Will FREEVIEW Be Saved? | Freeview Update

[@platform14]

The idea of not even being able to stick the TV on whenever the Internet is down is extremely concerning

[@lucymorrison]

Free to air Digital Terrestrial Television needs to exist for as long as humanly possible, not everyone has an internet connection, not everyone has a smart tv, not everyone wants to use the internet for TV. Hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on broadcast television, especially for news. Killing something that important would be plainly idiotic.

[@itskdog]

Agreed - broadcast is also a much simpler medium, streaming over the internet is always unicast AFAIK, so the more viewers there are, the more hardware is needed on the broadcaster's end. With broadcast, you can have unlimited people receiving with just one stream of data. It puzzles me why they're trying to kill it off, unless the analytics and telemetry is just **that** valuable from a business perspective.

[@bradleyhifi8155]

​@@itskdog we had global at&t & Verizon cellphone and Internet outage this year

[@dlarge6502]

Agreed Other countries looking to ditch the old broadcast systems are replacing theirs with: a new broadcast system. 5G broadcast exists, no SIM needed, No contract not data charges. Just uses the 5g network. Can even work with 5G broadcast compatible mobile phones too!

[@dlarge6502]

​@@itskdog I think a lot of people haven't realised that many households have multiple TVs, the kids have their own etc. the Freely advertising shows families huddled together on a sofa watching just one TV like it's 1950 😂 So each additional TV needs additional bandwidth.

[@fastertrackcreative]

My neighbour doesn't have Wi-Fi or internet/computers generally. My grandparents don't have Wi-Fi and they're glued to TV half the time. House-shares are going to be an issue as often the Wi-Fi is split so can be unreliable speed-wise. Seems like TV services are speeding forward and ignoring who they're leaving behind.

[@David-h4z2s]

Why are they getting rid of Freeview I had Freeview For years before I Had WiFi and a laptop smartphone

[@dlarge6502]

​@@David-h4z2s It's a way to make more money. By getting rid of Freeview they can turn off the transmitters and sell the frequencies, plus fire all the employees they no longer need. The costs of distribution then fall onto the viewer who must pay the ISPs to install and maintain the delivery system. But it's all FREE apparently.

[@electragaming4140]

Perhaps another thing to consider is, if Freeview closes and some aren't using their TVs for anything else, there's little (if any) point in holding a TV license; increasing the numbers choosing to ditch both, to save themselves the money.

[@jamste1977]

This worries me. Imagine if you will the creators of Gogglebox pitched their idea to ITV and the share holders first question was "Has it got Ant and Dec in it?" Profit based TV/Radio production will surly only lead to bland output, risks will not be taken and we end up drowning in adverts while creative new talent is ignored and our lives become a little bit duller.

[@leeroberts1192]

The TV license will still be needed if they're streaming anything live

[@teknixstuff]

@@leeroberts1192 If freeview closes there will be nothing live anymore, so that won't apply.

[@owenmcgheeandbdawg]

To people who have no company other than TV it IS essential.

[@IainDavies-z2l]

I won't be streaming TV, once Terrestrial/Satellite TV finishes I shall rely on my vast DVD/Blu-ray collection.

[@dlarge6502]

Same here probably.

[@tgheretford]

One thing that the broadcasters do like about IP delivered television and radio (this will come to radio too where they will transition to broadcasting behind their walled gardened apps) is that the cost of implementing and maintaining the infrastructure moves from the broadcasters to the consumer.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Only thing with IP delivery of radio is they could easily put most content behind a paywall, forcing you to have to take out some sort of subscription payment to be able to listen to certain stations. They are already constantly pushing people to listen 'on our app!'

[@iangrice329]

What about national security?? How do you get important notifications to the population during an emergency?? Internet only would be extremely vulnerable.

[@phill6859]

The UK emergency alert system

[@iangrice329]

@@phill6859 And people without a smart phone, ?

[@JSDENNETT]

I agree but what UK emergency system is the other comment talking about , Idiot phones ? Some or many do NOT have the leaking crime fraud things ! "freeview" has been in place in old format since BBC 1st Broadcast ! about 1926 ?

[@TonySpike]

We dont use the TV for that now, we get messages sent to our phones

[@itskdog]

@@phill6859 That only works on smartphones. What about people who only have a landline (which is losing its advantage of being able to work in a power outage without a UPS with the switch to VoIP, but is meant to fix the spoofing issue and replace aging hardware at exchanges) or brick phone? Or leave their mobile switched off unless they're expecting a call (which is how my nan used hers, on a pay-for-what-you-use plan on Orange)

[@97channel]

It's not really a case of IF Freeview will be discontinued, but WHEN. And it's the WHEN which is really the most concerning aspect. The way in which Ceefax was closed, once it had become of little value serving few, was a good example of how to wind down a service, after becoming naturally antiquated, and keep the loss of it to a minimal impact. But if they don't allow Freeview to wind down in a similarly gentle way, the impact on viewers and the TV industry could be a massive blow.

[@leeroberts1192]

Ceefax still exists in some form on the red button, but slimmed down a lot.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

There are already many channels on Free view (from 251 to 300) where you need a smart or Internet connected TV to be able to watch them.

[@leeroberts1192]

@@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews Apart from the BBC Red Button, we don't get any of them channels in that range at all

[@CarolineFord1]

My patients are not allowed internet access as it's a mental health secure unit. This would take their television away. When I was on placement in an older people's service they often did not have mobiles, never mind internet.

