- What is BigPond Movies?
- BigPond movies is a service that allows the customers to rent movies and TV shows from a variety of devices including the PC, android tablets, T-Box, and selected Smart TVs.
- Who is eligible to register?
- Anyone in Australia can rent from BigPond Movies, provided you are 18 years or older and have a valid credit/debit card that has been issued by an Australian financial institution. Access to the BigPond Movies service through the T-Box must be via a BigPond Movies broadband connection, however all other compatible devices can be used with any Australian ISP.
- How do I register?
- You can register for the service online here or alternatively through the registration process for our supported devices. Once registered, you can use your same login details across any other supported BigPond Movies device.
- Why do you need my email address?
- Your email address is required as your username during login, and also as the email address to which you’ll receive transaction receipts for any rentals you make. This email address will also be added to our newsletter subscription list, for those customers who opt-in to receive the fortnightly BigPond Movies newsletter.
- What devices is the service available on?
- The devices that you can currently view BigPond Movies on are:
PC devices:- Android ICS devices
- Telstra T-Box™ (for BigPond Broadband Members only)
Samsung Devices:- TV: LED- UxxxC6400, UxxxC6500, UxxxC6800, UxxxC6900, UxxxC7000, UxxxC8000, UxxxC900
- TV: LCD- LxxxC560, LxxxC580, LxxxC650, LxxxC750
- TV: PDP- PxxxC6400, PxxxC6500, PxxxC8000
LG Devices:- The LG TV with NetCast™
- The LG Blu-Ray Player (model number BD570)
- The LG Blu-Ray Home Theatre system (model numbers HB965TXW and HB905TAW)
- TV: LED- WT50, DT50, ST30, UT30
- TV: Plasma- VT50A, ST50A, UT50A, XT50A
- Is my account and rented movies portable to other devices?
- Once registered, your login details will be recognised across all BigPond Movies service, regardless of device. Due to licensing conditions from our studio partners, purchases made via one device can only be viewed via that same device, and are not portable.
- What is ‘My Rentals’?
- ‘My Rentals’ is a section within ‘My Account’ that allows you to view the movies that you have currently rented and to check the Expiry and Viewing periods for any active rentals.
- How long will movies be available for? (Expiry and Viewing Periods explained)
- When you rent a title from BigPond Movies, there are two timeframes you need to be aware of – the Expiry Period and the Viewing Period.
The Expiry Period is the amount of time you have to begin watching the content you have rented from BigPond Movie Downloads. For most titles, this is 7 days.
The Viewing Period is the amount of time you have to continue watching your title after you have first started to play it. For most titles, this is 48 hours. Even if you only start watching your rented title for a few seconds, the Viewing Period will then begin.
Specific Expiry and Viewing period information for each title is presented during the rental process. - Can I begin to watch a title as soon as I’ve rented it?
- Yes. BigPond Movies streaming technology means that you’ll be able to watch the movie or TV show almost immediately after purchase.
- Can I interrupt watching a movie and come back later to continue?
- Yes you can stop and return to a movie as many time as you want within the Viewing period.
- Are movies ‘unmetered’?
- For most BigPond Broadband Members, accessing the BigPond Movies service is unmetered. This means that your streamed movies don’t count towards your monthly Internet usage allowance. If you are with an Internet service provider other than BigPond, downloads from BigPond Movies will count will towards your monthly Internet usage allowance. For more information, please go to: http://www.bigpond.com/unmetered/
- How do I find something to watch?
- The BigPond Movies catalogue can be browsed by movie or TV genre, or you can choose to search for a specific title, actor or director.
- How many titles are there in the BigPond Movies Catalogue?
- There are over 6,000 titles to choose from, ranging from new release movies, documentaries, children’s entertainment and TV shows.
- What do the movie classifications mean?
- Some movies are exempt from classification and are listed with an E on the BigPond Movies site. A film can be exempt if it was made for business, accounting, professional, scientific or educational purposes, unless it contains a visual image that would be likely to cause it to be classified MA15+ or higher. Other film types that may be exempt from classification include current affairs programs, hobbyist, sporting, live performances or musical presentations.
This category is considered suitable for all viewers. The G classification symbol does not necessarily indicate that the film is one that children will enjoy. Some G films contain themes or story-lines that are of no interest to children. Parents should feel confident that children can watch material in this classification without supervision. Material classified G will not be harmful or disturbing to children. Whether or not the film is intended for children, the treatment of themes and other classifiable elements will be careful and discreet.
