With more smart TVs entering the market, many homeowners are understandably tempted by new features that promise fewer cables, less equipment, and a simpler viewing experience. One such option is Freely TV, which is marketed as a way to watch live TV without the need for an aerial or satellite dish.
However, a recent customer experience we encountered highlights why it’s important to look beyond the marketing before making a decision.
A Real-World Freely TV Experience
We were recently called out to a customer who was having problems with his TV aerial. While considering his options, he came across advertising for Freely TV, which suggested that live TV could be streamed without an aerial.
As he was also thinking about upgrading his television, he decided this would solve two problems at once and purchased a Panasonic Freely TV.
Once installed, issues quickly began to arise. Some channels, including ITV, required the customer to create or log into an ITVX account, something he hadn’t expected when purchasing a TV advertised as offering simple access to live television.
After contacting Freely for advice, he was told the TV needed to be hard-wired directly to his internet router. This meant paying for an engineer to run an additional cable to the TV — an unexpected extra cost and inconvenience.
More Costs, More Confusion
Despite having the TV hard-wired to the router, the problems continued. When the customer contacted Freely again, he was advised to connect his aerial to the TV — despite the product being marketed as not requiring one.
At this stage, The Aerial Guys were asked to attend the property. We repaired the aerial and attempted to uninstall the Freely app.
At that point, we discovered that several channels were missing, as the TV would not function correctly without the Freely app installed. In the end, we reinstalled the customer’s older Freeview Smart TV, which worked perfectly across all channels without any issues.
In the end, the most reliable solution was to reinstall the customer’s older Freeview Smart TV, which worked perfectly on all channels once the aerial had been repaired.
The True Cost of “No Aerial Required” Had the customer simply repaired his aerial at the outset, he would have saved approximately £800 in unnecessary costs.
While Freely TV may suit some households with very fast, reliable broadband and minimal viewing needs, it is not the straightforward aerial-free solution many people expect it to be.
Our Advice Before You Buy
Before investing in a new TV based on streaming-only features, consider the following:
- A properly working aerial still provides the most reliable access to Freeview channels
- Streaming services rely heavily on broadband speed and stability
- Some channels require additional accounts and logins
- “No aerial required” may not always mean no aerial needed in practice
- Read online reviews about said product
Need Advice?
If you’re experiencing TV reception issues or are unsure whether your aerial needs repairing or replacing, it’s always worth getting professional advice before investing in a new television. Sometimes, the simplest solution really is the most cost-effective.
