Freeview Play, "the next generation of Freeview", out now

Freeview Play will integrate linear DVB terrestrial services with internet-delivered catch-up

Ilse Howling, MD of Connected TV at Digital UK, confirmed that Panasonic would be the first brand to launch enabled TVs, with Humax providing the set top boxes. OEM TV Goliath Vestel will then produce sets shortly thereafter.

A Catch-Up button will take the viewer through to the four main catch-up services (BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand 5), which sit atop the regular EPG. Additional services from other Freeview channels will come in due course. Like YouView, there’s also a seven-day roll back EPG. Panasonic has 5 Freeview Play-ready televisions ready to launch, including 4K models (though Freeview itself will not have any 4K channels the possibility exists through iptv).

Humax will launch their boxes with both 500GB and 1TB hard drives, and three digital tuners, in order to also record shows. Prices are expected to start at around £200.

Streaming, which is currently how BT deliver their "bolt-on" television services, are also rumoured to become more prominent, with channels such as Racing TV, Motors, CCTV, and Vintage TV, already available to those with a new Freeview HD box connected to the internet.

Freeview Play is expected to launch this coming July, with their biggest advertising campaign ever. Sky too will be launching their new 4K boxes later in the year.

HD channels currently available via Freeview HD

BBC1
BBC2
BBC3
BBC4
BBC News
CBBC
CBeebies
ITV
Channel 4
Channel 4 +1
Al Jazeera English

That EPG sure looks rather familiar...

So it's YouView?

Fatal Exception wrote:So it's YouView?

Exactly what I was going to say. I already have this.

£200?! Are they mental?

Floex wrote:£200?! Are they mental?

It's in line with current Freesat WiFi, Freeview and YouView recorders, though I don't know how many people have actually gone out and bought a YouView box, as you can get it free with TalkTalk or BT.

>next gen
>does about the same as the current gen

I'm really struggling to work out what's so next gen about it. What does it offer over YouView boxes, which have been out for years?

Most people presumably have their Live TV covered with the myriad of options currently available, and on-demand through a Smart TV, games console, or additional device like NowTV so yeah, this all in one device is rather late to the party. If you have a Freeview+ box I can't see the point spending an additional £200 to upgrade to Play.

Yeah, my freeview+ HD box, with my ps3/4, covers pretty much all the bases I need.

I think there might be a new Freesat box on the way. I asked both Humax and Freesat and they both refused to comment, though the Humax guy did suggest waiting a while...which may have been a 'read between the lines' type thing. John Lewis have issued a limited stock notice on the current models too, with no more coming in.

Question about the Sky 4K boxes: will they finally add 1080p broadcasts as default?

Sky haven't revealed anything about their new boxes, though IPTV has been rumoured.

Panasonic have unveiled their all-in-one boxes at IFA, that incorporates 4K upscaling, CD, DVD, Blu Ray 3D (recorder optional), Freeview Play HD, Netflix, Amazon Video, Twin-Tuner 500GB/1TB recording & built in WiFi. Pricing starts at £300+.

They've certainly gone balls to the wall. Downside being it costs as much as a strawberry floating PlayStation 4.

The new Freeview Play boxes from Humax are now on sale:

The Humax FVP-4000T includes built-in Wi-Fi so it’s easy to connect to all Freeview Play’s catch-up services, which include BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All 4 and Demand 5 (coming soon). A recent agreement between Humax and Netflix will also see Netflix available on the FVP-4000T models from early 2016.

The FVP-4000T set-top boxes, powered by the Opera Devices SDK has 8 day EPG scrolling, EPG roll-back, and three built-in tuners for advanced recording functionality, allowing you to record up to 4 programmes at once and watch a 5th live channel, with a choice of 500GB or 1TB hard drives for up to 300 hours or 600 hours of programme storage space, respectively.

The FVP-4000T comes with a new compact design and fancy styling, with a leather-look top available in two different colours: ‘Mocha’, with a dark brown top, silver band and black base; and ‘Cappuccino’, with a brown top, gold trim and white base.

They are priced at £199.99 for the 500GB model and £229.99 for the 1TB model & is on sale from today.

Excellent

KK wrote:They are priced at £199.99 for the 500GB model and £229.99 for the 1TB model & is on sale from today.

Hardly extortionate for an off contract DVR with internet capabilities is it? And it has 5 tuners, that's quite impressive (although I can't think when it would ever be needed). Dunno if it's worthy of a lol emote anyway.

I'd probably get one if I wasn't missing half the channels where I live in town

NickSCFC

KK wrote:Sky haven't revealed anything about their new boxes, though IPTV has been rumoured.

Any word on Freeview UHD/4K yet? Same goes For Sky/Virgin.

I think you can forget about any Freeview UHD/4K announcement until at least 2017. Look how long its taken Freeview to surpass that offered by Sky+HD & Freesat Freetime. Finally got a decent standardised (ish) EPG, properly integrated on-demand, internet TV, and recording capabilities that actually do thrash the pants off Sky.

Sky 4K is imminent though. Should be out in time for Christmas, unless it's all gone wrong. When their new box launched in Australia it was a disaster as it didn't work properly.

I'm surprised that 5 tuners is even possible!

NickSCFC

Ario wrote:I'm surprised that 5 tuners is even possible!

Freeview Play, "the next generation of Freeview", out now

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