New FREELY TV vs Freeview and Freeplay TV - Do i need a new TV . . .

JSmithy45AD

Checkpoint_Charlie said:

Can anyone confirm if the range of Hisense U7 TVs you can buy right now are Freely enabled? They seem to imply that they are but I haven't seen a spec that specifically lists it. Also seen a lot of references to 'Freely will be available on new TVs coming out this year' so that doesn't clarify if any existing ones cover it. 

According to the Freely website:- 

"so everyone with a 2024 4K Hisense TV can enjoy a totally new way to do free TV."

Note that it probably means a 2024 model so buying last years model cheap may not have the App. Of course a throwaway line may not mean all 2024 models will have it either and even the ones that do may not be able to run any subsequent new versions of the App. That unfortunately is just the nature of an evolving tech.

https://www.freely.co.uk/get-freely

Noko

Update

I recently purchased a Hisense TV with Freely onboard, please note this is a 2025 version of the TV.

Freely loaded itself with no option NOT to install, once I has connected the TV to the internet.

Support said
1. Do a factory reset and do not turn the internet on, so your left with a NOT SO SMART TV.

2. Go to freely and in settings nominate AERIAL ONLY, then uninstall Freely, so your left with a TV having been taken over by Freely with a new Program Guide (EPG) with channels having been rearranged.

I complained to Hisense here is their response.

I complained to Hisense re Freely Taking Over and here is their Response

"Please allow us to clarify:

Freely is now integrated into our latest TV models as the official replacement for Freeview Play, and it has become the standard platform for live and on-demand broadcast TV services in the UK.

Because of this integration, the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) is managed directly through Freely and cannot operate in the same way as older Freeview Play models.

The solutions already provided (factory reset without internet connection, or switching to aerial-only mode and uninstalling the Freely app) are the only available options at this time. We regret that these may not meet your expectations, but they are the current supported resolutions.

As Freely is developed and maintained by Everyone TV (the body behind Freeview and Freely), further changes to how the EPG operates are under their control rather than Hisense’s. We will, however, continue to share customer feedback such as yours with them, as we recognise the importance of user experience."

So it seems that once you purchase a£1K+ TV your stuck with this miserable EPG, so suck it up.