Freeview could soon be under pressure from a new rival that doesn’t need an aerial.
It’s hard to argue that Freeview still rules the roost when it comes to watching TV without paying a monthly fee. This totally free platform features over 100 channels, which are all available via a standard aerial on your roof. Millions of homes across the UK now rely on Freeview for their nightly fix of entertainment but its days could well be numbered.
More of us are now moving away from traditional methods of watching content and switching over to streaming instead. Sky recently confirmed that its Stream box and Glass TV – which receive live shows, sports and movies via an internet connection – are now its biggest sellers and now there’s another way to tune into the telly.
Freely, which is actually owned by the same team as Freeview, first launched last year and is slowly improving with more manufacturers including it in their screens and new features being added on a regular basis. It even recently received a boost which now offers a backwards TV guide which lets you find things to watch that have been previously aired.
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It’s a smart system that’s clearly getting a lot of investment, and now there could be an even bigger reason to consider ditching Freeview and that aerial that wobbles around on your chimney.
It’s recently been revealed that a Freely may soon start making a dedicated set-top box.
For those not in the know, the only way to currently access this streaming service is to buy a brand new television with it pre-installed.
Another issue is that some manufactures – such as LG and Samsung – haven’t yet joined the Freely revolution and don’t offer any screens with it installed.
If a standalone set-top box arrived, it would fix these problems and make it seem far more enticing.
Explaining more about the future, BBC ‘s Tim Davie recently said: “At the BBC we have been working hard to build digital platforms and content to meet changing audience needs, enriching our offer and welcoming the possibilities of a post broadcast world.
“We think now is the time to confirm an IP switchover in the 2030s, setting out the conditions and providing certainty to ensure success.
“The BBC can play a key role in innovating to ensure that the new world is inclusive and accessible.
“To help, we want to double down on Freely as a universal free service to deliver live TV over broadband. And we are considering a streaming media device with Freely capabilities built in, with a radically simplified user interface specifically designed to help those yet to benefit from IP services.”
Along with news from the BBC, the TV team at TiVo also recently hinted that they could also bring a Freely-powered set-top box to the UK in the future.
This update would be a direct rival for Sky Stream, which also turns old TVS into fully smart content hubs.
We don’t have full details just yet, but watch this space.