T-Hub now an ideal TV buddy
Filed under: BigPond, customers, entertainment, internet, lifestyle, radio, software, T-Hub, TV-guide, update, wireless
If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to download the latest software release for the T-Hub®.
This new release includes an electronic program guide app called the TV Guide, a new My Place app, and BigPond Email.
So, what do these enhancements do?
When I launched the TV Guide (from the second page of the T-Hub), it automatically presented me a list of my local free-to-air TV channels, so I now have 7 days worth of programming at my fingertips. One of the bonuses of this Guide is not only can I view the BigPond TV channels that I can watch via my Telstra T-Box®, but I can also watch them from the T-Hub now too, which is really handy if my family is already using the TV.
Next, using the My Place app, I was able to add a number of applications to my list of favourites by selecting Edit and then the ‘Add’ Icon’. I added in Catalogue Central to the Google, Hotmail, Trading Post and Yahoo!7 Mail icons. Suddenly I had Target, Telstra Shops, and a Yamaha music catalogue at my fingertips. You can also add in NAB banking and 13CABS and I have also been assured by the product folk that there are many more apps to follow.
This new release also addresses some of the issues raised in Telstra Exchange, with improvements also being made to a number of the existing apps. For example, you can now synchronise your Calendar events to your MyAccount. This means that not only can I manage my events from my T-Hub, I can also do it from my computer and if I have set up MySync, manage it via my mobile.
As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank everyone for your feedback and also assure you that every comment made is reviewed and passed onto our T-Hub product team, to make sure we’re delivering a product that satisfies your needs.
New features and enhancements at a glance
By downloading the latest software update (version 1.11H), T-Hub customers can install:
- TV Guide app – an electronic program guide that lists free-to-air and BigPond TV channels (including program synopses) up to 7 days in advance. Customers can even launch live BigPond TV shows directly from the guide.
- Personalisation – a new My Place app allows you to personalise a single T-Hub screen with a selection of quick access, purpose-built apps. The range is small to start (and includes apps like Google search, Hotmail and Yahoo 7 mail and Trading post), and will be extended over time.
- BigPond Email – view, compose and delete your BigPond email from your T-Hub. You can also retrieve email from third party email providers if you have set up the ‘Get External Email’ service within MyInbox. There are also quick links to Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail from the BigPond Email login page.
Tweaks to existing features:
- When using White Pages, you can now click to call from a listing. You can also save a phone number to your contacts.
- If you use the calendar feature, you will notice that the update will enable automatic synchronisation between the T-Hub Touch Panel and your MyInbox email account. Fields that will synchronise include event date (start and end), event time (start and end), event title, event description, event location and recurrence (none, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).
How to update
Updating your T-Hub is easy. Simply touch the ‘Settings’ icon on the T-Hub’s second home screen and then the ‘Software Updates’ icon. Touch the ‘Check for New Software Updates’ button and select ‘Download Now’.
If you have questions on how to use T-Hub® or you need help with the upgrade, please call us on 1300 136 841.
More information:
Happy Holidays from the Telstra Exchange crew
The Telstra Exchange team wish everyone a safe and happy festive season.
Like most folks, we’re looking forward to a bit of down-time over the Christmas-New Year period. With that in mind we’ll be signing off from around midday on Christmas Eve (Friday 24 December 2010). We won’t be publishing any new blog posts until we return on 4 January 2011.
If you need immediate help with a Telstra product or service, please contact Telstra Customer Support.
I really like the enhancements, but the email app doesn’t always show all of the emails, and I have to “refresh” to get it to show, for instance, 24 emails.
I still use it from time to time, and it’s quite neat, but it’s a tad inconsistent.
I use IMDB when I’m watching a movie, and I want to get the name of an actor, for instance, the T-Hub is perfect. I don’t have to fire up a laptop.
Now, if it could watch recorded tv from the T-Box, that’d be brilliant.
My T Hub has turned itself off and when I turn it on, it loads about three quarters of the way and turns itself off again.
