as the service was only available on my laptop we limited ourselves to few favourite programs a cricket series and the national news.
About a month ago I decided to pay for the digital receiver in order to watch program content on our TV.
The support service put me in touch with a representative here in Bali who called at our place set up and installed the device. It worked well for about a week then the site became unreachable. The Rep here responded to an SMS query saying that the site had been hacked. Two days later it was back up and running but five days later it was off again. It has not come back on air since. CloudFlare states that the servers are down and the rep here does not know when or if they will resume operation.
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
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ausseexpat.tv seemed pretty dodgy to me. They were big on advertising but the information on their website wasn't complete, and was clunky to use.

Here's an alternative for Aussies (or even citizens of inferior nations, I suppose), you could setup a VPN with a provider that has servers in Australia then just use this app to watch Aussie TV: http://www.freeview.com.au/freeviewfv/

There's a risk they might block the VPN provider, but you could always change providers, or even setup your own streaming server in Australia (probably not cheap).

The catch is that they don't include all sports broadcasts due to licensing complications. Also, you can't skip ads.

I haven't tried it yet, but when I get access to fiber internet I'll give it a go and report back to the forum. Probably in 6 months.
 
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Rodney Sprague

New Member
May 31, 2017
11
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Hi DenpasarHouse, thanks for that link, I had done a little searching in regard to the AussieExpat TV (EATV) service and only managed to locate a few outdated articles from 2011 where a site of the same name was successfully shut down over rights to the then to be released on DVD ABC series The Slap.
http://www.casbaa.com/news/industry-news/aussie-expat-tv-torrent-site-shut-down/
It's difficult to believe this is the same site but who knows.
As usual there is a silver lining. As part of a "special" offer with AETV as mentioned, I was provided with a Minix Neo X6 Android WiFi media hub. We do have fibre optic cable here near Ubud so it works very well as a Android computer connected to my TV via HDMI. The combined price of the unit plus a BlueTooth mouse and one month subscription was still less than the retail cost of the digital box.
I added my Express VPN app to it on the same subscription I already had for our laptops. Then added the iView and SBS apps. We don't watch commercial TV much, but there are similar "catchup" apps for channels Ten, 7 and 9 so I now have everything (and more) AETV offered on the package we had.
I do feel a bit sorry for the rep here in Bali, she has been cut off with no wages and no information.
I have looked at the FreeView app in the past but thanks for reminding me, might load that up as well.
Best regards,
Rod
 
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DenpasarHouse

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Aug 13, 2013
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We do have fibre optic cable here near Ubud so it works very well as a Android computer connected to my TV via HDMI.

Thanks for the update. Could you tell us who your fiber provider is and what plan you're on? Do you have to put up with much buffering, or is the video stream seamless?

I've never used fiber. Does the download speed stay stable throughout the day?
 

Rodney Sprague

New Member
May 31, 2017
11
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This is an IndiHome (Telkomsel) ADSL 2 service (includes home phone) with a 10 Mbps min. download speed and fibre optic connection plus unlimited downloads. It comes (or came) with a free set top box for USee TV which provides access to the Australia Plus network (very limited you can check the program guide on the A+ app). Then there are a large number of subscription movie channels and many free US based, on demand, cable channels like the Good Food channel, FYI, Nat Geo, ect, all up, about 100 channels.
The service itself is about as reliable as you would expect here. If I do a speed check now on Ookla I get 19.45 Mbps download and 4.37 Mbps upload. I am using a VPN but it is one of the best available with unlimited broadband. So that's more than adequate for live streaming HD content. Having said that it does vary a bit but only occasional buffering pauses. They could be due to the server at the other end though.
It's not cheap at approx. Rp 650000 per month but we run a website here and do a lot of online transactions over 5 personal devices plus guests, so we can justify that.
 
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JohnnyCool

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Jan 10, 2009
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I signed up for a free trial last October. They sent me a confirmation email with download links for their software (which didn’t work). Twice! After a week or so, received an email from them stating that my free trial was over and how did I like it?

You can read my whole story in my post at the time:

https://balipod.com/forum/threads/w...-in-bali-or-anywhere-else-in-the-world.11740/

I tried it out of curiosity but it wasn’t for me. And I had no interest in buying their set top box, etc. After all, I could and still can watch all kinds of programmes from Australia using a VPN connection. (Cheaper, too.)

Maybe it’s “better” now. Good luck.

Regarding IndiHome. It is not a "Telkomsel ADSL 2 service". It's a Telkom fibre optic connection to the home. How much you pay for it depends on which package you choose and what is available in your location. The "entry level" is 10 Mbps for about Rp 475,000/month. Rodney's package is the next step up (20 Mbps) for Rp 650,000, and there are faster ones (more expensive).

DenpasarHouse asked: Does the download speed stay stable throughout the day?
For me - yes.
 
