What is Freeview Play?

Freeview Play launched in 2015 in response to the likes ofYouView, bringing catch-up TV and live TV to users in one place, without requiring a subscription. Read on to find out how to get Freeview Play on your TV and how it could benefit you.

What is Freeview Play?

Freeview is a household name that most TV watchers will have heard of thanks to its many free-to-watch channels, but it also offers a service calledFreeview Playthat could come in handy if you enjoy watching a mixture of live television, on-demand content and catch-up TV.

You’ll be able to scroll back through the past seven days of the TV guide and choose a programme to catch-up on, or you can browse through on-demand services via the apps page.

The service offers 70 TV channels and 15 HD channels, as well as access to catch-up TV from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play. There are also 25 radio stations.

Plus, you can access Netflix,Amazon Prime Videoand Now TV from most Freeview Play devices. (You might like:Netflix vs Amazon Prime Video)

That’s a lot of content, but thankfully there’s a search feature available as well as recommendations that are based on what’s popular and what you’ve watched.

How to get Freeview Play

Many TVs come with Freeview Play built in, but if yours doesn’t you’ll need to buy a Freeview Play set-top box, prices for which start at £80. There are also Blu Ray recorders and digital recorders that sport Freeview Play.

Manufacturers that offer Freeview Play devices includeLG,Panasonic,JVC,Humax,HisenseandHitachi.

Once you’ve got Freeview Play, there’s no additional fee for the service, although you’ll still need to pay for Netflix, Now TV and/or Amazon Prime Video if you want to watch them.

Read next:Best TVs 2017andBest TV deals

Author: Ashleigh Macro, Head of Affiliate

Ashleigh is Tech Advisor’s Head of Affiliate. Providing expert buying advice you can trust is her forte, helping you to find the most reputable consumer tech products and services, and ensuring you don’t spend a penny more than you should.

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