Does Foxtel iQ5 Need A TV Antenna?

Everything you need to know about watching Free To Air TV channels on the Foxtel iQ5 set-top box.

21 September 2021

Following the launch of the Foxtel iQ5 set-top box last year, we decided to take a detailed look at what this will mean for your ability to watch live Free To Air TV channels.

To make it easier for you to jump to the section that is relevant for you, we break this article up into whether you will be using streaming to watch Foxtel on the iQ5 or whether you will be using the satellite input as the signal source for your Foxtel channels. Remember, there is no input for Foxtel Cable off the street, as this is the replacement device for those users who will no longer have access to Foxtel Cable in the next ~12-18 months.

1. You Are Using Streaming Only On The Foxtel iQ5

You will need a TV antenna to watch any live Free To Air TV channels.

The iQ5 delivery from Foxtel may contain a fly lead to connect the iQ5 box to the TV wall plate. However, from that TV socket, you will need to have cabling to connect to a Free To Air TV antenna in order to receive live Free To Air channels.

2. You Are Using Satellite Signal To Watch Foxtel iQ5 Channels

It is a little more complicated if you are going to use a satellite dish installed on your rooftop in order to watch Free To Air TV through your iQ5 box.

Without a TV antenna, you will get only a subset of all the available live Free To Air TV channels. This is because Foxtel have an agreement with the networks to broadcast a number of channels (e.g. Channel 7, 9 and 10) over their satellite feed.

However, Foxtel do not broadcast all of the Free To Air channels on their satellite. The exact number of channels and which channels you get will differ depending on your location.

The Free To Air channels that are normally ‘missing’ on the satellite feed include the HD channels and some of the newer ‘digital’ channels like 7mate, GEM, 10Peach, ABC Kids. For more details on what Free To Air TV channels are available on Foxtel, check out our article on Can I Get Free to Air Channels on Foxtel?

You might be lucky and be able to get these channels, or you may need a TV antenna to be able to view all the extra free channels available live.

If you are looking to get a TV antenna installed to get access to all the free live channels on your Foxtel iQ5, contact us today. Install My Antenna installs only high quality, Australian made TV antennas. We have experienced technicians local to your area and we guarantee you perfect digital TV reception! You can get a free quote on our website just by entering your address and phone number.