Free, legal, easy to use, streaming service for free Freeview channels ?

lon_don

Looking to replace my Virgin Media streaming as I am about to leave VM. How can I get the free tv channels in streaming (without over the air antenna) ? 

elsien

Fire stick or chromecast and stream from your phone to the TV. 

Ayr_Rage

Buy a new TV with Freely.

If you have a newish smart TV it should have apps for the main TV channels.

Rodders53

Freely  https://www.freely.co.uk/ is a new TV option.

Most streaming sticks (Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast TV etc can access the broadcasters streaming services and may be able to do live, although it's always behind real time and broadcasts.

Many modern smart TVs can do similar.

See what you have and how it works.  

Investigate the cost of installing a UHF TV aerial?  It'll likely be a good few months of Virgin TV subs but may be easier to use? 

lon_don

Rodders53 said:

Freely  https://www.freely.co.uk/ is a new TV option.

Most streaming sticks (Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast TV etc can access the broadcasters streaming services and may be able to do live, although it's always behind real time and broadcasts.

Many modern smart TVs can do similar.

See what you have and how it works.  

Investigate the cost of installing a UHF TV aerial?  It'll likely be a good few months of Virgin TV subs but may be easier to use? 

So I need a new Freely-supported TV right ? There is no Freely app that I can download on my (9 year old) Smart TV or my Android TV box ? 

Aerial would cost me nearly £2k to (re-)install (+recabling).. I don't watch enough live TV for that (I think I've watched TV about 3 times in 2024, the NYE fireworks, 1 Glasto concert, and July election, that's about it).

bodsj

Nothing is free these days, 
To receive a broadcast/digital stream to your tv/home you will need either a non analog aerial installation, broadband internet or a device that supports 4g/5g data access via a telephone network with an ability to mirror or cast its display to a compatible TV
Also depending on your age etc you wil require a TV licence for BBC channels.

Having said that above I assume you had internet access etc with Virgin media which will be replaced by another supplier?

If you have/wiil get broadband internet and TV supports HDMI input (I assume it does with an "android box") your best option is to purchase a amazon firestick and utilise any applications you prefer and install them, doing away with the android box (unless there is a software upgrade you can do to it to support latest apps)

The best "free" option I can think of to watch TV 3 times in a year is to plan a visit to your family,friends or neighbours just before the live broadcast, possibly saving on heating too!

wongataa

bodsj said:

non analog aerial installation

There is no such thing as an analogue or digital aerial.  An aerial is an aerial.  It doesn't matter what format the broadcasts are encoded in aerial wise.  All that matters is that the aerial picks up the correct frequencies.

Neil49

Freely is a feature built directly within many of the new range of televisions but isn't available any other way (so no app or external box option)

The quick and easy solution is to plug in a Fire stick or Roku stick etc and this will give you streaming over the Internet. The downside is that the functionality when switching channels is slow and clunky.      Note that the latest Google streaming box still doesn't offer the BBC channels

We use a Roku stick for our kitchen TV where there isn't an aerial connection. It works fine for both live tv and streaming catchup on the main channels.

Update - the latest Google box has now been approved by the BBC and will stream iplayer. 

jon81uk

The iPlayer App and ITV X app allow you to stream the live channels.

william025

hello,

You can stream free TV channels via services like Freeview Play, ITVX, All4, or BBC iPlayer.

These platforms provide free access to live and on-demand channels without needing an antenna