[@MarkWhiley]

So, for no benefit to anyone, we have to scrap a bunch of electrical equipment that is otherwise in perfectly good order? And pay more? Again? Sounds great for the environment and my pocket. If I do have to go to IPTV, it won't be Freely. Roku doesn't require me to get a new TV.

[@tentringer4065]

If the whole of the UK doesn't have high speed Internet by default in ten years, then we are doing something wrong.

[@bobrew461]

we should already have it. They do in Korea!

[@itskdog]

One of the things I did agree with Jeremy Corbyn's shadow government on was making basic broadband an essential utility like electricity and water, enabling more people to be able to come online, especially as more and more services are making it harder to do things the old-fashioned way.

[@David-h4z2s]

@@itskdog I Can't Stand Corbyn But I Did Agree With Him On That Issue

[@wx4newengland]

I get why broadcasters would want this- - even here in America there are rumblings. However- I personally think that broadcasters- should broadcast -free to air television and radio. Yes- maybe the transmission standard should be updated, but internet only- NO WAY.

[@dlarge6502]

Other countries are upgrading the transmission standard to 5G broadcast. Totally free 5G digital TV, no SIM, no data costs.

[@ladymunch0]

If freeview goes and TV goes internet only that will make it a lot harder for people to get news etc in emergencies or when their internet is down. complete and utter bad idea.

[@PCDelorian]

The question I have about the people making these decisions, has their internet never just gone. If there is a problem with your internet, you'll not only not have internet, but no phone connection, and no television.

[@relayer27]

Surely if they are going to switch all tv to Internet only streaming then Internet access should be provided free of charge to everyone

[@lucymorrison]

High speed internet too! To watch TV via SVOD in quality similar to HD Freeview, you need around 10mbps, let alone having multiple TVs in a household. The amount the UK government would have to spend on this is ridiculous. I’m not against government spending, but going all out on something like this is just throwing cash down the drain.

[@Subzearo]

You mean like communism?

[@itskdog]

They're requiring basic, free internet plans as part of the VoIP switchover if all you would need the connection for is the phone, why not the same for TV?

[@Test_Card_Tom]

@@Subzearo Exactly. I prefer capitalism where only the wealthy can afford to heat their homes or feed themselves on good food and watch television.

[@dlarge6502]

It should be FREE to every household. ISPs should be mandated to provide a FREE tier to every home that allows FREE data for Freely, email, outgoing emergency IP calls and access to government and council websites. That way when moving in to a property you get the same basic service that you would today. It took me weeks to get the internet and phone fully connected when I moved in but the phone was able to call 999 and the water,gas and leccy all worked plus the TV could receive TV while I waited to pay the licence.

[@Luizz07]

I'm in Brazil, so i Couldn't watch Freeview if i tried. but if had to Leave behind Freeview, i would be kinda angry. And Especially because i live in an area where internet is Ultra Unreliable, Internet Only would be kinda rubbish. If Internet were to be down, i couldn't watch EastEnders, Coronation Street, Brookside, It's a Sin, Big Brother, Whatever is on. would be kinda annoying. Great video as always!

[@40somethingmanchild]

My partner and I still watch linear TV through an aerial using Freeview. We also have physical media and some streaming. But don't take away digital terrestrial TV.

[@David-h4z2s]

What's Linear TV?

[@40somethingmanchild]

@@David-h4z2sBroadcast television to a schedule. Unlike streaming and catch up, which are on demand.

[@furonguy42]

I have the exact same concerns about landline phones. Although a lot of people have gone over to mobile only, landlines are still very useful as a backup and for businesses. They're wanting to roll out some kind of Wi-Fi alternative to landline phones, but the very same rural areas that have poor Wi-Fi coverage are the same places that also receive poor mobile coverage. Moreover, they're planning on finishing this rollout within the next couple of years, as I understand it - I agree that Freeview should stick around, but at least the projected 10 years remaining gives a lot more time for rural areas to receive upgrades than with the landline plan.

[@JennyAnnTea]

And what use would they be in a power cut situation? You can’t call 999 if you have a power cut and a WiFi phone. Not everyone has mobile phones.

[@martincowling6562]

Believe you me, Done this as if the internet goes down, you can't even phone out with your housephone, same with a powercut, can't use it al all. And if you turn off the internet, no-one can get through to you, But old coper wire lines worked either way with no power and no internet connection, Just all about money once again, trust me, its going backfire because I have a phone as I hardly use it, but most use a phone like its there toy, OAPs are going to be hit hard with this, Hope myself the internets it just deserts and gets destroyed by mother nature as all will be crying like babies, of those who haven't grew up without the internet, where I did,

[@itskdog]

@@JennyAnnTea Cordless phones already had this issues, but they're also required to give you a UPS for the router if you have VoIP service and don't have any other way of calling emergency services or had other equipment like a fall detector. Sky recently switched us when we got a new router for switching to FTTP, and that was a question they asked in case they needed to send a UPS as well as the hub.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

​@@itskdogOr have a 4G wireless router, which if you have a backup power supply for will still work in a power cut, much like using the WiFi hot-spot on your phone. Unless it was a major long term power outage which might cause the mobile networks to go down, then we'd all be stuffed! Back to CB radios!

