The catch in Freeview catch-up
Freeview confirms details of its catch-up service, but only if you invest in new equipment.
- Published by David Knox
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Freeview has confirmed the features of its broadband-delivered service offering catch-up TV built around an EPG.
FreeviewPlus will enable free-to-air networks to introduce a range of new broadband services.
First confirmed last November, the service was touted as far back as 2009.
“FreeviewPlus is one of the most important advances in free-to-air television in Australia since the introduction of digital TV,” Liz Ross, General Manager of Freeview, said.
“In just a few months, Australian TV viewers will be able to access and enjoy a very sophisticated and yet easy-to-use free-to-air TV service.”
FreeviewPlus will feature:
- A 7-day, easy-to-use EPG
- All available FTA catch-up TV through the TV screen and one EPG
- Highlights of the big shows today, on catch-up and in the future
- Ability to browse and search programs for the next 7 days
- A “Favourites” function with reminders
“Last year, live free-to-air TV reached an audience of 15.2 million Australians daily, and a quarter of all internet-connected consumers watched catch-up TV,” Ms Ross said.
“We expect that with the launch of FreeviewPlus, Australians will continue their love of FTA TV as more and more viewers watch their favourite shows when they want to watch them on their TV with the simple press of a button.”
FreeviewPlus will be available through new connected receivers carrying the FreeviewPlus logo including panel TVs, set top boxes and recording devices.
However earlier models, branded simply as Freeview, will not be able to access the new services. A Freeview catch-up website, also previously-touted, is still unannounced.
Last year Freeview confirmed the FreeviewPlus service would launch in the first half of 2014.
12 Responses
Some interesting observations from Adam Turner at SMH.
“more viewers watch their favourite shows when they want to watch them on their TV”, yes, 12 months after they were shown in the US and in SD
We bought a TiVo some time back, still works fine. WiFi was dodgy but now I have it on Ethernet it’s OK. Seems to be a million methods of watching TV live and previous. Why this is complicated is beyond me, thinking it should all be simplified with one popular system. Again on TiVo, look how well it does in the US with upgrades and modern boxes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but someone missed the point when Seven didn’t invest properly in TiVo, where maybe all the channels should have, which would sell more and be worthwhile standing behind. “Australian TV. We can’t be bothered”.
Yep, two ways to fail in the streaming content market. Be scant of actual details of your product and ensure you lockout 90% of the market by only offering said service on a limited number of non portable, non upgradable devices.
Yeah because we’re all going to rush out and replace out gear… Only to find that Freeview don’t launch the product, or make a huge mess of it, or they subsequently alter it so that “mark 1” gear no longer works with it…
I’m fine with my current setup thanks. I can already watch catch-up TV (thanks PS3) and I already have a PVR with a 7-day minute accurate EPG (thanks Topfield).
Even assuming this all launches absolutely perfectly, they’re at least 6 or 7 years late to the market. Kids are the big market and they neither watch live TV nor catch-up. Nothing will stop the eventual arrival of services like Netflix, at best they’ll just delay them a few more years.
Got most of those upgrades already.
The article in today’s The Australian indicates that existing smart televisions will work with Freeview’s HbbTV if you download their app when it is available. You will not need to buy any new equipment if you have an internet connected smart television, it seems.
I was advised The Aus article was wrong, so best to pursue that with them.
If only there was anything worth recording.
While the TV networks continue to air their main programming in standard definition, continue to delay programming by many weeks/months, and continue to offer catchup services with video quality barely better than RealVideo ca. 1998, I’ll continue to stick to Netflix, iPlayer, and other means…
Too late to attract many viewers because people have upgraded, have internet connected TVs and DVRs and it won’t be worth replacing working equipment for.
However, the networks don’t want you to use it, what they are primarily after is making it impossible for a Hulu or Netflix to start up here and competing with them.
Yeah, let’s all go out and buy another piece of Freeview crippleware and then, when the next feature/service comes out, we’ll have to buy another box because it won’t be compatible with this one.
I have had an Android-based STB for over 6 months which lets me watch catch-up TV on my TV. It doesn’t have an integrated epg but it’s no big deal to go to each network’s catch-up site to watch a program. If Freeview ever get around to launching a single central catch-up site then that will become a moot issue.
I’ve said it before, all the networks should just give a bunch of cash to the ABC to improve and expand iView. My only beef with iView is that the pic quality is pretty ordinary and has quite noticeable aliasing. SBS’ quality is prob the best altho’ it freezes every few minutes and I have to go back a bit in the stream to start it up again. Nine’s was fairly decent too,…
So it’s only any good to people who have a need to replace their current PVR. If it doesn’t time chase a recoding for FTA’s erratic programming, like Foxtel IQ does for its own channels, then it needs an enhancement.