[WillPS]

It will eventually replace Freeview. Perhaps people won't use it until they have to (e.g., when terrestrial frequencies are finally given over to the mobile networks). However, there's a lot of TV's to be replaced in the next 10 years or so. Dependent on many factors, Freeview (as in the terrestrial transmissions) may cease earlier than the frequencies are available for them to use, or it may be reduced to a skeleton service with the 'big 5' channels. Who knows?

As for the reason they're starting with just new TV's, please re-read my post here: pres.cafe , where I cover my thoughts on this.

I'm just not convinced about the approach, and instead relying _entirely_ on new TV sales. It's not inconceivable that major players like Samsung won't be interested in it at all as it'll compete with their own IP linear offering. My Philips Android TV is quite heavily integrated with Pluto TV (it appears like a third EPG alongside Freeview and 'Satellite'); what if Paramount simply offer more money to Philips and co to stick with Pluto TV and not do Freely?

I get a whiff of hubris with this whole endeavour.

To address your original point the reason OG Freeview was so successful was that it was so unprescriptive in terms of what the Freeview consortium required in order to gain Freeview accreditation - and of course there were plenty of boxes which weren't technically Freeview approved boxes which could be sold as Digital TV receivers, customers didn't really need to know the diff. Indeed for the first 18 months or so the most common way to access was on a slow old ONdigital box! IP changes that relationship dramatically because (we assume) the only way to access the linear IP services will be by Everyone TV letting you in. I don't doubt there'll be some fun and games to be had with this for the determined but there won't be 'IP TV converter boxes' sat on the shelves in Tesco/Aldi ready for people to pick up and shove in their trolleys on a whim. That was how Freeview (the platform) got in the public conscience, whether the boxes said Freeview or not.