Updates are top-down as some may be long.  All will be separated with the date of entry.

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October 16, 2026

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That was quick.... Got a follow up email from Fetch regarding the website update last night. Copy of it HERE.

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So the takeaway is this:

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- Fetch only expects your box to last 3-5 years.  

- Fetch still insists that somehow Free-To-Air EPG requires something magical that newer models will do but older ones won't, even though they will have a mix of older and newer units running until mid 2028. Too costly to maintain the backend, apparently.  

- And basically the standard dribble from previous correspondence.

 

Good job Fetch and Amir.... not  

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October 15, 2026:

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So... Today Fetch sends a new - cough - "offer". Email as can be seen HERE

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I'm not going to pick it all apart as many on Facebook and elsewhere have done that already, but as a technical person here's my honest view that I will make as simple as possible:

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FetchTV, Telstra (Majority owner of of FetchTV), Zhongshan Hybroad Vision Electronics Co., Ltd/ Yuxing InfoTech Investment Holdings Limited, et al: You're full of shit.  And you proved it by clearly showing your hand in this sick game of poker in your email as linked above.

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Why?  Your original line a few weeks ago was some cry wolf story the Gen 3 Fetch units were getting too old and harder to support.  And you STILL peddle this crap with the new email.   But now you can (surprise surprise) extend the use of a Gen 3 beyond your original date of the end of October 2027? On balance, however, I will give you some credit:  You now admit that streaming is becoming harder to support on the Gen 3 units so with your new "offer" this will be discontinued for Gen 3 units. HOORAY! Nobody denies this - including myself. Internet delivered technology is always evolving.

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But the fact still remains: Free To Air digital TV hasn't evolved much since it was rolled out in Australia.  True, there have been enhancements and some old TV's are less than capable. This DOES NOT apply to the Fetch Gen 3 hardware. Heck, it don't even apply to TiVo's that were officially discontinued in 2017 but to this day still receive all channels just fine and they are even older hardware than the Gen 3 Fetch units.  Most people who have a Gen 3 Fetch *DO NOT CARE* about internet delivered content EXCEPT keep providing Free To Air TV EPG guide data content that integrates with allowing the Gen 3 units to receive, record and play back Free To Air TV broadcast content.

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Is that too much to ask?  As someone who technically understands how it all works I think not.  At best there is no difference between the format of the EPG on a Gen 3 unit to a Gen 4 or 5.... or at worst it is an automated re-formatting. 

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Or is it, perhaps, behind the scenes because Gen 3 Fetch units are based on Hybroad manufactured hardware, but the Gen 5 Mini is not? It is based on Shenzhen Skyworth Digital Technology Co. Ltd hardware (aka as just "Skyworth"). Look HERE and HERE.  Tip for all Gen 4 Mighty owners: They are based on Hybroad hardware like the Gen 3.  Read into that whatever way you like based on what I have written above and below, except to say don't be too surprised when Fetch come for you too......

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As always Fetch I extended the offer to reply to me. They did, but all I got was the pre-formatted dribble everyone else got. See HERE.  

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When you would like to reach out with something more substantial I'm here and not going away.

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 - Darren King, on behalf of what I feel will be a dwindling user base of your product.  As they say: "Once Bitten. Twice Shy".

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October 3, 2026:

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The picture above is a screen grab made on October 2 2026 from the Internet Archive of the FetchTV website back on March 10 2018.

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For context, this is after the date TiVo Australia and New Zealand ceased - aka Hybrid Television Services (ANZ) - on October 31st 2017.  Before the shutdown, FetchTV were offering TiVo users the option to trade in their TiVo for a discounted FetchTV Mighty Generation 3 unit and it was done with the lure the FetchTV Mighty is the way forward as a thank you gesture which in part said:  "we want to help you upgrade to the latest in DVR technology and make sure your entertainment doesn’t end here."  You can see the full email HERE.  

