FreeviewPlus Q&A

Are any of the set top boxes already out there able to use the new service or possibly with software upgrade capable of it or does it mean more new equipment?
Freeview – Viewers will need to upgrade to a 2015 FreeviewPlus ready smart TV, some of which are already in store and the first FreeviewPlus set top box, from AerialBox, is in store now as well.

Is there any options for this on games consoles, smart bluray players, PCs etc or is it purely limited to devices with a legacy DVB tuner and antenna?
Freeview - Certainly smart Blu ray players / recorders will be available soon.

Any plans to support this outside of Freeview|DTT? For example plenty of DTH customers (Satellite) have reasonable internet connections and would benefit from the interactive and on-demand content. Likewise generic web-browser support for HbbTV 1.5 rather than requiring a supported STB or TV.
Freeview - yes good question and one we have been looking at very closely. We also need to consider when we move DTH to S2 but the economics of the broadcasters being able to transmit HD feeds for their DTH services are not good in a free to air market the size of New Zealand – the the relative transmission costs are extremely high.

What will be the resolution of the streaming? Will content be available to stream as soon as it has aired, as opposed to having to wait several hours for it to appear on the existing 3Now service?
Freeview – that’s a question for each of the broadcasters – we provide the platform for the for the distribution of their content.

Will new or existing (ie. compatible by firmware/software upgrade) FreeviewPlus-certified products be required to support any other new technologies/standards other than HbbTV? I'm thinking of DVB-T2, IPTV of some description... Background/assumptions... I'm curious about plans for future broadcast platforms. People don't like to replace their TVs and set top boxes too often. Introduction of FreeviewPlus seems like a perfect opportunity to ensure new hardware will be future-proof for the next few years.
Freeview – yes we would expect this standard to be in place for at least 5 years . The UK are moving to a hybrid HbbTV 2.0 model so that is something we will follow closely as will Australia. We are working more closely with Australia now to aligning out specs and make it easier for manufacturers to provide product across both territories.

Is it compatible with any of the more recent existing FV certified hardware (TVs, recorders etc) that people will already have, or is in unambiguous that everyone who wants to use this will need to upgrade hardware? Will users be able to fast-forward through the ads, like they can with existing recorders? Will there be a tablet client, so that material can be watched away from the main screen?
Freeview – yes viewers will need to upgrade to a new device either a Tv or a set top box for an existing TV – these will start retailing at about $150. MyFreeviewPlus recorders will launch soon and have all the current MyFreeview features along with the new benefits of FreeviewPlus. And a tablet client is certainly on the roadmap for search and discovery.

Will the TV manufacturers Freeview have approved on your website be required to support this for a minimum period of time? What I am getting at, is there any risk of the feature being removed from TV after a certain amount of time as the software changes?
Freeview – No, HbbTv is a global standard which is now widely adopted across Europe and Asia and importantly the same version has been adopted in Australia.

Will all Freeview channels have to supply ondemand content or is it still at their discretion? If no to above; Which ondemand content providers are being supported?
Freeview – at launch it will be TVNZ ondemand, 3Now and Maori Tv on demand. After the platform is launched and stable we may look to add others.

Im interested in the xbox one Freeview accessory, If xbox one One-Guide was supported in NZ via Freeview or Freeview plus that would make me very happy. please look into xbox Freeview accessories for me, Cheers,
Freeview – best to ask xbox – we would be happy to help them.

Are you looking at a virtual Set-Top box type architecture, where the functions sit in a Data Center and the Customer Premise Equipment is a low cost Common Intel unit? This allows for new features and functions to be added seamlessly vs h/w upgrades of Set-top boxes and expensive Smart TV's. You can have a software based virtual Set top box (App) for Smart TV's & offer Cloud PVR and remote access to individuals Freeview content. Is this on the Roadmap or plans ?
Freeview – no not at this stage.

Plus what sound format will be used ? These days anything less than HD with surround will get short shrift...
Freeview – agreed– the platform supports that already.

Will FreeviewPlus be available ONLY in the Digital Terresstrial areas? Have Freeview got plans to put it on satellite? I live on the eastern seaboard of the Coromandel where we only have the satellite
Freeview – that’s correct. See above DTH question

Does it support resolution changes on the fly like youtube Netflix etc do? Automatically?
Freeview – yes mpeg dash allows for adaptive streaming as its part of the spec.

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