[@andythewelder6181]

If this happens. Then the case for the liscence fee pretty much evaporates because there wouldnt be any infrastructure to maintain

[@Test_Card_Tom]

I'm a great supporter of the licence fee and the BBC. However. if terrestrial television is ended and the BBC, itv, Ch4 and Ch5 only become available via the internet I will cancel my TV licence.

[@treborschafer3945]

Imagine having to log into apps constantly to watch each channel. Sod that.

[@pjuk]

Arquiva obviously would want to keep broadcast tv, they are making lots of money being the ones that own all the transmitters. Don't think they're supporting the campaign because they care for the elderly!

[@Volvoman90]

FFS, leave television alone. We now have to plug telephones into internet routers, which is great lot of help during a power cut. There's nothing wrong with digital terrestrial broadcast.

[@abigailnormal5980]

then the answer is simple,if they want to push this as a genuine answer, freely need to provide a network service as part of the package so that it ensures people can have access regardless,or the government funds a network for those who cannot afford internet

[@Nick-xi9lm]

I don't have internet at home like a lot of other people. We're does that leave us ? Another bill I can do without playing for having broadband.

[@itskdog]

A friend of mine just gets an unlimited plan on his mobile, and hotspots any device at home if he needs to. Not as fast as a hard-wired internet connection, but cheaper, and helps financially on his low wages.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

​@@itskdogThat's a good way to go, especially if you have a slow broadband connection!

[@audacity60]

You have no privacy on what you are watching if it comes through the internet. Keep Freeview as long as people want it. At least the next 15 years.

[@williamevans9426]

Although I have internet access, I only watch TV via Freeview as I don't want to pay for a subscription service that carries content I would watch only very occasionally. Additionally, given that the BBC Charter is due for renewal at the end of 2027, some provision would have to be made in the new Charter for the Corporation to maintain its long-standing provision of public service broadcasting, or else to ditch this core raison d'etre for the licence fee - something to which I doubt the Corporation would agree.

[@martincowling6562]

Don't blame you as it creeps up every year, and repeat after repeat with Diversity in your face as to climate change BS , and the adverts are depressing, big style,

[@ThunderWarrior01]

I’ve never paid for a TV license..A, because i don’t like being forced to pay for something i don’t use ie: the bbc or any live tv B, because the days of being virtually held at gunpoint when it comes to what time they say i should watch anything are dead and buried thanks to the internet C, all British made tv shows are cringe at best. Take the soap operas as an example..the amount of murderers, suspicious deaths and things like helicopter and plane crashes would be enough to make everyone there leave and cordon the area off as a hazard to human life so nobody could ever live there again…then there’s the “still being shown after twenty years” type shows like bargain hunt, countdown and homes under the hammer. I have never or will ever pay for anything like that

[@MarkFraserWeather]

Can you record a TV programme with Freely? Perhaps this is the reason behind it.

[@DavidDoom95]

Freeview should last for 50-65 years, I say.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Traditional analogue TV lasted for about 70 years before digital TV came along, so Freeview needs to keep going for much longer.

[@benstutley2904]

Hi Adam, I appreciate your work on this subject! I've spent a few months without internet this summer, it would've been a lot lonelier without free-view, I hope it lasts, especially for folks without HS Broadband, -or no broadband at all! :) I wondered what your thoughts were on the BBC license fee if all National Television does reduce down to an internet streaming service only? All the best & keep up the good work! Thanks:)

[@danwilson5694]

We should have a Freeview light service in addition to streaming, going down IPTV completely would not be good for everyone.

[@simonsaysrewind]

Sounds familiar... When fm radio was meant to be discontinued but didnt actually happen.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Exactly I remember when DAB radio was launched in 1994, they said it would replace FM & AM in 10 years, 30 years later, FM is still in widespread use & still sounds far better than many of the low bitrate mono DAB stations, because the Broadcasters got greedy & put too many stations on each multiplex!

[@pawelgrzegorziwaniuk]

In the UK you have a very diverse media market. You have a radio mix broadcasting in AM/MW/FM and DAB and DAB+. You also have TV broadcasts in DVB-T2/C/S2 and streaming. It seems that there are more possibilities than real needs. If I were the government and regulators, I would go in the direction of eliminating DVB-C and S2, in favor of IPTV/OTT, leaving DVB-T2 as a public and emergency service, a bit like AM/MW radio stations.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Always a good thing to have more than one delivery system for Public broadcasting & listening/viewing, redundancy is vital in an emergency situation.

[@Sheffield_Steve]

AM Radio's all but finished here. BBC Radio 5Live and Radio 4LW (due to close when the last valves are used up)

[@bencoatesworth7731]

For me who has just moved into my first flat (counci) with no aerial and having to wait a year before the council would let me apply to have one then pay for one to be put in freely is a big help to me cos I can use it like a normal tv and not have an aerial but for others why change. They no need we could live the way it is now fine if u want streaming they is ways to do it. I think they should both be a thing u can get Freeview or freely if u have an aerial then use Freeview if u don’t then freely is good

[@joannegreenway872]

They should keep freeview because my dad who is 76 years old doesn’t have internet or a computer or smartphone and the tv is his only company he said he is too old to start using new technology he has said he liked the old analog service

[@normix]

Landline phones are also being replaced with VoIP as well by 2027, so it will be very hard to exist in society without an internet connection. I had the idea of the TV licence including an internet connection in the price of it.