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That was only for Australia.  Our NZ counterparts got more of a "Too Bad So Sad" approach BUT it was also made clear the TiVo would still function in a limited fashion. See HERE. The same did apply to Australian TiVo's but wasn't explicitly pointed out.  

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Even if you were not a TiVo person, walking into a retail store buying a retail Fetch Mighty Gen 3 outright had on the box THIS. Yeah... I was one of those now suckers who bought a Mighty and several Mini's for my home and the same for my parents (and ALL are still working). Contrast this to what FetchTV is "offering" for legacy Gen3 Mighty and Mini as of today is HERE.  Effectively shifting the goalposts to what people understood when they bought and OUTRIGHT PAID FOR.  

 

I find it rather ironic the humble TiVo Series 3 is still very much alive almost 10 years after it was pulled - albeit only two HD tuners and limited EPG run by hobbyists, and the technology that it is built on is almost 20 years old and very repairable.  I should know as I am one of the founding OzTiVo members.  See HERE for my TiVo repair and modification website.

 

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And here we are as of today I write this, October 3 2026: 

 

- You have one company (Hybrid Television Services) who gave options and knew us OzTiVo hobbyists already could mod their units before their shutdown AND WORKED WITH US and actually released a final software update to facilitate it.  I don't for one minute think they knew 10 years later this would happen when promoting the Fetch so I don't blame them.

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- And then you have FetchTV....  Basically saying "Give us $29.95 before the end of October or we brick your box..... oh and by the way if you want it unbricked you can but you don't get your recordings back... and it is only going to be for a year...."

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What bullshit. Sorry but that is my honest feelings.  

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FetchTV: You are not doing yourselves any favours here.  Who in their right mind is going to pay you $29.95 and you are going to terminate the Gen 3 units in a year anyway? For that matter, who trusts you don't say the newer units get the same treatment in the future?  Not me. Not many people I know either. Most people I know who switched to Fetch Gen3 Mighty's are ex-TiVo people. Most only use them for Free To Air TV watching and recording. And from the emails and reading Facebook and other websites that is what most people do, ex-TiVo users or otherwise.

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When I first heard of your way forward my immediate thought was "What is so hard about still providing just Free To Air TV receiving and recording with EPG without any streaming/apps or customer support for as long as the unit works".  A couple of days ago someone who I admire on YouTube called Louis Rossmann had his say on the matter as can be seen HERE (warning - some language!). He then received a response from FetchTV HERE.  Louis also made a follow up video in response HERE. (I have local downloads of these videos and ALL links you see here if it is taken down.... email me if it is and I'll switch to the saved copies).

 

Guess what? He has the same opinion.... and no I didn't prompt Louis. It is common sense.  Even if the newer generation FetchTV units had a different EPG format (which I doubt) it would be an automated computer generation program to keep it going for the Gen 3 units. I don't agree it is "too hard" given both Gen 3 and newer units co-exist now. 

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*OR* (and a bit technical here): The digital Free To Air television broadcast standard in Australia - known as DVB - transmits EPG for free over the air.  It is in something known as the Event Information Table (EIT).  That is why any generic out-of-the-box TV can get EPG for up to 7 days ahead without even needing the Internet. I can see where you are coming from in your response about subscription based recordings - BUT they are already PAID for.  So like as Louis said in his first video you are basically reaching to someone's house and holding them to ransom to get back what they already own.  

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Here's an idea FetchTV: You don't want to support the Gen3 unit anymore? Fine. Most would be happy to pay the $29.95 you are asking if you put that money towards rolling out a final software update that uses the over the air EPG via the EIT and whatever licensing that entails (if any at all) but no support and you cut us free. There's plenty of us out there who know how to replace the hard drive and repair FetchTV Gen3 units.

 

Will you?  I doubt it.  My guess is you will hide behind the bullshit (sorry, again!) that it is contractually or technically impossible.

 

FetchTV: Over to you.  Happy if you contact me on my long standing email of fetchdoctor@gmail.com

 

- Darren King  

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