BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Printable Version
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RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - gottago - 15-12-2023
(14-12-2023, 07:38 PM)JACKLUFC1998 Wrote: Will there be classic shows such as My Family, Only Fools, Family Affairs etc on the platform
I'm going to take a punt that what shape this platform takes, Family Affairs will not be available through it.
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Keith - 15-12-2023
(15-12-2023, 10:31 AM)orange Wrote: I was looking for more news about it - came across this site (so not 100% if it’s accurate) that is saying Freely will be available on Smart TVs only… no Amazon Firestick or Roku support. What?!I imagine that ITV, Channel 4 and 5 would argue that you can already watch live TV via their platforms and that they don't want to undermine subscriptions to their premium (ad-free) catchup service.
https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/freeview-streaming-future-freely-tv-hisense/
Quite literally one of the things I was looking forward to was to have everything in one place on my Fire TV… My TV is a Samsung of around 6 or 7 years old and stopped connecting to the internet after it updated itself one fateful day. This is quite baffling?
Probably best to think of Freely as a viewing platform, in a similar way as Freeview and Freesat are.
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - JAS84 - 15-12-2023
Yeah, Freeview is terrestrial through an aerial, Freesat is satellite though a dish, and Freely is online through your Internet connection. Different delivery methods, same programming.
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - orange - 15-12-2023
But the whole purpose of these smart TV sticks and boxes are to turn dumb TVs into well… smart TVs? Why exclude a whole group of potential viewers because of what seems like semantics? I still run into the same issue on there as people do on Smart TVs - hopping from channel to channel is a hassle because of having to have a cavalcade of their (usually quite poor) apps load up. Why is my TV excluded because the way my TV is “smart” is plugged into the HDMI port and acts exactly the same as a smart TV does?
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Neil Jones - 15-12-2023
(15-12-2023, 06:10 PM)orange Wrote: But the whole purpose of these smart TV sticks and boxes are to turn dumb TVs into well… smart TVs? Why exclude a whole group of potential viewers because of what seems like semantics? I still run into the same issue on there as people do on Smart TVs - hopping from channel to channel is a hassle because of having to have a cavalcade of their (usually quite poor) apps load up. Why is my TV excluded because the way my TV is “smart” is plugged into the HDMI port and acts exactly the same as a smart TV does?
Another article I found seems to sugggest Freely is effectively going to be a rebrand of Freeview Play.
Freeview Play isn't on the Firestick or whatever, as its just a wrapper to the on-demand stuff that the TV can already use anyway, so with any luck you won't miss it
That being said, the devil is in the detail as they say so...
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Technologist - 15-12-2023
Broadcasters tend to seek solutions that use international open specification.
Thus they use DVB specifactions (almost universally for DSAT
but for DTT the USA etc has has ATSC while Europe etc has DVB
In the uk we had have a great success by use the Freeview brand is only allowed on equipment which meets the D book published by DTG which constrains the broadcasters and CE industry .
Despite DTG doing a lot if work in Hbbtv (2) the Freeview play spec is a freevuew dice it.
And it would be expected(sadly) that everyone tv will issue its profile of DVB-I
(Of course Freesat has its own specication which is not publically available …and had to steer around some DVB. Non compliance by Sky )
So the uk broadcasters have international standards based system for delivery ..
Via terrestrial,and satellite emission and now with ip,delivery
which probably will be used for terrestrial emission as it moves to using telco modulation.
Post 2035 in the uk .
Fire stick and other things use proprietary means …..
as do most streaming platforms ….
Take your pick as to what you use ..my feeling is that content and its price will be important.
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - orange - 16-12-2023
It just seems peculiar to me. The thing I was excited about was the live TV aspect - not catch-up. There would be tons of potential if it was an app like TVPlayer used to be but with the full Freeview experience. It seems like a bit of a missed opportunity…
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Technologist - 16-12-2023
But what in very simple terms I’d DVB-I?
It is an EPG which encompasses emitted and ip delivered channels in a manner that if it cannot find the service or even programme being emitted , it finds it online..\(thus even covers someone unplugging the aerial) or looks at the other emitted platform .
Quite what everyone tv is doing is not too clear … if it is not a stretched version of DVB-I,
Like Freeview play is a stretched hbbtv, they will have really missed out.
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - Former Member 2410 - 16-12-2023
Hello all. First time poster (to Pres Café - I was a user back on the blue place for many many years, under a different username):
Reposting my posts to a Cordbusters comments section in the hope they're helpful:
"1) Give it a chance. Even Freeview had to start somewhere – it also wasn’t available on existing tellies without a box, which weren’t particularly cheap up-front. And don’t forget, Freeview came from the remnants of OnDigital / ITV Digital, which would have ‘locked-up’ most of the terrestrial TV spectrum for pay TV channels. We wouldn’t have nearly as many free channels now had On / ITV Digital succeeded.