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harryopal

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2016
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As an AFL fan I will start to get serious about TV after my visa status is settled and then find a house to lease probably somewhere in Bali.
At the moment we are renting a small self contained accomodation, good price, in Jimbaran which includes TV and free witi.
In general terms I am frustrated at not being able to check a programme guide to find out what is on and on which channel. I think we have access to about 20 channels including National Geographic and CNN. I hate channel hopping. I used to watch CNN in Kenya and it was then a good service. Now it seems if you watch half an hour of CNN you get about 20 minutes of irritatingly endless self promotions saying how terrific they are. And they also now go on endlessly about issues such as the Trump - Russian connections.
I have a laptop with a 14" screen which could be okay for downloads but for general TV I want to get a recorder so that I can record shows, watch them later and fast forward through the interminable advt breaks.
In Australia I had a brilliant Sony recorder which would offer a screen of all the available TV channels, listing the programmes for the week or more ahead and you went to one you wanted and simply pressed the red record button. SBS offered a great news service and films and programmes from many different parts of the world. Another screen on the Sony would bring up all the recorded items and you could run down and watch whatever you wanted and view at your leisure. With AFL I would record Richmond games and wait half an hour from the start of the game so I could skip through the ad breaks and quarter time and half time breaks.
It would be helpful to get some tips as to how to attain these end results. My technical skills are basically pressing the on off button. Bear in mind that I will be totally confused by a whole lot of technical jargon. If you are kind enough to reply, imagine you are writing a book called "Technical TV advice for Dummies."
By the way, are the Apps referred to above for mobiles also used for laptops?
Thanks in anticipation.
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
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The freeview app doesn't work on laptops I'm afraid.

As an AFL fan . . . "

So, the bad news is that the freeview app most probably does everything you'd want EXCEPT AFL. You're probably better off with the 'Australia Plus' channel you get with Indovision or Biznet, it seems to have a fair amount of footy.

. . . Technical TV advice for Dummies."

Here's one solution:
  1. Sign up with for the Biznet Home Combo: https://www.biznethome.net/en/service/biznet-home-combo/ You'll get a good internet connection AND the Australia Plus channel (which is where you'll get your footy).
  2. Buy an Android based set-top box for your TV (Sorry, I haven't done this yet, so I can't recommend one).
  3. Sign up with a VPN provider that has Australian servers and an Android app (Sorry, I haven't done it yet, so I can't recommend anyone).
  4. Connect the internet up to your set-top box and turn on the Android VPN app.
  5. Install the Freeview app on your Android set-top box and open it.
If you're lucky, it should work.
 

harryopal

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2016
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Denpasar,
Thanks for the information. I have saved it to a file so I can find it readily when we get to that point.
 

Rodney Sprague

New Member
May 31, 2017
11
2
3
I signed up for a free trial last October. They sent me a confirmation email with download links for their software (which didn’t work). Twice! After a week or so, received an email from them stating that my free trial was over and how did I like it?

You can read my whole story in my post at the time:

https://balipod.com/forum/threads/w...-in-bali-or-anywhere-else-in-the-world.11740/

I tried it out of curiosity but it wasn’t for me. And I had no interest in buying their set top box, etc. After all, I could and still can watch all kinds of programmes from Australia using a VPN connection. (Cheaper, too.)

Maybe it’s “better” now. Good luck.

Regarding IndiHome. It is not a "Telkomsel ADSL 2 service". It's a Telkom fibre optic connection to the home. How much you pay for it depends on which package you choose and what is available in your location. The "entry level" is 10 Mbps for about Rp 475,000/month. Rodney's package is the next step up (20 Mbps) for Rp 650,000, and there are faster ones (more expensive).

DenpasarHouse asked: Does the download speed stay stable throughout the day?
For me - yes.

Well strictly speaking it is ADSL 2+ because it is still copper wire to the home and I did say 10 Mbps MINIMUM, it seldom reaches 20 Mbps but if you go for the 10 Mbps entry level plan you will be lucky to get 5 Mbps. The reality of all this is that for web servers capable of sending at a fast rate 1.5 - 2.0 Mbps is what you will get via WiFi but that is fast enough.
 

spicyayam

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2009
3,592
342
83
I bought an Android TV box on Aliexpress for about $50 including shipping. It works ok. A couple of times it just shutdown while my son was watching youtube. Maybe it overheated. Android TV is a great gadget to have and would probably look at getting a better brand at some point.

@harryopal you might want to look into this to recording streaming: https://www.playon.tv/
 

JohnnyCool

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2009
1,414
88
48
Sanur
Well strictly speaking it is ADSL 2+ because it is still copper wire to the home and I did say 10 Mbps MINIMUM, it seldom reaches 20 Mbps but if you go for the 10 Mbps entry level plan you will be lucky to get 5 Mbps. The reality of all this is that for web servers capable of sending at a fast rate 1.5 - 2.0 Mbps is what you will get via WiFi but that is fast enough.

Well strictly speaking it is NOT ADSL 2+

Are you seriously trying to tell me (and others) that my fibre optic cable is copper? Give me a break.

Regarding “internet speed tests”, particularly ones like Ookla. Some, like Ookla, are Flash-based which means they’re neither accurate nor reliable (for various technical reasons). “Good” for a notional idea – better if you run the tests multiple times and take either an average or median of the results..

One non-Flash test service is called testmy.net. Try it.
You stated that on an IndiHome 10Mbps I’d be lucky to get 5Mbps. I beg to differ. Here’s an example from earlier today:

http://testmy.net/compID/16530086053554

;)
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
526
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28
. . . ones like Ookla. Some, like Ookla, are Flash-based . . .

Try the Ookla one again, they now use a non-flash as their default (although, it says it's in beta) and you have to specifically choose the legacy flash version if you want to use that.
 

tel522

Active Member
Oct 30, 2015
572
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Download :: 7.3 Mbps 917 kB/s
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Upload :: 3.6 Mbps 454 kB/s

for interest I tried your speed test on tri lte mifi just now when its slow, pretty good , I think.