Freeview has issued a warning for viewers in the UK that high pressure could disrupt the signal to your home. If you’re hoping to watch live television channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and others, you could be unable to tune-in with your aerial.
If you’re watching on an internet-connected device that supports Freeview Play, you’ll be able to stream linear television from services like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, All4, and My5. On-demand content, including complete boxsets and films, from these apps also won’t be impacted.
The Freeview app, which is available on iPhone and Android, will also let you tune in online, bypassing the traditional broadcasts. If you are impacted by the broadcast issues caused by the high pressure, Freeview warns not to retune your set-top box or television as this could cause further headaches.
“You are advised not to retune your TV during this time - reception will be restored once the high pressure passes,” a post on its website warns.
Freeview Play, which requires an active internet connection, supports some of the biggest catch-up services around, including BBC iPlayer, My5, UK TV Play, and ITVX
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The high pressure warning was posted yesterday, with some parts of the UK affected on February 19, while others won’t be hit until February 20, 2024. Freeview relies on frequencies between 470Mhz – 800Mhz to broadcast free-to-air television channels across the UK.
Weather conditions disrupting the signals used by Freeview to broadcast its live feeds might sound troubling, but high pressure is actually a sign of settled, more stable weather conditions. High and low pressure is caused by ascending and descending air, respectively. Warmer air ascends, leaving areas of low pressure at the surface, while cooler air descends and leads to high pressure conditions.
Freeview launched in October 2002, with the more advanced internet-connected Freeview Play service following in 2015. It broadcasts free-to-air content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Arts, and other popular linear channels.
You’ll need to be covered by a licence fee to watch, but there’s no fee associated with tuning into linear channels via Freeview. Freeview boasts some 70 channels, 30 radio stations, and 12 on-demand services, including BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
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In total, it boasts 60,000 hours of on-demand content that’s available to access at no cost. When paired with a Freeview Play-compatible recorder, you’ll be able to pause, record and rewind live TV.
Everyone TV, the organisation behind Freeview and satellite-poweredFreesat, is working on a new service set to launch within the first half of this year. Dubbed Freely, it will offer access tolinear channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Mix, Dave, and others over a broadband connection.
Yes, Freely ditches the aerial entirely in favour of a wired or wireless internet connection. It also lets you pause and rewind live shows without the need for a separate player. Access to on-demand boxsets hosted on BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and other catch-up services, can be found direct from the TV Guide.
Freely will launch on Hisense and Vestel-branded TVs to begin, with more manufacturers set to announce partnerships in the coming months. However, campaigners have warned against the move away from traditional broadcast television entirely due to poor broadband connectivity nationwide.
