Freeview is a brand name, owned by DTV Services Ltd., used for the freedigital terrestrial television service in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard.
As of the end of September 2006, 27.7% of first sets and 22.5% of all TV sets in the UK use Freeview. 7,004,000 of the 25.3 million UK homes are 'Freeview only', with 13.5 million Freeview enabled TVs (and integrated digital televisions) in 9.3 million homes. [1].
The Freeview model has been copied in a number of countries including France, Spain and Germany. A similar service will also be introduced in New Zealand in April of 2007.
Service costs
Unlike ITV Digital, as well as the cable and satellite digital TV services, Freeview offers no premium or pay-per-view channels and no subscription channels, hence the name. To receive the Freeview services, a set-top box (typically costing between £20 and £100) or a new television with an integrated digital tuner is required. DTT reception cards for computers are also available for a similar price. Some viewers also need an aerial upgrade which can cost around £80 to £180[2]. In addition, the annual television licence must be purchased, as is required for all viewers of broadcast television in the UK irrespective of the method of reception.
In addition to Freeview, a subscription-based service, Top Up TV, launched in March 2004 using unused channel space on Multiplexes that were owned by parties, who at the time, were not members of the Freeview consortium. The Top Up TV service is not connected with the Freeview service; it simply runs alongside it on the DTT platform. However, Top Up TV can be received using selected Freeview set-top boxes or televisions equipped with a card slot or CI slot. The Digital Network Group, made up of all the multiplex owners, is responsible for co-ordination between Freeview and Top Up TV services.
Coverage and reception
Approximately 73% of households are in a location that can receive Freeview broadcasts.[3] Maximum Freeview coverage of the UK whilst analogue and digital services are running in tandem has now been reached.[4] The British government plans to switch off analogue transmitters region-by-region, starting in 2008, to allow for an increase in both Freeview coverage and transmitter power. The government estimates that the coverage level of the three public service broadcasting multiplexes will reach 98.5% of the population (the same as analogue television) and six-multiplex reception will cover 90% of the population once the digital switchover has been completed in 2013.
† Channel does not broadcast for its full hours on Freeview.
‡ Off-air on Freeview when PPV Scottish Premier matches are being shown on Setanta, usually for a few hours one day per week during the football season.
Former channels
Quiz Call - Channel 4 owned Quiz channel sold to iTouch and closed on 15 November and replaced, temporarily, by Film4+1.
More4+1 - 1 hour timeshift of More4, removed on 18 May 2006, replaced by Big Brother Interactive Channel, which in turn was replaced by Film4 on 23 July 2006.
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