My T Box refuses to play Bigpond TV or any TV for that matter. It’s become quite an expensive video store.
Its great that enhancements are coming through. I got the T-Hub for Christmas and would like to see additional ringtones for the handsets. It would be great to have a ‘telephone’ ringtone for the handsets, which is available on the T-Hub. Having a non-tradional ringtone like dogs, frogs, boing, etc. . . isn’t the most recognizable sound to notify me of a phone ringing.
tv guide would be perfect if it would show what programs are on now. it only shows what is on in an hours time. i am thinking that it is on daylight saving time.i have checked that my details are correct, ie: postcode and time.is there any way to fix this?
I would like to see synchronisation for favorites/bookmarked sites. As the T-Hub is a little unstable at times and requires a reset when calling support – having the bookmarks saved as well would help.
Please fix the phone book issue – not being able to add new numbers from incoming calls as a new contact. It only works once or twice after a reset and then has to be reset all over again again again… quite frustrating.
Also the T-hub has started turning it’s self off when it’s 1/2 battery life ever since the latest update.
I’m on my second T Hub as of last week and now this one won’t play the radio or show me weather, news, etc. It just comes up with a Opera helpdesk icon.
No idea what that is about. I’m feeling I must be doing something wrong, but can’t work out what????
I wish I could get it to work as we are in the country and away from any decent radio.
Yeah – the sync works great with the T Hub – I now have 82 entries for my Son’s Birthday on 18th Jan and no way to delete them from the T Hub but manually.
It appears as though it is not syncing correctly just adding an entry to T Hub every time it connects
I’m on my second T Hub as of last week and now this one won’t play the radio or show me weather, news, etc. It just comes up with a Opera helpdesk icon.
No idea what that is about. I’m feeling I must be doing something wrong, but can’t work out what????
Wait times for T-Hub & T-Box tech support
With the onset of Cyclone Yasi, Telstra has activated its cyclone disaster plan for Queensland. As a safety measure, we will be temporarily closing a call centre that provides technical support to our T-Box and T-Hub customers. While our Perth T-Box and T-Hub team will continue to take calls, customers may experience some delays when contacting us on 1300 136 841.
We appreciate your patience during this time.
Please see here for more information
Telstra prepared for cyclone Yasi
Cyclone Yasi preparations
T-Hub product team
Hi Everyone,
Just an update on how our next software upgrade is tracking. We’ve slipped a little behind schedule due to some re-testing that we have had to undertake. We now expect to make the update available end of March.
The new software will improve radio streaming, device navigation and reduce instances where the device freezes. We’ll update you just ahead of its launch.
Kind regards,
The T-Hub product team
Hi,
I hope Telstra’s next update does something significant to stop freezing and perhaps something to speed it up. I am still very unsatisfied with the T-Hub as a product. Unrealiable, slow, no video capability (youtube excepted) and a small range of service. Not to mention the handset battery lasts less than a day off the charger and also has poor range – meaning if I accidently leave it off the charger overnight when the phone rings in the morning I can only talk on the T-Hub – which sometimes locks up!
Yes Chris……nothing like the ads for it. The TBox is actually worse. The Bigpond stations only work half the time and the number of times I’ve had to ring and get mine reset is mad. I’m on my second THub and am waiting for the contract time on both of them to expire so I can get something that works. I really don’t understand it as I have Bigpond for my internet provider and Telstra has always been my phone provider and have had excellent service. I’m just lucky I have an old plug in the wall type phone so can use it if the power goes off. You certainly can’t rely on the THub to stay charged.
I’d really like to be able to watch the Bigpond stations on the TBox as well, but am tired on them trying to find the stations. I only got it to watch the AFL as they don’t show it on Free to Air here, and that has been useless.