The PG classification signals to parents that material in this category contains depictions or references which could be confusing or upsetting to children without adult guidance. Material classified PG will not be harmful or disturbing to children. Parents may choose to preview the material for their children, watch the material with their children, or perhaps be accessible during or after the viewing to discuss the content.
The Mature category is advisory and not legally restricted. However, material in this category cannot be recommended for those under 15 years of age. Films classified M contain material that is considered to be potentially harmful or disturbing to those under 15 years. Depictions and references to classifiable elements may contain detail. However, the impact will not be so strong as to require restriction.
The MA category is legally restricted. Children under 15 will not be allowed to see MA films in the cinema or hire them on video or DVD unless in the company of a parent or adult guardian. Material classified MA deals with issues or contains depictions which require a mature perspective. The impact of individual elements or a combination of elements is considered likely to be harmful or disturbing to viewers under 15 years of age.
The R category is legally restricted to adults over 18 years of age. Material which is given a restricted classification is unsuitable for those under 18. Material classified R deals with issues or contains depictions which require an adult perspective. The classification is not intended as a comment on the quality of the material. Some material may be offensive to some sections of the adult community. Material which promotes or incites or instructs in matters of crime and/or violence is not permitted. - What is a ‘New Release’?
- The definition of ‘New Release’ will vary from studio to studio, however in general our new release movies have been released within 12 month of their screening at the cinema.
- I saw a movie on the service and now it’s not there anymore, what happened?
- Video on Demand services such as BigPond Movies, operate under a slightly different release schedule compared to your local Video store. Our contractual arrangements allow us to show New Release titles for a certain time frame, which can differ depending on the title. The title then moves out of the Video on Demand space and into the Free to Air commercial TV window. At a later date, we then endeavour to secure the rights again for the title, which is then placed into our ‘New to Library’ section.
- How do I report poor quality movies?
- Please report any poor quality movies or TV shows to the BigPond Movies
Team at help@bigpondmovies.com, detailing the movie title and the problems that have occurred. If you have any time identifiers that can help us locate the fault quickly, that would be great. For example, the sound drops out at the 30 minute mark. - Does BigPond Movies support closed captioning?
- Closed captioning is not presently supported on BigPond Movies. Investigations into this are continuing as part of our ongoing product development. Please note that all foreign titles are shown with English subtitles.
- What parental controls are in place for managing children’s viewing.
- To rent a movie from BigPond Movies you must be 18 years or older. Movies can only be rented once the account holder has been verified by logging in with a username and password. BigPond Movies customers online are automatically logged out from the service after 20 mins of inactivity.
T-Box and internet enabled TV customers will be asked to create a 4 digit PIN when first registering. You will need to enter this PIN every time an MA15+ or R18+ title is purchased, and then again when you wish to play it. This setting can be changed to require the PIN to be entered for every rental rated PG upwards. - Can I buy movies to keep?
- BigPond Movies does not currently offer the ability to purchase a movie or TV show outright.
- My password isn’t working. What I do?
- Please contact the BigPond Movies Team on 1800 502 502 who will be able to reset your password for you.
- What payment methods are accepted?
- BigPond Movies can be rented with a valid credit card/debit card, BigPond Movies pre-paid vouchers, and for T-Box customers, can be added your Telstra bill. Accepted credit/debit cards include: American Express, Mastercard and Visa, provided that have been issued by an Australian financial institution. Credit/debit cards issued by non financial institutions such as Woolworths and Australia Post cannot be used. No credit card fees will be applied.
- Where can I buy BigPond Movies vouchers?
- You can purchase BigPond movies pre-paid vouchers from the following outlets:
- Telstra Shops
- JB Hi-Fi
- Retravision
- Fone Zone
- Australia Post
- Crazy Johns
- AllPhones
- Coles/Coles Express
- Myer
- Kmart
- Bi-Lo
- Target
- Petrol and Convenience
- Newsagents
- Big W (Music Only)
- BSL (Betta/Wow).
- How do I redeem a voucher?
- Select the ‘Vouchers’ tab at the top of the website, and enter the voucher code to register and redeem a voucher. Alternatively you can register your voucher code during the rental process by selecting ‘Add Voucher’ before completing your transaction.
- How long are vouchers valid for?
- Generally, voucher credit is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Please check your PrePaid voucher slip for your exact expiry date. Vouchers that have been applied directly to your movie account due to a promotion, refund or goodwill gesture will have a shorter time frame, anywhere between 1 week and 3 months. Whenever a voucher is applied directly to your movie account in these circumstances, a confirmation email will be sent to the same email address used to register your movie account. This confirmation email will contain the expiry date of your voucher.