[@KaleunMaender77]

This absolutely shits me no end. If it gets to the point where everything is going to require an internet connection, then I'm going off-grid. No jokes. I only want what only I want to be connected to the internet. Not an appliance more.

[@martincowling6562]

Blame people using too much of there toys of phones, as OAPs will be left in the dark, And drawback is, connected to the internet and talking on the house phone, trust me , its crap because it breaks up and goes off, Plus no power, no internet of call coming in or out, God help if more blackouts come cos they will, we will be all in a stand still, All this is a money making scam to spy on everything you do, I hope the internet goes bang and get destroyed my Mother Nature as all will be crying,

[@itskdog]

They're at least requiring phone providers also give a UPS if they're moving people to VoIP who don't have other means of contacting others in an emergency, and also must provide a free, basic (slow) internet plan for people who don't need any other internet service. Maybe something similar could be done for IPTV, though it would still be an issue if the connection itself were to go down, unlike with DTT which is broadcast and has less points of failure.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

​@@KaleunMaender77Exactly, why on earth do they now make kitchen appliances with an Internet connection? Completely unnecessary, IMO!

[@dlarge6502]

The best option is to continue to work on upgrading all lines to all connected households to fibre. Then (I used to be against this, but now I'm actually for the idea) scrap the idea of net neutrality. That idea is laudable sure, but in a modern world we can't treat EVERY data packet the same way. The mobile networks don't have net neutrality and it helps with the idea I'm going to describe. Once you have > 90% of all households connected to fibre links, to the cabinet at least as long as it gives several tens of megabits minimum, then you scrap net neutrality so that you can have a FREE TIER of internet access. 😮 The costs for that will be paid by taxes, like the NHS, and will guarantee all households in the UK, including those on benefits etc get free and priority access to the internet for essential services. These services include Freely TV, outgoing emergency IP calls (like the current non-ip phone system can do) and free access to national and local government sites including relevant sites for health and job seeking, education too. Email will also be covered, unlimited email as even today that is a highly important system, perhaps even more so than it used to be. The idea is that taxes, EVERYONES taxes provides enough data and bandwidth to every home to allow even the least privileged to get essential stuff done, which the internet is a big part of these days. You can't find a job without the internet at home, or a library or a job centre. To get Freely you'll still need the TV licence sure, but that's no different than today, this just has the state ensure you don't need to pay the gatekeeper (the ISP) for access. This will retain the features of broadcast TV in being free to access while upgrading the level of support for those at the bottom of the ladder. Personally I was horrified that when we locked down due to COVID we discovered all the kids that literally relied on physically going to a school. The sheer numbers of single parent families with ONLY ONE INTERNET CAPABLE DEVICE between all of them, usually mums phone! Till lockdown they were totally unheard of. A basic level of internet access for everyone should be seen as an essential utility. The idea being that without net neutrality this is all possible, and if you get to the point you want more then you just pay for a contract on top of the basic free access. Then you have all the steaming and uploading and whatever you like. Freely TV still will be seen as part of the basic free to access package and will not count to any data caps or throttling. Now does that sound like it would work?

[@2511dhall]

I use Freeview.

[@JennyAnnTea]

Best of luck with this years panto Adam! Where and when?

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Although Freely is in it early days, it's currently only available as an option on suitably equipped new TVs. For it to become popular & cheaper it will need to be made available via a set top box, much like Freeview was, when it first started. People are not going to be wanting to, (or afford to) have to go & buy new TVs to access a new service. Nowadays it could just be on something like a plug in firestick or even just an app for existing smart TVs.

[@KarrierBag]

My mate uses freeview loads, I don't, I haven't had a TV since 2014 , he is going to miss it bigtime.

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

Very good video Adam!

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks Roger!

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

@@AdamMartyn No worries!

[@Salfordian]

You do not need fast internet to use IPTV, I'm streaming 720p on youtube now using less than 1mb, full HD would only need 2mb

[@CulturePhilter]

You have a gran over 100!? Go Granny! That’s amazing.

[@JennyAnnTea]

As stated in previous videos my mum can’t afford a new tv. Unfortunately, her freeview box has recently bitten the dust so I have had to buy her a new tv which is freely. My question is this: are the channels on freeview also going to be available on freely if they don’t transition to streaming? She still has freeview in her living room but spends most of her time in the dining room which is where the freely tv is. She already has broadband as I pay for it, even though she doesn’t need it for anything other than when we go to stay or now the tv.

[@NicholasJH96]

Channel on freeview will move over such as BBC,ITV,CH4,CH5 channels, along with with UKTV channels Uyesterday ,udave, uedan will, other channels assuming they survive uk current economic situation might or might now. Sky as pay provider can remove there channels, as satellite is ending sooner.

[@dlarge6502]

Why not just get a new Freeview TV? Only a few are freely enabled as it is.

[@JennyAnnTea]

@@dlarge6502 already bought it.

[@JennyAnnTea]

As stated in previous videos my mum can’t afford a new tv. Unfortunately, her freeview box has recently bitten the dust so I have had to buy her a new tv which is freely as freeview boxes are becoming rare. My question is this: are the channels on freeview also going to be available on freely if they don’t transition to streaming? She still has freeview in her living room but spends most of her time in the dining room which is where the freely tv is. She already has broadband as I pay for it, even though she doesn’t need it for anything other than when we go to stay or now the tv.

[@jerseydevil1995]

DON'T LET THE FLAME DIE OUT

[@AlanJones1984]

04:39 Your Grandma is based.

