Freeview+

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DTV Services Ltd.
Freeview+
Type Free-to-air channels digital TV recorders brand
Industry Media
Founded 2002
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Key people Ilse Howling
Products Digital TV recorder (aka Personal video recorder) specifications for manufacturers
Owner(s) Freeview (DTV Services Ltd), consisting of BBC, BSkyB, National Grid Wireless, ITV, Channel 4
Website http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/Services/Freeview
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 This article is outdated. Please update this introduction to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2010)

Freeview+ and Freeview+ HD is a consumer brand created in the UK by DTV Services Ltd (Freeview) to "raise consumer awareness and promote sales" of Freeview capable digital TV recorders otherwise known as personal video recorders. Players which meet specific quality and functionality criteria carry the Freeview Playback, Freeview+ or Freeview+ HD logo, and benefit from joint marketing and consumer confidence. Standard definition Freeview+ recorders were available from May 2007 and high definition Freeview+ HD recorders were available from May 2010. Between May 2007 and July 2008, Freeview+ was known as Freeview Playback.

Contents

Background

Personal video recorders (PVRs) have been available for several years, for cable television, satellite television and Freeview. Many recorders have more than one tuner, so that two or more programmes may be received at the same time allowing one programme to be recorded while another is being viewed. Some allow two programmes to be recorded simultaneously while a third is being viewed live or played back. PVRs that meet the Freeview+ and Freeview+ HD standard may be marketed as such.

Manufacturers

"Freeview will not manufacture the units itself, but will award the Freeview+ label to manufacturers that are able to meet a series of specifications that have been drawn up by the UK’s Digital TV Group. The devices will cost around £70 for Freeview+ boxes and £200 for Freeview+ HD boxes, according to the specifications."

Some equipment not sold as Freeview+ may offer some equivalent facilities.

The following manufacturers have all announced that they will be incorporating Freeview+ and Freeview+ HD into their future recordable DTT equipment:

Features

All Freeview+ and Freeview+ HD recorders are required to include the following features:1

  • At least eight-day electronic programme guide (EPG)
  • Series link (one timer to record whole series)
  • Record split programmes as one programme
  • Offer to record related programme
  • Record alternative showing if there is a time conflict
  • Schedule changes updated in standby (e.g. scheduled recording starting early)
  • Accurate recording (equivalent to PDC) – programmes are recorded based on signals from the broadcaster rather than scheduled time. (Since this is based on signals from the broadcaster, the broadcaster can prevent recording by sending nonsense signals as a form of copy protection, as already happens on music channels. However, this can be circumvented by specifying a timer recording instead of a programme recording or by connecting the receiver to a traditional videocassette recorder.)

See also

References

  1. ^ DTG Functional Specification for Digital TV Recorders v1.0 (Schedule 4)

External links