All products and promotions are independently selected by our experts. To help us provide free impartial advice, we will earn an affiliate commission if you buy something. Click here to learn more
If you were left unable to watch live television on Freeview last week — you weren't alone. Unusually high pressure over the UK saw widespread disruption to terrestrial channels from December 24 to 26, 2024.
A stark warning was issued to the 16 million UK homes that watch television via Freeview, cautioning that "viewers across the UK could see some disruption to their TV reception," but despite the issues, Freeview TV owners should "not retune your TV during this time - reception will be restored once the high pressure passes."
Freeview is accessible on some 23 million TVs sold in the UK since 2014. Earlier this year, the organisation behind Freeview and Freesat — dubbed Everyone TV — launched an all-new platform, known as Freely.
Freely is backed by the UK's biggest broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
It ditches the traditional TV aerial and instead offers access to free-to-air channels over a wireless or wired internet connection. This is similar to solutions like Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Virgin Media Stream, and rebooted EE TV launched last year.
Provided you have a strong Wi-Fi connection throughout your home, Freely means you'll be able to place your television anywhere. And not just where the aerial was fitted.
Freely offers quick access to previously-aired episodes of a show, without the need to seek out and launch a specific app — like BBC iPlayer — from the main menu of the service FREELY PRESS OFFICE | GBN
Freely isn't a software update to your existing Freeview-enabled Smart TV or set-top box. Instead, you'll need to upgrade to one of a swathe of new Smart TVs built from the ground-up to support Freely.
Hisense was the first brand to add support for Freely across its 2024 lineup of TVs, with the likes of Bush, Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic, and Metz also switching from Freeview to Freely as the default way to watch free-to-air channels on their newest flatscreens. Amazon has committed to integrate Freely into its Fire TVs.
Unlike Freeview, Smart TVs powered by Freely were not impacted by the high pressure across the UK over the festive period. Since these televisions are wholly reliant on Wi-Fi ...as long as you've got a decent wireless connection, you will be able to watch live. Freely recommends a minimum of 10Mbps to stream live telly.
If you're thinking about moving away from Freeview and Freesat to upgrade to a new television with Freely baked-in, the January sales are a brilliant opportunity to bag a bargain.
But not all of these are created equally. For example, Currys has labelled the £110 price cut to this 50-inch QLED 4K Smart TV with Freely built-in as an "Epic Deal," but we'd recommend swerving that particular offer. That's because you can save £20 more on the exact same model when bought from Amazon or AO.com. Prime members benefit from speedy next-day delivery on Amazon too, with those without the loyalty scheme forced to settle for standard free shipping.
And the savings don't end there.
Usually £479, the E7NQTUK 50-inch 4K Smart TV from Hisense is available for a record-low of £334 to anyone with an AO Membership account.
Currys has labelled the £110 price cut to this 50-inch QLED 4K Smart TV with Freely built-in as an "Epic Deal," but you can save £20 more than its discount when you buy the same model from Amazon and AO.com. Both of these online merchants have reduced the E7NQTUK telly — launched earlier this year — down to £349. If you have signed up for an AO Membership, that drops to a record-low of £334 too
For those who don't know, QLED stands for Quantum Dot LED. These panels rely on Quantum Dots to enhance colour accuracy and brightness, offering more vivid and lifelike images compared to standard LED TVs.
LED TVs rely on traditional LED backlighting without the added boost from the Quantum Dots, resulting in less vibrant colors and contrast. QLEDs are better for HDR and bright environments, so if your living room has the telly next to a window with a lot of glare... it might be worth investing in a QLED screen.
But if you're looking for the ultimate saving on a new Freely-compatible television, Hisense's LED Smart TV range is the best place to look.
For the same 50-inch screen size as the QLED 4K Smart TV model above, you'll pay just £279. you'll still benefit from the same 4K UHD resolution, Freely platform, and integration with Amazon Alexa.
If you're not fussed about the brighter, more vivid colours of an QLED panel, Hisense offers an LED 4K Smart TV with Freely built-in that's been slashed to just £279 at Currys. Elsewhere, this 2024 model has built-in support for Amazon Alexa for hands-free controls and a swathe of streaming apps
Aside from Freely for its live television streaming, this Hisense 4K TV model also comes with built-in apps for Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, NOW, and catch-up services from the major UK broadcasters, like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, more.
Everyone TV Marketing Director Amy Rowcliffe told GB News: "The way people are watching TV is changing, so we’re thrilled to get Freely out to the UK.
"Being able to watch live and on-demand TV, all in one place, will be amazing for viewers fed up with hopping from app to app to find something they want to watch.
"As content from the free broadcasters continues to hit new heights – the fact it can be accessed by simply pressing the Freely button on your remote is a huge leap towards securing the future of free TV."
With Freely, the redesigned Mini Guide offers extra information on the programme you're watching, a shortcut to additional episodes from catch-up services, and the ability to restart from the beginning with a single tap FREELY PRESS OFFICE | GBN Everyone TV says you'll be able to enjoy linear television over your broadband connection with speeds as low as 10Mbps. For comparison, Netflix only requires 5Mbps for 1080p HD picture quality. In April 2023, Ofcom reported the average download speed for UK homes was 70Mbps, for reference.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
As long as you're covered with a valid TV Licence, everything on Freely brings together live and on-demand content in one place for free. The launch of this broadband-powered platform comes as research reveals half of UK homes will watch TV exclusively over Wi-Fi by 2030.
Freely doesn't quite have the same selection of channels as Freeview and Freesat yet, but more terrestrial channels are being added to the streaming-only platform every day. GB News has been confirmed as one of several live channels coming to Freely in the coming months, so stay tuned.