[@AdamMartyn]

She certainly is!

[@Tom_murray89]

I can see people being pushed into getting faster broadband hopefully because of this broadband prices will come down

[@1701Wren]

We don't even physically have a landline to our house - we use a 4G mobile internet router (router cost us £70 & the SIM card costs £25/month)

[@PixelatedH2O]

That's outrageously expensive. I have a 5G router in my house in the US and get unlimited data for about the equivalent of 38 pounds.

[@1701Wren]

@@PixelatedH2O I bought the router myself - it has 4 ethernet ports as well as "guest WiFi" - the recurring cost is only for the SIM card which gives me unlimited data & I can pull 100GB mobile data off it for my phone & tablet

[@PixelatedH2O]

@@1701Wren Oh, I misread and figured it was a monthly charge of 70. That's not so bad then, though 4G can be rather slow.

[@1701Wren]

@@PixelatedH2O it's usually fine as we live in a semi rural area and the transceiver is just a 5 mins walk up the road

[@PixelatedH2O]

@@1701Wren If it works for you then that's what matters. My 5G is oftentimes multiple times faster than the maximum speed of 4G though and I could barely live without that now.

[@Tom_murray89]

A very informative video hope you’re well.

[@ThePeteW]

Get rid of TV licence. That should cover the broadband cost. And you mentioned speeds. You say you have 100 megabyte speeds. The Clip showing about Freely when you said that mentioned required 10 Megabits a second. So your speeds are 800 times the minimum. That seems well over what you need.

[@bobrew461]

licence fee days are numbered. unless silly Labour MPs continue to back it up.

[@KaleunMaender77]

10 Mbps is abysmally small. Other than audio, audiovisual content require mkre than 100.

[@iloveblue7920]

Why we still have to pay 159.00 , when there are so many repeats on, nowadays most ppl do not watch live tv, then theres the iplayer, tons use it, maybe 1 day they may need to start charging for it ? Baffles me why last 5 years + this issue keeps getting kicked into the long grass, and another thing people getting arrested for having no licence and others avoiding it cos its too high, myself i do not watch a lot of BBC, i never ever watch strictly on a saturday night, other popular programmes i record and watch later or days later , but i do think this yearand last the cuts have gone too deep, i worry about Christmas, Remember when Jonathan Ross was on 18 million for 3 years, no wonder he went to itv, who the hell said yes to that contract? its us the licence fee payers who paid his wages, and someone more current Gary Lineker , no longer at bt/tnt sport how much is he on, omg how many lives has he got, yet he keep surviving, too much loyalty!

[@dlarge6502]

10 megabits PER TV. Most households have multiple TVs, livingroom and bedrooms. The bare minimum is 10 megabits for one TV everyone has to huddle around like it's 1950 again. Plus, most households have difficulty getting 10 megabits as it is. And if you do have 10 megabits, tell the kids to stop watching KZbin while you are watching EastEnders 😂, you don't have the bandwidth to spare.

[@plows2940]

I absolutely hate the forced shift from DTT to IPTV. Everything is becoming so dependent on an internet connection, and it’s frustrating. Internet access isn’t consistent geographically or affordable-it’s a postcode lottery when it comes to quality and availability. And if your internet goes down, you’re completely cut off since everything now relies on it. It’s putting all our eggs in one unreliable basket. This shift also introduces the downsides of streaming: buffering, tracking, and all the other nonsense that comes with modern streaming services that wasn’t a problem with terrestrial or satellite television. Eliminating broadcast television cuts off an essential option and limits access to those who can afford broadband. Internet isn’t treated as an ‘essential’ service like water or electricity, yet despite that it’s increasingly being forced on people as a requirement for basic services. It’s another unnecessary bill and a terrible idea that disproportionately affects those with limited access or resources such as poor families and individuals, OAPs and other vulnerable groups. And that’s not even mentioning the ewaste this nonsense will create.

[@KarrierBag]

3:50 back in the late 90's I was paying £50 + Vat a month for a whopping 50mb mobile internet. It was very expensive back then.

[@bobrew461]

you got ripped off! I was paying 10 quid a month for Tiscali dial up. a bit slower but good enough for me.

[@JennyAnnTea]

It’s still very expensive for many now!

[@KarrierBag]

@@JennyAnnTea In the UK I pay £15 a month for as much data I need inc calls and texts, so much much cheaper as that £50+ vat price was over 25 years ago. Oh I don't live in a house, I now live on a boat but back then I was on the road 10 months a year as I ran my own circus so needed mobile connection from the start.

[@JennyAnnTea]

@@KarrierBag £15 is still a lot for many struggling families in the current economic climate

[@KarrierBag]

@@JennyAnnTea yup fair enough, I guess I am so used to having data / mobile as I live on a boat and before that on the road for many years so it is a bit like a 'household' expense I have to pay so i budget for it.

[@DryPaperHammerBro]

This'll be bad. I can't see it going any other way than down the toilet

[@MylesSmith-q4y]

All over the world broadcast television networks are becoming increasingly expensive to keep operating while online networking is much cheaper. I no longer bother with the legacy media anyways.

