Free tv?

Cornucopia

Free TV is this: commercial ad-funded on-demand content streamed over an internet connection you already have without requiring a TV Licence.

dnpark38

Freeview as said is via terrestrial aerial and will at some point is said will be turned off.
I've been watching Netflix via Broadband and picture quality is superb far better than Freeview, so TV via BB a great step forward. 

Albermarle

Due to a broken aerial socket in one TV, I can only watch terrestrial channels on it via the catch up apps/BB.
The picture quality is good, but only the same as watching BBC, ITV etc in HD on Freeview, or streaming Netflix etc.
Different TVs may well give differing results.
Main downside is no EPG/programme guide and no access to the more obscure channels.

prowla

greatuncle said:

The powers that be (mostly very wealthy) are trying to get us all to use the internet to watch television. Using names like "Freely" to kid us that there`s no cost at all. "Freeview " was always a bit of a misnomer. Telling us how great it will be not to need aerials or satellite dishes. Not mentioning that once you`ve bought a tv and paid your licence fee there`s no further cost using the old methods whereas using the internet means you have to pay a monthly fee for broadband. And hope that your connection is fast enough and reliable enough to meet your needs. Only a few weeks ago came news of a widespread failure of Vodafone internet and mobile services.

If you already have broadband of course it won`t bother you because you`re already a connected person.

Assuming you can still use your computer safely. Using Windows 11. Because if you still are on Windows 10 or earlier your machine is no longer going to receive operating system updates.

In a remarkable bit of ecological vandalism Microsoft have engineered a wasteful bit of corporate greed themselves. How many old computers will end up in landfill because of this? How many people are going to have to spend yet more money on new kit to be safe online? More money for Microsoft. more money for PC manufacturers. More money out of our pockets.

Well, complaining that you have to have broadband to access interweb-based content is a bit like complaining that you have to pay for electricity to be able to switch the TV on.

Having an issue with internet-based content because you have to have an internet capability ignores the fact that you have to have an aerial or satellite dish to receive the traditional broadcast services.

As for Microsoft and Windows whatever, you make a choice to buy their product, but there are free (and more functional) products available that will run (arguably better) on the older kit; thus the issue is down to your choice.

As for web outages, I have two BB providers to my house (via two different infrastructures), plus a 5G mobile phone, so I've hopefully covered a lot of the potential network issues (but not all); of course, that's my choice...

Kim_13

I can see what the OP means in that using Freeview = buy TV + pay the licence fee + pay a few pounds once for an aerial lead if you don’t already have one. To use Freely, you still have to buy the TV and the licence but swap a one off small expense for a monthly one of about five times the price. And then have no TV at all if the internet goes down. Freely is only going to save money if the use of it didn’t require a licence and you got an exceptionally good deal on your internet. 

Those that don’t want the internet will end up paying more than anyone else when there is no alternative way to watch TV, because internet is just another thing that needs to be moved/renegotiated on a 1-2 year basis to avoid paying over the odds.

Freely to me is a compliment to what is already there (if you moved into a house with no aerial, then it would save a lot of hassle (either having one installed or waiting until the show in question was on catch up, if the channel has a catch up service) - assuming the person already had an internet connection.

Landlines are moving onto WiFi with those with no need for internet being given the connection in a restricted state for no additional cost to them (but of course line rental and/or internet deals will be priced to pay for it somewhere.) It’s less reliable, but not actually costing them anything directly. As soon as they’re forced to use Freely, they have to pay for internet.

Albermarle

Landlines are moving onto WiFi 

Not strictly true ( being a bit pedantic here).
If you have a digital landline, that works over the internet, it does not use the wi fi in your home.
You either plug the ( old or new ) handset into the back of the router , or if you have a new digital handset it connects to the router using DECT.
It is actually useful to know, because it means that any Wifi extenders you might have in parts of the house a long way from the router, will not improve the signal to your digital voice phone. 

Marvel1

ButterCheese said:

What's really sickening is the greed from all the streaming services.  Netflix cane out and was reasonably priced and pretty much stamped out piracy.  Now all the others have withdrawn their own content and invented their own platforms (Apple, paramount, Prime, Disney+ etc) so everyone now has to pay extortionate prices 4 times over if you want to watch all of the latest shows.  But you still have a choice not to, unlike the TV license

I change the streaming service reguarly, paying only for one streaming service at a time.

TV licnece is a choice also - as long as you don't TV shows live or BBC

PHK

As the broadband market is nearly saturated (over 99%) and with the highest rate of growth in New streaming subscriptions being older people. Then by the time Freeview is switched off (somewhere between 2030 to 2034) I would imagine the vast majority of people will be watching online anyway.