Freeview TV APK now runs on DishTV devices only

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sdavisnz

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#251061 6-Jun-2019 17:58

freeview recenlty updated thier android tv apk with on-demand support. for TVNZ/Mediaworks/Maori TV On Demand.

I have extracted the apk to run on another device and when you run the app it says it will run on "dish tv" branded devices only

From a conversation on twitter it seems freeview are now using a service called DexProtector to prevent reverse engineering and running on approved devices only.

Freeview NZ should be for all NZers, not just some corporate distributing chinese boxes, the whole point of an android app is to have multiple device support.

Im going to complain to the govt about this, and I hope this thread sheds some light on the shady things they are doing.

sincerly,

Unimpressed NZ'er/

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#2253231 6-Jun-2019 18:15

Ok.

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#2253242 6-Jun-2019 18:48

Sounds reasonable to me

xpd

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#2253249 6-Jun-2019 19:07

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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sbiddle

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#2253251 6-Jun-2019 19:11

What do Freeview have to do with this? The Android TV box and application is a Dish TV product and is funded by Dish TV.

Maybe you could suggest to Dish TV that they might like to offer their application as a paid Play Store offering to help recover their development costs which at present they're only recovering from the sale of Dish TV hardware.

sdavisnz

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#2253254 6-Jun-2019 19:13

Freeview nz is a separate organisation from dish tv.

Also govt funded org.

It's a freeview branded app.

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sbiddle

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#2253257 6-Jun-2019 19:21

sdavisnz: Freeview nz is a separate organisation from dish tv.

Also govt funded org.

It's a freeview branded app.

Freeview is not a Govt funded organisation - it's a private company that is a joint venture between all the major broadcasters. Yes it has received some government funding in the early days, but the Government have no say in the day to day running.

I really struggle to see what a private company (Dish TV) building a commercial product has to do with anything. Neither the government nor Freeview funded the app, Dish TV did. It's their product. The fact it carries Freeview branding is no different to any other Freeview branded product on the market.

wellygary

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#2253275 6-Jun-2019 19:51

Anyone else being served up ads for Freeview's s new box :)

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#2253276 6-Jun-2019 19:52

wellygary:

Anyone else being served up ads for Freeview's s new box :)

Nope :P

freitasm

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#2253280 6-Jun-2019 19:57

@sdavisnz

While I understand you feel strongly about this, Geekzone is not your place to name call anyone or any company. I have changed the thread title. I hope you understand this is not to happen again.

sdavisnz

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#2253281 6-Jun-2019 19:58

freitasm:
@sdavisnz

While I understand you feel strongly about this, Geekzone is not your place to name call anyone or any company. I have changed the thread title. I hope you understand this is not to happen again.

Fair enough.

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#2253282 6-Jun-2019 19:59

To the OP, why do you think a private company has to make their IP public and available to everyone?

I think the suggestion above of perhaps making it even a paid app is a good one. If having the streaming/on demand service is so important but you don't want to buy the hardware, surely you would consider paying for the app?

sdavisnz

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#2253290 6-Jun-2019 20:03

I own the hardware already, but the point of freeview is for it to be free and available. = It's in the name.

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sbiddle

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#2253292 6-Jun-2019 20:14

sdavisnz: I own the hardware already, but the point of freeview is for it to be free and available. = It's in the name.

I really don't understand how an app developer not making their app available for you to use on a 3rd party device is anything to do with Freeview. Maybe you could also suggest to Freeview that they build their own app?

Or use one of the other Android TV solutions out there that allow use of the very same HLS streams. I haven't played with the Dish TV app for a few months so haven't seen any recent updates but early in the year still thought the tvirl solution for Andtoid TV was a better overall solution in many ways.

Freeview is free. I don't see what that has to do with this issue where a 3rd party developer doesn't want to make their embedded app that they've spent $$ developing available to you for free.