[@dlarge6502]

So, why is my broadband bill several more times the cost of the TV licence then? It costs me £70 pm to get 200 megabit and £14 pm to get the TV licence. I love holidaying in static caravans. In a place like the Norfolk coast, which is a far cry from the Yorkshire dales, I get a paltry 500mbps on 4G, and there is no 5G. That 500mbps is only available in the early morning as when all the other campers wake up, and their kids, I'm lucky to get 30mbps over 4G! Have you tried watching KZbin at 30mbps? I have. In the Yorkshire dales you'll get 0mbps as signal there is patchy even in towns. But amazingly FM and TV broadcast frequencies manage it as they are lower, they have a longer wavelength. So in my caravan I can easily receive Freeview all day. I'm an IT professional with a degree in computer science so you'd think I would prefer all the high tech internet client server methods no? Well I don't, because before the internet even became a thing this geek had an 8 bit computer and was also interested in radio, possessing a CB radio, scanners and a Granddad who taught me about amateur and the like. My first love in communications was radio, simplex and duplex, broadcast radio. As I went deep into computers I never forgot how radio worked and I'm flabbergasted that in 2024 digital Comms are so terrible. The mobile networks and their coverage and costs make me laugh. Thus I am totally in favour of proper broadcast mediums. I'll consider moving TV to 5G Broadcast as that will allow TVs to avoid data costs and avoid the need to transmit, which avoids for a client server architecture which for TV and radio I'm dead against, as client server systems can't broadcast and can't have the coverage and so on. No broadcast, no RECEIVE ONLY TVs in a caravan in a remote part of this island? Then I'm out!

[@Saving7Prodz]

good luck with your pantomine!

[@CalTheDelphox]

from analogue to digital, and from digital to online/over wifi, which is... also sorta digital.

[@safirahmed]

A lot of Freely televisions may require replacement after a few years of use requiring more money due to cost cutting by manufacturers. Broadband providers are providing social tariffs on high speed broadband for those on low incomes and social security benefits though the speeds are low and some providers may run a credit check. Unlimited high speed broadband with unlimited use and no data caps with unlimited streaming should be free if Freely is to replace Freeview.

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

Your video randomly popped up and it caught my eye. At first I was a bit taken aback that Freeview or just TV as I refer to it could be taken off the air. Then I thought about it and actually I don’t watch TV, all my personal entertainment is pretty much KZbin. My wife watches some TV but the majority of evening’s the TV is off. We don’t even have a smart TV. In fairness we haven’t used an aerial for TV for many years but instead our household has used a set top box provider. The RF spectrum is under increasing pressure as other users (companies) want to use the section of the spectrum used for TV and Radio both Analog and Digital.

[@JohnSwindells-zm4sq]

I like Freeview and they should keep it going but they should get rid the BBC channels that are on there because it's not free.

[@RetroDakota]

In America, they are trying to introduce a new version of ATSC digital TV, branded "NextGen TV". It's still broadcast over the air but uses an IP-based system and has better signal quality compared to the current ATSC 1.0. But it faces many challenges. For one, the FCC thought it was a great idea to sell off "unused" TV spectrum or paying TV stations to sell their spectrum to phone companies so they could use that "unused" space for 5G service. Because of that ,we now only have 36 channels to work with nationwide. When stations launch an ATSC 3.0, they need to find a way to retain ATSC 1.0 service which is complicated and expensive. The biggest downside is DRM. Most major broadcasters that broadcast in ATSC 3.0 use DRM to lock down their signals, and people have had issues receiving ATSC 3.0 TV signals due to this DRM, even on TVs that have the required certificates to decrypt these channels!

[@dlarge6502]

In the UK public TV must be unencrypted, no DRM, as mandated by Ofcom, who regulate TV and Radio broadcasting. If the broadcast system was switched off and everyone (not me, I'll switch off too) moved to Freely over IP networks well I guess they'll have to do the same with DRM and encryption. The biggest problem I have is how they intentionally try to market it as being FREE yet to receive it, you have to pay, twice, every year.

[@123roger4321]

Thing is freeviwe is a postcode lottery in wales it took years for new channels to come on when the rest of the country had them at least ip channels should be like freesat was you should get all the channels freeviwe to me was bad

[@iangrice329]

Not everyone has a phone,

[@flatoutflatbroke]

The broadcasters don't want Freeview to continue because there's none of that lovely customer data being collected! The other thing is governments love a spectrum auction so flogging off the frequencies will always be attractive option to raise some cash for the Exchequer (the 700 MHz band has already been sold off in favour of 5G). For Freely to take off, it needs to expand to be built into more and more TV brands but equally (and perhaps more importantly) it needs to launch a cheaper alternative way of switching i.e. a box. Otherwise expecting people to replace every TV in their household even over an extended period of time is going to be a tough sell. An app would be even better but I'm guessing they don't want it cannibalising the broadcaster's own apps.

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

The consumption of TV & radio should be a one way affair, we shouldn't be needing to send any of our own data back to them!

[@dataterminal]

As long as the TVs are locked down into Freely's own IPTV service they're dead in the water. Everybody TV, the company that runs Freely, will have to continue on indefinitely for your TV service to work once Freeview OTA is dead. There are already loads of ways to watch IPTV services on regular Android TVs, or even via the popular fire sticks, just not the traditional 'freeview' line up. But the question has to be asked, if/when free view closes down as a broadcast service does Freely have to continue with that line up. Probably not, will we get more or less channels as a result? Who knows but there is definitely more IPTV channels out there than Freely's offering you. I've got the HDHomeRun tuner, I plug my TV antenna into it and it allows the 4 independent TV tuners to stream as IPTV on my home network. Support for something like this should be baked into the TV set and just adding the playlist for the IPTV service should be all that's required, rather than a new TV set based around a UK centric IPTV service.