I am on my third T-hub and not happy at all… the TV guide update used to be the only useful thing and stopped me from sending the whole thing back… I could watch the Bigpond Channels… particularly BPM in the kitchen… but the latest update has removed this function… I hope this is an oversight and will be fixed soon as this is the most expensive paperweight I have. I don’t use it at all now and have plugged my old phone back into the wall… I am paying for a complete waste of money… the T-Hub reminds me of the Men in Black movie… it was all hyped up to be the best thing since sliced bread… but once you have been sucked in… you long for the sliced bread again…
T hub is a great concept but let down by insufficient memory and poor quality.
I am almost ready to give up on it. It basically works but if I want to have it checked for the many promises that do not work I have to send it into Telstra (my expense), get an old handset in return and wait 6 weeks – for what. My friends who have sent theirs back said that nothing was fixed and it was as bad as ever.
Sandie
I use the TV guide on the T Hub but since daylght saving itis no good as I live in Queensland. If I look at 8.30 to see what is on I cannot tell as the guide is already at 9.30
You should try the t-hub TV guide in WA. It shows the WA guide but at 5pm and it’s only 2pm here. I hope someone fixes this soon
Since my post in July, I have been beck to the store several times and called the help line several times with no success. I am loathe to lose what little functionality I have by sending the T Hub & handset away for 6 weeks – just to fix a problem with the handset – speaker will not work. Why can’t I just send the handset away??
Not happy Nan!!
Hi Sandie. I’ve asked for someone to call you to discuss your options. Brendan
I have a telstra t hub but it wont allow me to watch any programs that I may have missed on TV its says I need Adobe flash player but the unit won’t allow me to download flash player how do i get around this as i don’t have a pal top at home and have 100 GB to use everymonth on my bigpond account and would like to watch shows I have missed on it.
Hi Natalee. I’m afraid the T-Hub is not compatible with Flash.
i’ve had a t-hub for just under a year now and am very dissapointed – especially as i convinced my husband it would be worth the cost!
As a mum at home with two young kids, all i want it for (besides the phone) is a music/radio player and fancy photoframe. i honestly dont care about the Apps on there.. and dont use them. perhaps thats because its so incredibly slow? the only thing i check is the weather. My T-hub is so slow, i dont know if its standard, or the actual machine. i am unable to load music onto the memory card, as every conceivable type music file i put on, it recognises but wont play. i am very dissapointed.. wish i could just send it away for ever and get a standard handset in replacement and be done with it.
sorry telstra – i love all my other telstra stuff but this has been a big drain in my pocket for something that dosent work properly
Hi there Lauren, I’m so sorry to hear about the issues you’re having with the T-Hub. Have you tried to call the dedicated Telstra T-Hub support on 1300 136 841. The team will see if they can fix it or get you a new one if the problems persist. Regards, Danielle
i am totally dissapointed that the t-hub does not allow flashplayer because it really is quite useless otherwise i just read the news cause i am paying for it each month…….it is not what it was made out to be….
I understand this is a basic little gadget that is predominantly a home phone. I do find it to be slow and not sensitive enough when touching the screen sometimes, but if I want to watch you tube I will go on the computer…
I just plug my ipod in the side to listen to music, works great.
This may be possible, I can’t find it anywhere though – I want to let my kids play games on the t-hub… I would rather let them look at some learning games or g/pg games while I am nearby rather than have them on the internet.
Either in the unmetered site or as an app so they wont accidentally end up on a random site.
Websites are too hard and slow due to no flashplayer
I can’t get updates for the software in my t-hub. Every time i try to download it i get the same message telling me i have to be connected WiFi through my modem. I am fedup connecting to my Telstra broadband modem to get the same outcome. can anyone help.
Thank You
Hi Stewart, Give the T-Hub team a call on 1300 136 841 or the best way to contact Telstra for a general service/product query is to click onto the ‘Ask the Crowd’ up top right of this blog or visit the Telstra 24×7 page on Facebook. Brendan
I opened Hotmail on my phone which was terrific, but I can’t close it down can you help me.
Hi Steve
Our customer service team can help out with using this feature of your iPhone. You can start a live web chat with them here.
My phone is a iphone5, sorry I forgot to tell you that,