T-Box customers can check the expiry date of their existing voucher credit by going to My Account and selecting Account Information. BigPond Movies customers will see the expiry date of their voucher credit on the rental confirmation page.
Note: Vouchers expires at the beginning of the date indicated, and not at the end of the day. - My voucher has expired. Can I get a refund?
- No. Any unused credit will be forfeited if it isn’t used by the expiry date.
- Can I use vouchers as part payment?
- Yes. The system will always deduct from available voucher credit first. If you do not have enough voucher credit to cover the full cost of your rental, the system will then deduct the balance from your credit/debit card, if you have registered one with us.
- My voucher doesn’t work. What’s wrong?
- If you are having trouble entering your voucher code, please pay close attention to any characters that could be confused for another, such as the letter D and the number 0. If you are having trouble with voucher credit already allocated to your account, please check the expiry period of the voucher.
- How secure are BigPond Movies transactions?
- We use the Verisign security system which provides 128-bit SSL encryption through secure servers to process all transactions. This means that all information, including your username, password and credit/debit card details is scrambled for security. In order to protect your personal details, you are automatically logged out after 20 minutes of inactivity on any page.
- What if I forget my password/username?
- If you cannot remember your password, please contact us on 1800 502 502 and we will help you to regain access to your account.
To change your password later, visit My Account, choose Personal Details and enter your new password in the password fields. - Can I see my purchase history?
- You can view details of your past transactions online within My Account, once you’ve logged in. Your purchase history will contain:
- Rental date
- Title rented
- Device on which the title was rented
- Rental amount
- Transaction number
- Will I get a receipt for my purchase?
- A receipt for every purchase will be sent via email to the email address listed under ‘My Account’.
- Why do you need my credit/debit card if I am using a voucher or my Telstra bill to pay?
- There are 2 reasons:
- To verify that you are 18 years or older. It is a criminal offence to supply MA15+ or R18+ titles to those who are underage.
- As a secondary location check. As part of the contractual arrangements we have with the owners of the content, the BigPond Movies service can only be used within Australia. This is also why your credit/debit card must be issued by an Australian financial institution.
If you are using voucher credit to pay for your rentals in full, no charge will be made against your credit/debit card. - Why did you charge me $2 when I entered my credit/debit card details?
- Whenever new credit/debit card details are entered into the system, a pre-authorisation check is performed to determine whether $2 could be deducted. The system does not actually take this money from your account, but your online statement may briefly show a reference that looks similar to a standard charge. This reference generally disappears within 48 hours of the pre-authorisation check, however if you have any concerns, please request a printed statement from your bank which will show that this amount has not been deducted from your account.
This pre-authorisation check is common amongst online rental services and is performed to ensure the credit/debit details that have been entered are valid. - Which credit/debit cards are accepted?
- American Express, Mastercard and Visa, issued by an Australian financial institution.
- I don’t have a credit card. Can I still use BigPond Movies?
- BigPond Movies customers are currently able to rent titles with a G through to M rating without stored credit card details, but will be unable to rent MA15+ or R18+ titles. Valid credit/debit card details are required to complete the movie account registration process for T-Box and Internet enabled TV customers.
- How do I change my credit card details?
- Click here to log into your BigPond Movies account, using the email address and password created when first registering your account. Then click on My Account, and select the Billing Details tab. Choose the Set new Credit Card option and enter your new or updated credit/debit card details.
Please note that we only accept valid credit/debit cards issued by an Australian financial institution. - What does the BigPond ‘green dot’ mean?
- The BigPond Movies service carries the BigPond ‘Green dot’. This mean that the streaming of our movies or TV shows are unmetered for most BigPond Broadband Members. For more information, please go to: http://www.bigpond.com/unmetered/
- How do I subscribe or unsubscribe from the fortnightly newsletter?
- You can manage your subscription to our newsletter via the My Account section of the website. Once you login, go to My Account and de-select the newsletter option. Alternatively you can select the ‘unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of each newsletter and follow the instruction from this point.
- How do I suspend my BigPond Movies account?
- Please call the BigPond Movies Team on 1800 502 502 to de-activate your account. Please note that as this is a pay-per-view type of service, there are no subscription fees or other charges if the service is not used.
- What are the minimum online systems requirements?