[@theleaderturtle]

Adam, are you a fan of Charlie Brooker, Harry Hill and Karl Pilkington like me.

[@video99couk]

I don't agree that it's important to keep terrestrial TV broadcasting. Satellite broadcasting (which can still be free, remember) has access to more bandwidth and so higher quality. A satellite dish will often be smaller than a Freeview antenna, many TVs come with built-in satellite receivers. If the cost of supplying suitable "Freesat/Freely" or similar equipment for those people still using terrestrial TV, were met by the broadcasters as part of the savings they would make by switching off the expensive terrestrial transmitters, then that would be a win for everyone. And the terrestrial bandwidth would surely be used for new mobile services too.

[@dlarge6502]

I agree as I too like the idea of satalite TV, I had sky for most of my childhood during the 90's. In fact my Freeview HD signal get corruption whenever someone drives past my house. However. Freesat is on the chopping block, it's even less likely to last as long as Freeview has left. Astra are not looking into launching new satellites, thus the ones we have up there are probably going to be the last, at least when covering the UK areas with English channels. European coverage may last a bit longer and someone might font up the money for a new European satellite or two, but coverage in the UK might be patchy at best and certainly not intended to serve English audiences. Even Sky, the biggest satellite customer of Astra for the UK are trying hard to abandon it and move everything onto their own IP TV offerings. As, like you, I prefer a FTA broadcast system over a pay to access IP delivery system with multiple hidden user costs and terrible mobile coverage across the UK. If terrestrial and satellite TV goes, so do I. I'll cancel the TV licence and just watch my recordings and dvd/Blu-rays. I'll play games, I'll get into jigsaws. I'll be sneaky and listen to the radio, you can do that without a TV licence even though it pays for that too. I'll read books. I'll happily ignore the news, I'll even get a slower cheaper broadband. Maybe I'll keep netflix.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Why should the telly companies be allowed ever further into our homes and brains even, with the accidental added bonus ability of tracking every nanosecond of each and every image viewed? Yes, they still won't know if we're in the room watching their output, eyes wide open, or if we've stepped out to make a cuppa, or are simply snoring our heads off eyes and ears firmly closed to their temptations. But they can make a disconcertingly accurate every time guess at it!

[@Sheffield_Steve]

I think Freely might end up being another BSB & On/itv digital, I'm guessing those who don't learn from history in the TV World, will definitely be doomed to repeat it! 🤔

[@stephenwilliams926]

Whats the news on freesat that carry similar channels.

[@davidknight9421]

I wish Freeview or freely was on my Amazon firestick

[@Justi806-s1j]

Have Cbbc been saved

[@Peterisgb]

3:37 sorry to correct you. It's not 100/69 megabytes, the ISP use false advertising to enlarge the numbers. It's 100 megabits, not bytes. High speed broadband isn't really high speed. It's not much faster than copper cables, ISP changed to bits to enlarge their numbers to make it look faster than what it really is. You said you got 60 mega"bits" which is slower than copper. ISPs tricked everyone. I have to use internet TV as I don't get a TV signal at all where I live.

[@gordon3178]

My download speed is 1gb which I get 750mb download

[@harryelliott4310]

Tv 📺

[@yonkieponkie]

why do i have to buy a TV license to watch TV on the net like this? Its time the license fee was phased out

[@MarkFraserWeather]

My neighbour's internet connection went down yesterday and Talk-Talk have said it would take until the 7th November to sort it out. That would mean 11 days without access to TV.

[@martincowling6562]

They don't think about things like this, as they jump the gun with both barrels ,

[@leeroberts1192]

Eventually that would also be 11 days without a phone line.

[@MarkFraserWeather]

@@leeroberts1192 The phone may still be working.

[@alexandermangles]

Watching in Spain with 4k terrestrial TV in the background

[@CM73878]

France Télévisions also offers UHD terrestrial tv but it’s an incredibly inefficient use of bandwidth. The only efficient way to distribute UHD or Super UHD when it arrives is via streaming. Also given that RTVE is Spain is having some political difficulties shall we say, and in France the French public broadcaster has overspent on the Olympics means both broadcasters are in some degree of change. Industry experts regard terrestrial UHD as being a dead end.

[@UHF43]

The only UHD service I can recieve is TVE-1 and it is esentially a bad upscale of their regular 1080i signal with a few programms in true UHD. It broadcasts in 2160/50p but with a very limited bitrate and converting from an internally produced 1080/50i image so it means that the jagged edges common in interlaced video are visible and can't be smoothened by the TV set deinterlacer as it is already recieved as a progressive signal. Equally, movies that are 24p or 25p are shown with an undefeatable soap opera effect because the upscaler at TVE duobles the framerate to 50p and there isn't any setting you can switch of in your TV.

[@bobrew461]

4K? How much is that per month tho? Not free I bet.

[@UHF43]

@@bobrew461 It free to air. The end user doesn't pay anything.

[@electroplank587]

people still being 'stuck' on Freeview would largely be down to their choice, I do agree that broadband isn't available everywhere but i know there's a trend of people that decline new services or upgrades because of their own incompetence or misunderstanding over the technology. usually it involves a conspiracy theory.

