What is Freeview Play, when is it coming and how can I get it?

To stay relevant in a world of television where catch-up and on demand video is king, Freeview has cunning plans for a connected future.

Along with a snazzy new logo and look, Freeview is embracing connected content directly within its electronic programme guide, so you don’t have to hunt for individual applications for channels.

It is designed to make things simpler for the 10.5 million people that choose to use Freeview on their main sets over paid-for or other digital TV services. However, there are caveats, so to help you get to grips with what Freeview Play will offer and when and where you might see it, we’ve put together this quick and handy guide.

What is Freeview Play?

Freeview Play is the connected part of the Freeview offering. Currently, Freeview is the free-to-air digital TV offering for the vast majority of UK television sets and an equally large number of set-top boxes. It offers many standard definition channels, HD channels and Freeview+ as a standard for personal video recording.

Freeview Play will add connected services to the mix so that, within the EPG, you will be able to scroll backwards through the last 7 days of programming and select shows to watch streamed over the internet that you might have missed.

If you are a Virgin Media or Sky subscriber, or have a YouView box, you’ll understand the concept.

The company will be making its technology an open standard, which means manufacturers can skin the experience any way they like, as long as they stick to the agreed standards: the Freeview Play branding will remain prominent, for example.

Freeview

What services will it offer?

Guy North and his team at Freeview have confirmed that BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4 will be integrated at launch. Channel 5’s Demand 5 content will follow soon after, initially supplying an app, prior to full EPG inclusion.

It is not like a Smart TV platform that offers streaming apps such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video. The connected content on offer will relate only to channels in the Freeview line-up. For example, you might also see UK TV’s catch-up services available (for channels like Dave) in the future too.

It will also work alongside individual manufacturers’ platforms. When viewers click on a retrospective show in the EPG it will open and play in the existing application, for instance.

However, there’s nothing to stop manufacturers including additional services, which will provide a degree of differentiation between those supplying the hardware. For example, Humax includes Netflix on its Freeview Play boxes, whereas those TVs adopting Freeview Play will offer plenty of other services as other smart TVs do. LG for example, with have the full webOS smart TV platform alongside the Freeview Play functions.

Where will it be available?

Freeview is in talks with a number of manufacturing partners, including TV and set-top box manufacturers. Panasonic was the first TV maker to hit the UK with Freeview Play-enabled sets. Many of these televisions are already available and just require a software update. From October on its 2015 TVs with the model numbers CX680, CR730, CX802 and CR852. It will also be releasing Freeview Play digital recorders and Blu-ray players.

Long-standing Freeview partner Humax is also producing Freeview Play set-top-boxes. The first of these boxes has been announced, the FVP-4000T. Humax has also struck a deal with Netflix, which will be available on the box in early 2016.

READ: Humax FTP-4000T review: The first Freeview Play box

Vestel is another company that will be making Freeview Play products.

LG has confirmed that it would be adopting Freeview Play on its webOS 3.0 TVs in 2016. This will be on new models appearing later in 2016 and will appear as an update, starting by updating apps in May 2016, before switching to the Freeview Play-enabled programme guide in summer 2016. The full list of compatible LG televisions is yet to be confirmed.

Pocket-lint

Will I get it on my existing TV?

Sadly, as a completely new standard, it will only be available on new kit – unless you bought one of Panasonic’s latest sets in the last few months, or have an LG TV with webOS (and the full list of those hasn’t been confirmed) – and not available as an upgrade to other existing TVs or Freeview boxes.

Those who have bought a new television from anyone other than Panasonic recently, or plans to in the month prior to Freeview Play’s launch, will have to add one of the supported set-top-boxes. We’re still waiting to hear the position on LG’s TVs.

When is it coming?

Freeview Play launched in October and we’ve had the chance to test the service on the Humax FVP-4000T set-top box, for those interested in knowing more.

How much does Freeview Play cost?

There are no costs associated with Freeview Play beyond what it costs to buy the equipment. Unlike Sky or Virgin Media, there are no subscriptions, as everything is free to air, or free to use on catch-up.

If your provider supplies additional content through extra apps like Netflix, those will require a separate subscription.