Freely

[Andy Burns]

Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

[Jeff Layman]

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

Perhaps the latter, but it's not clear. The Freely webpages aren't
exactly informative, and the only thing they refer to is a "Freely
button on the remote". Quite how it differs from the "Netflix" button on
my remote calling up the Netflix app I don't know, and why such an app
can't be made available for current TVs I don't understand. And, if
Freely could be made available via an internet webpage, why couldn't
that page be cast to a current TV?

You have to go to
<https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/freely-launches-landmark-collaboration-between-uk-broadcasters>
to find the statement "...Freely is available through the next
generation of smart TVs now on sale in stores and online". So that
sounds like current TVs won't have it. However, further down that page
it notes:

"It has also been announced that TiVo, a subsidiary of Xperi Inc., will
be offering Freely as part of its TiVo OS platform. Freely will run on
smart TVs powered by TiVo, providing consumers with choice and a simple
navigation to discover content quickly and efficiently without the
burden of walled gardens. Initially Freely will be available via Vestel
smart TVs Powered by TiVo. Vestel was previously announced as a Freely
smart TV partner, with Vestel Freely TVs due to launch in the coming weeks.
...

More details around Freely will be announced in the coming weeks,
including additional smart TV, operating system and content partners."

I didn't watch the video, but some of the comments are interesting...

[Wilf]

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

From what I've heard, from the outset only on certain new TVs. Whether
Freely app will be added to existing STBs and other devices in the
future is not known. The number of channels will be very limited at
first, I believe and will need to go hand in hand with an aerial to get
everything. Recording (or perhaps bookmarking of programmes you want to
watch) will not allow ad skipping which, if true, is a very large minus.

[Roderick Stewart]

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

The website doesn't make this clear, and it's even less clear what it
will offer that isn't available already using an Amazon stick or
similar.

It looks as though it will be a mixture of "live" and catchup
services, "live" meaning the output of existing broadcast stations but
online instead of via an aerial.

If an app becomes available from the Amazon appstore I'll probably
take a look to see what's on offer. I expect it to be everything I've
already got but with a different presentation. Essentially just a
glorified branding exercise. I'm not excited at all.

Rod.

[Andy Burns]

Post by Roderick Stewart

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

The website doesn't make this clear, and it's even less clear what it
will offer that isn't available already using an Amazon stick or
similar.

If it was "Freeview Play" that actually worked, that'd be nice ...

[Roderick Stewart]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Roderick Stewart

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

The website doesn't make this clear, and it's even less clear what it
will offer that isn't available already using an Amazon stick or
similar.

If it was "Freeview Play" that actually worked, that'd be nice ...

It might include the equivalent of that, though personally I can't see
the point of going back to watching TV programmes according to
somebody else's broadcast schedule instead of choosing my own. Even if
it included the means to record the scheduled programmes locally in
order to watch them in my own time, it would seem like a retrograde
step when online streaming already provides the means to watch
recorded programmes in my own time without me even needing to make the
recordings myself.

Of course, as the law stands at present, any access to broadcast
programmes, including online, would require a TV licence, whilst
catchup services (with the exception of iPlayer) do not. I wonder if
this was part of their thinking?

Rod.

[Andy Burns]

Post by Roderick Stewart

Post by Andy Burns
If it was "Freeview Play" that actually worked, that'd be nice ...

It might include the equivalent of that, though personally I can't see
the point of going back to watching TV programmes according to
somebody else's broadcast schedule instead of choosing my own.

I thought the idea of Freeview Play was that you could simply scroll the
EPG up to 30(?) days into the past, and just as easily stream a
programme you've missed as watch one that's on now?

I've only tried one Freeview Play device and it didn't work anything
like that ...

[Roderick Stewart]

Post by Andy Burns
I thought the idea of Freeview Play was that you could simply scroll the
EPG up to 30(?) days into the past, and just as easily stream a
programme you've missed as watch one that's on now?

Some of the online catchup services already offer this, or the
equivalent. I think iPlayer is one, and UKTVPlay is another. I'd have
to check because they're all slightly different.

It would be nice if they could all standardise on the same menu style.
Browsing by category is fairly common, or alphabetically by programme
name, and some of the the ones that cover several broadcast channels
also offer browsing by channel, and sometimes by date of transmission.

Rod.

[Jim Lesurf]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Roderick Stewart

Post by Andy Burns
If it was "Freeview Play" that actually worked, that'd be nice ...

It might include the equivalent of that, though personally I can't see
the point of going back to watching TV programmes according to
somebody else's broadcast schedule instead of choosing my own.

I thought the idea of Freeview Play was that you could simply scroll the
EPG up to 30(?) days into the past, and just as easily stream a
programme you've missed as watch one that's on now?
I've only tried one Freeview Play device and it didn't work anything
like that ...

FWIW I think it tells us what we need to understand about such 'services'
that they don't simply make it easier/possible for people to use things
like get-iplayer.

Jim

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Roderick Stewart

Post by Andy Burns
If it was "Freeview Play" that actually worked, that'd be nice ...

It might include the equivalent of that, though personally I can't see
the point of going back to watching TV programmes according to
somebody else's broadcast schedule instead of choosing my own. Even if
it included the means to record the scheduled programmes locally in
order to watch them in my own time, it would seem like a retrograde
step when online streaming already provides the means to watch
recorded programmes in my own time without me even needing to make the
recordings myself.

The big advantage of recording is the significant saving of time
by avoiding not only adverts, but the constant prefiguring and
recaps ever-present in so many programmes these days.

Chris

[Adrian Caspersz]

Post by Andy Burns
Is Freely going to be available on existing TVs/STBs/Phones/Tablets/etc,
or just shiny new TVs?

It's going to have a huge dose of DRM.