[@mdc2752]

What about all the TVs that may be thrown away because they only do Freeview

[@bobrew461]

Feeview = Crap TV Freesat = Crap TV (but at least more channels to choose from!)

[@gordon3178]

Funny when they made britbox and looks what happened to that

[@KaleunMaender77]

Quick set of questions: 1) can you watch live TV on the streaming apps (BBC iPlayer, itvX, et cetera)? 2) are the live broadcasts through those apps playing in 50fps? 3) given that Freely requires the internet, does it play live TV at 50fps? (sounds dumb but you never know)

[@moomin7461]

The UK PAL standard is 25fps not 50fps. TVs used to be 50hz, but most now support 100hz. However, as far as I know, UK broadcasts and TV apps are still 50hz. Hz and fps are not the same thing. Your hz is your Hertz, which is your refresh rate. This is the amount of times your display can refresh every second, so if it’s 50hz, it can refresh fifty times per second. Your fps is the amount of frames per second that can help you make your experience smoother. You can have a higher refresh rate than your fps, but not the other way around.

[@KaleunMaender77]

@@moomin7461 and zero of what you said answered any of my questions.

[@themistermillson]

Well, we can't get it on me samsung Tv or Freely via wifi, so we are f**ked.

[@NicholasJH96]

Samsung smart tvs have Samsung tv plus

[@dlarge6502]

The most annoying thing is 5G broadcast exists. Other countries have been looking into implementing 5G broadcast to deliver IPTV to 5G TVs, FOR FREE. No SIM needed, no data to pay for. The frequencies used have better coverage than 5G mobile. Why the hell is the UK looking into an archaic system of streaming live TV over the internet? It can only work if they giver every household FREE internet for Freely use. I think it's ridiculous it is called Freely when you're paying the licence fee for it and cant access it unless you have paid for the privilege of internet access 😂 Also, when you LEAVE the house, the internet gets disconnected. In today's system people moving in can simply turn on a TV while getting the licence paid for. When I moved into my house it took me a good few weeks to get the internet installed.

[@Aziz-rs8ep]

And what is going to happen to those of us who use FreeSat?

[@algizmo7079]

Someone has their eye on the broadcast TV rf spectrum. It would be very attractive to mobile networks....Are Vodaphone, EE and O2 linked to Broadcast 2040+?

[@MrPMover]

I genuinely didn't know that Freeview was still a thing doesn't everyone just get their tv from the internet now same with the radio. and what is freely you keep talking about it but don't know what it is

[@5implesimon]

Maybe families might have to start talking to oneanother again instead!

[@leeroberts1192]

I read somewhere that Sky will start to move over to streaming, iirc some of their satellites are reaching the end of their service life

[@TIMBOWERMAN]

TV is a right, not a privilege thus the main channels and their subsidiaries should be free (other than the sum paid for a TV licence).

[@apislapis]

Is this a control thing being sold to us as a cost saving? Once upon a time you could take a copy of content for your own personal use, now companies just want to stream and not allow you to copy. Often they will delete content, something that wouldn't bother you if you held a copy like in bygone times. I've watched videos on KZbin of the BBC maintaining copies of their back catalogue, I am wondering what is the point as they don't seem to offer access to the license fee payer to the huge archive which they have. Perhaps they could monetise it as they always tell us they're short of funding? Point is that as a family we're looking to get rid of our Virgin media boxes and go back to freeview DTT. I can at least keep copies and export them to external HDDs on my freeview box. TV seems to have lost its way looking to find a future. I'm disabled and low income so that's 2 boxes ticked and spending money on a set top box we rarely use is a luxury we can do without. While I watch as many hours on KZbin as the main channels, I still think it's important to have affordable access to those main channels and at present that happens to be by freeview.

[@ekolekol4389]

Is freesat vulnerable?

[@iloveblue7920]

Why should i upgrade my tv, when it does NOT offer me anything different, and is there a reason why freely does not have +1 channels, maybe its come too early ? I refuse to het a 4k smart tv, when i disagree with the way they give us tv, and theres still lots of places that do not have wi-fi, Another reason for saying even in 2024 why do we need freely, cos i have no clue.

[@waynestockton8953]

As more ppl cancel their TV licence that leaves less ppl legally allowed to watch freeview

[@RichieReportsUK_UKCNews]

Legally 🤣🤣

[@martincowling6562]

Can see TV completely being dead with 5 years, as why do a sky glass crap thing of buffing, as freezes , stops, breaks up, no internet, nothing at all, can see this killing every house off watching tv, Just might do what TV does the best, repeats after repeats, and start to watch the classic sitcoms on DVD and Blu-ray, P.. the Jackanory of fake propaganda, diversity woke TV, But what would they do if the solar flare gets stronger, killing every signal communication's off for months, not hrs or a day, get out and communicate like we used to, But don't forget the hackers on the other side as everything like this has a scammer watching every move you make, And I do feel it will crash and end in disaster big style, all in the aid of greed, Wishing myself that the internet would get destroyed for good as it will put a stop to everything taking over life's,

[@gordon3178]

KZbin is the way to go

[@AnthonyChopra]

i can imagine them having 30channels again especially if licence gose off tho i can imagine 30free channels and 7 or 10 Licence tv channels that is paytv with a card slot freeview i feel is not really free until that licence is gone or shove a few channels on a pay card i say card so u dont need internet also lets see how many want to pay that for there bbc channels