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First set top box with FreeviewPlus

Freeview welcomes the first set top box with in-built Catch Up services.

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2015-05-26_0058

The first set top box with in-built FreeviewPlus has hit the market with the aerialBox T2100, from DishTV.

It features free to air Catch Up services such as iView, TenPlay, SBS on Demand etc. without the need for a smart TV, computer, or mobile device.

FreeviewPlus also includes an EPG, Recommendations & Favourites function, but the aerialBox T2100 doesn’t feature a hard drive to record content but has a USB input. Another STB with hard drive is believed to be coming to market soon.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dish TV as a manufacturing partner. The arrival of the first FreeviewPlus STB is an exciting development for Australian consumers as an affordable way of accessing all of FreviewPlus’s many great new features,” Liz Ross, CEO of Freeview, said.

“FreeviewPlus has been developed so that Australians can benefit from the best free-to-air TV experience in the world, and from today, viewers can enjoy FreeviewPlus via the new aerialBox STB.”

The box also has bult in wifi and is designed for low cost entry at $149 at Dick Smith and David Jones.

Meanwhile ICE TV is introducing a Skippa set top box on sale at $399, said to be the first TV recorder in Australia with automatic ad-skipping technology.

23 Responses

  2. That $399 cost makes the foxtel costs look quite good even including the intial installation cost which is $450 which is including the set top box and then the fibre optic or satellite connection type.

  4. Other than the fact they have actually made this, the funniest thing in the article is the comment from the freeview CEO about Australia having the best fta experience in the world. These clowns running the networks won’t even give us HD fta. How about they start with that rather than these trashy gymicky products.

    1. A reminder that networks want to switch primary channels to HD but are awaiting govt legislation.

      tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/just-do-it-networks-tell-govt-to-allow-primary-channels-to-switch-to-hd.html

      1. Nothing to stop them from simulcasting the main channel on the HD channel. It is what happens in the US. They choose to simulcast from time to time but they should be doing it all the time (or at least prime time and premium sport). It is farcical that NRL fans in NSW/QLD only get the games in SD and the 78 people in VIC who watch i get the games in HD on GEM. Conversely AFL fans in VIC get the same in SD but the 45 people in NSW/QLD get it in HD on 7Mate.

          1. It was actually the point i was making. The Freeview CEO carrying on about us benefiting from the best free-to-air TV experience in the world yet they can’t even give us a decent HD service when there is nothing stopping them from doing it. Anyway. Not going to change in the short term or while CEO’s live in fairy land.

      2. According to recent news reports from about two weeks back, the government is apparently preparing to scrap the SD primary channel requirement in the Spring session of parliament. Although I’ll personally believe that the networks are serious about the main channels switching to HD when I see a press release.

        Aside from that, I somehow doubt that this new Freeview Plus set top box will be a massive hit. Seems quite odd not to add in recording capabilities, when even your stock standard cheap and nasty $40 STBs have recording capabilities (albeit via USB) these days.

  5. Also on the list of things that nobody asked for and almost nobody will buy:
    Apple Newton PDA
    Microsoft Zune
    Ford Edsel
    Breakfast Pepsi (yes, really)
    Hats with built-in umbrellas

    2. Clearly you’re somewhere where Foxtel actually transmit all of the FTA stations. I live in Hobart, get ABC and SBS on Foxtel, no others.

    1. That’s what I was wondering. Since my computer speed is way too slow I was hoping they would be releasing a set top box so I could watch them on my TV. But not much point if you cannot record. Hopefully the one coming out later will enable that.

    2. No I would guess that it will not work with Stan/Netflix etc as these boxes sold in overseas markets aren’t compatible with online streaming. That seems to be the point.

      I would be guessing that there are millions of unsold units that they can’t get rid of, until they recently found some suckers to unload them onto, cue Free TV Australia enter stage left!

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