Freely has warned users of the recently launched hybrid TV platform of issues accessing ITV and Channel 5.
- Viewers who have chosen to go online-only have reported the loss of some channels.
- Advice to use aerial connection to keep watching.
Early adopters of the Freely TV platform, which launched at the end of April, have been affected by two gremlins stopping them watching some of the UK’s biggest commercial channels.
Last week, Freely alerted users that there were unspecified issues with viewers accessing ITV on the platform for those who have opted to go online-only.
Now, Everyone TV, the organisation behind the free-to-stream platform, says there’s issues with Channel 5 and its offshoot channels, which include 5Action, 5Select, 5Star and 5USA.
As a result, some viewers may struggle to watch programmes on these channels. The good news is that the issue isn’t a fault with the viewer’s broadband connection, but a broadcaster/platform-side issue.
Viewers who have their Freely TVs connected to a TV aerial aren’t affected. That’s because Freely devices are designed to fall back on the terrestrial TV signal used by Freeview if a channel is not available via streaming.
Context
Freely gives viewers the choice between accessing channels via streaming only (via wi-fi or ethernet connection) or via a combination of aerial and streaming (with a TV aerial plugged into the back of the TV in addition to wi-fi/ethernet).
At the moment, the choice of channels for those wanting a wi-fi/ethernet only experience is limited, although channels are offered in HD. For viewers wanting to access a wider range of free-to-view channels, the TV still needs to be plugged in to an aerial. As broadcasters migrate to IP-streaming, that situation is expected to reverse itself in the coming decade, with terrestrial channels becoming the minority.
However, for Freely to truly take-off as a replacement to Freeview, gremlins like this will need to be ironed out pretty quickly.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: RXTV/stock