Freeview set top box launch gives consumers ‘affordable’ entry to FreeviewPlus, insists CEO
A set top box that enables TV viewers to access to HbbTV FreeviewPlus is now on sale in a move which free-to-air industry body Freeview hopes will bolster the number of people using the service.
The launch, flagged by Mumbrella earlier this month, will make it far cheaper for consumers to connect to Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV), the new online platform on which the Freeview technology sits.
The aerialBox T2100, manufactured by Dish TV, is the first set-top box (STB) certified for FreeviewPlus and can be connected to any digital television. It costs $149.
Previously, consumers have had to buy a FreeviewPlus certified TV to gain access to FreeviewPlus, which shows catch-up TV from the ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten and SBS via a TV guide.
The launch is welcome news for Freeview which was dealt a major blow when SBS announced it was quitting the body as the broadcaster looks to cut costs.
“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,” Freeview chief executive Liz Ross 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.”
She had previously told Mumbrella the price for the box would be in line with the annual costs of subscriptions to streaming services like Stan, Netflix, Presto and Quickflix.
Dish TV said it was “proud” to be the first manufacturer to develop a FreeviewPlus-certified STB for Australia.
Steve Jones
Just what we need – another set top box. I bet they sell 10.
[Edited by Mumbrella]
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absurd. Who on earth do they think is going to buy (another) set-top box – esp one that doesn’t give me anything I can’t get on the myriad of other devices and platforms out there. It’ll sink like a stone.
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I live in a digitial broadcast black spot, no FTA TV for me. Conversely, I have a very uncluttered Optus Cable segment that gives me 30Mb/sec consistently. I could have a use for this box.
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If I have my TV already connected to the net with access to catch-up channels, and an Apple TV with Netflix and Stan, what does this box offer?
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Cycling tragic here.
SBS does a great job streaming live cycling. The Giro (a grand tour in Italy) is on at the moment.
I watch some of the video via a browser and big screen. Sometimes I use their web ‘Giro Tracker’ or the similar iOS app which shows video surrounded by stats, stage profiles, text feeds etc. Sadly I sometimes check results on a phone too.
Will this new box allow such flexibility? No of course not. There is no place for it in my hardware mix, and I can’t see anyone shelling out $149 to watch free content you can find on all of the broadcaster’s catchup TV sites already.
No doubt the board thought the acronym-fest and ‘strategy’ sounded great even though they didn’t understand it. Paraphrased here as:
“Connect to the new HbbTV online platform using Dish TV’s aerialBox T2100 connected to your digital TV, making FreeviewPlus even more affordable than our already-free catch-up services after you’ve paid $149. And did you know we’ve even certified these STBs ourselves?”
Smart move by SBS getting away from this Freeview quagmire.
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Freeview?
More like Free-eeeeeeew?
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what a complete fail. Freeview will be gone in 1-2 years.
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Have some balls and stop editing my comments. Free speech anyone?
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I really don’t understand why they are trying to sell this product. Why wouldn’t people just use the catch up service apps that are already available for the FTA channels? Now you need a special box to watch 386 hours of MKR/The Block/Masterchef, well this STB is going to be a massive hit!
PS – We have the best FTA TV in the world?! Did the Aus commercial networks CEOs decide that?
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Can we get live racing in the phillipenes from Australia?.
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