- Supported Operating Systems:
OS Version Service Pack User Windows XP (32-bit) Home / Professional SP3 Administrator and Guest Windows Vista (32/64-bit) Home / Business SP2 Non-Administrator and Administrator Windows 7 (32/64-bit) Home / Professional / Ultimate SP1 Non-Administrator and Administrator Windows 8 (32/64-bit) Non-Administrator and Administrator Mac OSx (Intel) 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 SP3 Administrator
SUPPORTED BROWSERS
Browser Version Plug-in Internet Explorer 6 (XP Only), 8, 9, 10 activex / .exe FireFox (Windows and Macintosh) 12, 13, 14, 15 xpi Safari (Macintosh) 5.x dmg Chrome (Windows and Macintosh) 19, 20, 21 exe / dmg - I used to ‘download’ titles from BigPond Movies, and now they are ‘streamed’ to my browser. What’s the difference and why has this changed?
- BigPond Movies has moved to streaming technology to deliver movies to you for a number of reasons which we think will help improve your viewing experience:
- Almost immediate playback of the movie. You no longer will need to wait for the title to partially download before you can start watching.
- The stream ‘adapts’ to varying broadband speeds, meaning that variations in your connection speed will have significantly less impact on your viewing experience.
- There’s no longer the need to install our Media Downloader or Window Media Player to view movies. Viewing happens directly within the browser, enabled by a simple plug-in and the installation of Adobe Flash plug-in.
- MAC users are now able to rent titles from BigPond Movies.
• Can I view a title from BigPond Movies when I’m offline?
You’ll need to be connected to the internet, via Wi-Fi or other, for the duration of the title. - I’ve used your service previously and have the ‘Media Downloader’ installed, should I uninstall it?
- There’s no need to uninstall the Media Downloader, which is also used to download
content from BigPond Music and BigPond Games.
However, if you don’t use these services and would like to uninstall the Media Downloader, this can be easily done via your usual programme management tool. - What is the BigPond Movies plug-in (‘Widevine Video Optimizer’)?
- BigPond Movie utilises the Widevine Video Optimizer to allow us to stream rights-secured content to our customers’ web browser. The Video Optimizer is a plug-in requiring a quick and simple once-only installation.
- I’m being asked to install Adobe Flash, why?
- Flash is required for the BigPond Movies plug-in to work. You can install Adobe Flash directly here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
- How do I install / uninstall the BigPond Movies plug-in?
- The BigPond Movies system will determine whether your browser has the plug-in installed, and will prompt you to install it if it is not detected. However, the plug-in can be installed directly from the Widevine website at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/widevine. Once you have installed the plug-in you’ll need to restart you browser to activate it. Please return to BigPond Movies to continue.
This installation is a once only process for your browser. Once installed, the plug-in can be easily uninstalled, via the usual program management tool on your PC. - I’ve already installed the BigPond Movies plug-in, why am I being asked to install it again?
- There are different versions of the BigPond Movies plug-in for each type of browser. If
you are being asked to install the plug-in again, it’s likely that you are returning to the BigPond Movies website within a new browser. - Can I rent content via my PC and then watch it on my TV?
- The security components embedded within the content files prevents some customers from playing back BigPond Movies titles from their PC to their TV. This can be from a combination of PC configurations, type of connection and type of TV. Due to the large number of configurations involved, we are unable to provide support for the playback of content from your PC to your TV. Some customers who were unable to do this using a HDMI cable were successful using analogue cables, and vice versa.
- My movie is freezing or buffering is occurring intermittently?
- BigPond Movies are delivered via an adaptive bit-rate video stream, which is specifically designed to overcome variations in the available bit-rate. The lowest threshold of this stream however is 1.2 Mbps. Some internet connections may drop below this threshold throughout the movie, which will result in interruptions and buffering.
Customers on ADSL1, some wireless broadband services, some WiFi home networks and internet connections shared by multiple users or applications are likely to experience interruptions.
Before purchasing a movie, please watch one of our movie trailers as an indication of the viewing experience you can expect. - How can I contact BigPond Movies?
- You can call the BigPond Movies team on 1800 502 502 during the following times any day of the year (except Christmas Day):
- 9:30am – 11pm Monday to Friday ADST
- 11am – 11pm Saturday ADST
- 12pm – 10pm Sunday ADST
Alternatively you can send an email to help@bigpondmovies.com. Please include contact details in your email, including the email address that was used to register your BigPond Movies account (if you are sending your email from a different address to the one used to register your account).
