Those not wanting to join premium services such as Sky and Virgin Media will almost certainly be using Freeview. This hugely popular free-to-view platform is now beamed into millions of homes across the UK but it’s days may possibly be numbered. More of us than ever are moving away from content delivered via a standard over-the-air signal and switching to broadband-powered telly instead.
Devices such as Sky Glass and Sky Stream continue to boom in popularity (these are now Sky’s most popular products) and there’s also the option to watch content for free using the recently released Freely platform.
Now, there could be an even bigger reason to consider ditching Freeview and that aerial stuck to your chimney. It’s been confirmed that a new set-top box could be coming soon that will finally bring Freely into more homes.
Right now, the only way to access this streaming service is to buy a brand new television with it pre-installed.
That’s not ideal if you love what you currently own and there’s another issue as manufactures such as LG and Samsung don’t currently offer any screens that have Freely installed.
If a 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.
There are some big benefits of switching to streaming, as it’s far easier to install, maintain and less likely to be affected by things such as weather conditions.
It seems more investment is also being ploughed into services such as Freely with this platform recently getting a big upgrade that offers more features to its users including a backwards TV guide that lets you see what has already aired and watch shows you might have missed.