Sky Q has been dominating the television market in the UK for over a decade, maintaining its popularity as one of the most favored TV devices. A potential competitor to Sky Q may soon emerge, offering similar features without requiring any subscription fees.
Freely, integrated into many new TVs, allows households to access live and on-demand content without the need for an aerial, streaming content via the internet directly to the screen.
Initially, accessing Freely required purchasing a new television set, but this is about to change with the upcoming launch of a dedicated set-top box by the creators of Freely and Freeview. The first sighting of one of these set-top boxes, made by Humax, has been reported online.
This new Freely box, in addition to providing free TV access, enables users to record shows like Sky Q and is equipped for 4K resolution, delivering superior image quality compared to standard HD.
While the price for the Freely box could start below £250, it may seem costly initially. However, once purchased, users can enjoy all Freely content without any additional fees.
Although an exact release date for the new Freely boxes has not been disclosed, they are expected to hit retailers soon.
Notably, an online listing for the Freely box has been removed, suggesting a possible premature posting. Any updates will be shared promptly as they become available.
Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Everyone TV, emphasized the goal of making free TV accessible to all through Freely, expanding to plug-in and stream devices to enhance the user experience without necessitating a TV upgrade or subscription.
While Freely offers similar functionalities to Sky Glass, Sky Stream, and Sky Q, it lacks access to premium sports, movies, or box sets from channels like Sky Atlantic or Sky Max. Additionally, it does not support services such as Netflix within the platform.
For access to premium content like sports, movies, and Netflix, users would need to subscribe to one of Sky’s plans, starting from £15 per month, which often include Netflix as well.