2) It’s more like Sky Stream or Virgin Stream, or even current Freeview / Freeview Play TVs. A ‘Freely’ branded EPG which delivers the channels over broadband instead of terrestrial, and likely the catch-up services (iPlayer, ITVX etc.) also.
3) We don’t know if it will be back-ported to older TV’s / boxes, but there’s a chance some will get it. It make sense to start with one ‘platform’ and ensure everything goes well, then expand if necessary.
4) The deal with Hisense is likely not exclusive and there will probably be more manufacturers in due course.
5) It likely won’t be available on dongles / sticks / boxes immediately, and possibly never will be. In the long-term, you will just buy a TV and instead of plugging in your aerial like you do with Freeview, you will plug it into your broadband, either via ethernet or wi-fi. It will, eventually, be a direct replacement for Freeview (and possibly / probably Freesat).
6) With increasing broadband coverage (mobile networks, fibre, LEOs), by the time Freeview is switched off, the vast majority will be able to use Freely. It may even cause a drop in pay-tv subscriptions. There will be a better service for those that are currently on ‘Freeview-Lite’ transmitters as they will get all channels, as everyone else does.
7) There will always be someone, somewhere who won’t be able to get it easily, or at all. This is the same now; there’s plenty of places that get limited or no service from terrestrial transmitters, be that TV or radio, and / or limited or nor service from mobile networks, fibre broadband etc.
8) Freeview isn’t going anywhere – at least not yet. Partially that depends on any frequency decisions made by the ITU as to when the current TV frequencies will be passed over for other uses (likely mobile networks). These decisions are outside of the Government’s (and BBC’s and other broadcasters) hands. Either way, we will have Freeview until 2030 at least.
9) Freely will become a bigger ‘thing’ as-and-when people upgrade their TVs. Nobody is saying everyone has to upgrade as soon as this comes out and throw away perfectly good tellies. If you have Freeview / Freesat now, you can still use them for a while yet (see point 8). If you have Sky / Virgin / other pay-tv provider, then there’s no change there either.
10) There’s nothing sinister here. The BBC isn’t out to get anyone or make anyone pay more for a new telly. Neither are any other broadcasters. All of the terrestrial Public Service Broadcasters are involved in Everyone TV, and they all make joint decisions for the organisation, which runs Freeview, Freesat and, now, Freely. They may well have provision for any future changes to the BBC’s funding (e.g. subscription instead of a licence fee), but this will likely work in a similar way to how Netflix, Disney+ etc. work. E.g., you pay and you log in, either via your TV or another device like a tablet, laptop or mobile."
also
"Freely is the direct replacement, eventually, for Freeview and Freesat.
The idea is the you will be able to buy a TV, hook it up to your internet and get free linear TV channels, delivered via the internet instead of transmitters. Being integrated into TV’s means they can also offer catch-up / on-demand services such iPlayer, ITVX etc. It will work in the same way as a Freeview Play TV does today, but with all linear channels via the internet. Everything else will be pretty much the same: EPG (guide), on-demand etc.
There would be no use for a Freely app on other sticks, boxes etc., as these already have apps for broadcasters to provide their linear channels and on-demand / catch-up content.
That being said, the public service broadcasters *may* choose to offer a Freely app on sticks, boxes etc., but this would likely only be their (PSB) linear channels, possibly with links to their respective on-demand / catch-up services. They wouldn’t put all their on-demand / catch-up content into a Freely app on sticks, boxes etc., as they already have apps available on those devices. However, this isn’t yet known, and not likely for a year or two at the earliest."
RE: BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 to launch joint streaming service - alfiejmulcahy - 16-12-2023
(15-12-2023, 10:31 AM)orange Wrote: I was looking for more news about it - came across this site (so not 100% if it’s accurate) that is saying Freely will be available on Smart TVs only… no Amazon Firestick or Roku support. What?!
https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/freeview-streaming-future-freely-tv-hisense/
Quite literally one of the things I was looking forward to was to have everything in one place on my Fire TV… My TV is a Samsung of around 6 or 7 years old and stopped connecting to the internet after it updated itself one fateful day. This is quite baffling?
I saw the same article. It seems so incredibly counter-productive and no improvement on Freeview Play at all.
(16-12-2023, 01:09 PM)Former Member 2410 Wrote: There would be no use for a Freely app on other sticks, boxes etc., as these already have apps for broadcasters to provide their linear channels and on-demand / catch-up content.
But it's not an integrated experience. Having an EPG available easier on smart-sticks seems like a no-brainer for everyone involved.