Watching the new channels tonight, I’m really happy with the suite and variety. So far though it seems to mostly be rolling shuffle on each channel within their theme or genre. Some things that I’d improve are:
I’d like to see a bit more branding identity on each channel, with the channel name and type of music they play. Even if it is just some quick graphic/video insertion every few tracks. If they did that, I’d even be fine with Nightlife staying on the track names.
I’m hoping for more creative programming. My memory of Max was that they would often have big long Top50/Top 100 type countdowns. The new Max I can’t really tell what it’s about or what music they play. Trending should do this too, you’dthink various chart countdowns would be easy insertions. This also adds to these sort of channels having some identity and entices you to watch more.
I’m hopeful these things will improve and what we have now may just be a matter of getting these up quickly.
Enjoying the music channels so far, but like Foxtels naming of channels of late. They could have been better.
I would have kept Max, but Retro would have been Max Retro.
They could have revived Channel V in place of Trending and called Club, Channel V Club instead.
Australian Played would fit into either but most likely a Max Australian Local
I find less want to do as many chart shows these days as they end up so repetitive with the streaming blockage of big artists. The top 50 now is just like an album shuffle between Sabrina, Benson, Teddy and Luke dominating the single chart
Yeah I think these are good suggestions. They could then develop some very simple Max / Channel V branding with the channel logos that is inserted every few tracks. The channels need that bit more of an identity.
Maybe these things could still be coming… what we have was likely pulled together very quickly and a previous post did indicate a Channel V revival was potentially on the cards.
There is still room for these on channels that are just rolling video clips. It gives a bit more structure and more of a reason to watch IMO.
On trending they could easily do a Billboard Hot100, ARIA chart or even trending spotify tracks countdown. Most other channels could add in a variety of countdowns too. Retro could do this week on X year and Max used to do very random countdowns like top 100 movie sound tracks / ballads / pub classics etc. Really anything. These weere probably only one person’s opinion compiling the lists but I’m definitely likely to watch a countdown longer than just shuffled videos.
Myself and someone else noticed the old domain names for max and channel v had been updated (even Austar) so it indicated all the old brands were coming back, so far it’s only been Max.
If they didnt want the same show year round with about 4 new weekly songs, they could do something like hot tracks, or top 50 albums and they play a track release from album.
And Aria do have that “top 20 new singles” which is 3-4 months and your out charts, a lot more movement there.
Top 20 Australian would be good, but again its the same songs and mostly released years ago.
I’m flicking through the channels at the moment, the Nightlife branding looks cheap and nasty. Even when the local bowling alley uses their videos on their video jukebox it’s offputting. And using them on what should be a premium television service is a joke.
Foxtel clearly hasn’t thought of who’s paying for this, the customer. It’s just another cost cutting exercise.
I was watching Max earlier and had to turn off, the music was a complete mess. There’s no human programmer involved here, just a playlist that’s throwing in anything and everything.
There is a Vevo Rock channel. The Australian channel has mostly been playing rock songs too when I turn it on. You also have Retro.
Yeah that’s the problem it just seems to be a shuffle within the genres. The Max name doesn’t even tell you what music you will be getting, it seems quite random. I’ll remain hopeful that this will improve over time. As mentioned above, there are some real simple things they could do to make thess a lot better.
Here in Canberra, when 9Go went from SD to HD, Foxtel kept it on channel 162. I’m not up-to-date on whether metro 9Go is still available in SD or not, but if it’s not, there’s a decent chance that the old SD channel number 162 might take the HD service.
For me there’s also an option in the settings to switch 162 between terrestrial and IP. If I choose IP, it picks up the HD feed from the 9Now app, which needs to be logged in to work.
We’ve had an issue where we can’t record 9GO on our Foxtel box. I haven’t tried in a few weeks but when the recent season of Survivor was on, we’d sometimes want to record but it just wouldn’t let us. We’ve had Go as a channel on the box but wouldn’t record. I’m in Melbourne too. I wasn’t sure if it was just an issue we were experiencing or everyone but it was odd.
Surprised they bothered to make idents (assuming all of the new channels have them), these channels in retrospect feel so boring and soulless. Wish they would have done
more with Max and CMC, but knowing Foxtel these days I didn’t expect much.