When Foxtel first launched their Foxtel GO app I remember thinking they were ahead of the curve in so many ways – that feeling has lapsed a fair bit, but all that begins to change today as Foxtel Kids arrives on iOS and Android devices.
This is an important app for Foxtel. I had a look at it a few weeks ago and was instantly blown away.
Firstly, the Foxtel Kids app allows parents with kids to give the kids the device to watch some TV without any fear of them switching out and getting into the Comedy Channel or Sky News (Both great channels! Just not where you might want your kids).
There’s a solid “screen time” timer which will mean the kids can be given a set time-limit for TV watching and the device manages that for you. And don’t worry, it’s a smart timer – if there’s a few tricks under the hood which mean if the show has a few minutes left it won’t just kick them out – it’s like API – Artificial Parental Intelligence:)
Then there’s the program filter. Select the age group, program ratings and even channels you want to show content from.
Oh but wait, there’s more. Download. Yep, download content for offline viewing. This is great for travelling parents and those looking to minimise 3G content viewing.
This is probably the most critical thing about the app, not just because of the feature being so great for parents, but as a technology Foxtel is enabled for. This could and should signal the “Download” feature coming to Foxtel Play and or Foxtel Go apps in the future.
Deanne Weir, Foxtel’s Managing Director of Content Aggregation and Wholesale, said, “We’re delighted to bring our new Foxtel Kids app to Australian kids and families. After taking on board some great customer feedback coupled with our own research, we’ve designed what we think is the best app to keep kids entertained and parents informed; and, with the Christmas holidays just a few weeks away, it couldn’t come at a better time.”
The design is clean, fresh and is very easy to navigate. Foxtel are putting a lot of thought into that, including looking for individual episode cover-art to make instant recognition possible for the youngest kids.
Downloaded videos are available to watch for 31 days (after which you can simply re-download them), and the app can be registered onto five devices and used by two simultaneously. These device numbers are over and above those in place on the Foxtel Go app for account holders.
Foxtel account holders (Cable & Satellite) and Foxtel Play subscribers with the Kids channels on their package can login to the Kids app now for no additional cost.
But here’s the real kicker. If you don’t have any Foxtel account – you can sign up now to Foxtel Play and get just the kids package for $10 under the new Foxtel Play pricing structures – download the kids app and you’ve got “Netflix for Kids” for just $10 a month. Joy.
