Freeview NZ to use DVB-I

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › Freeview NZ to use DVB-I

Apsattv

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#324347 31-Mar-2026 05:17

very interesting info release

DVB WORLD: STATEMENT ON DVB-I
17 March 2026

DVB-I is the future of free-to-air TV for Freeview New Zealand.
Freeview is synonymous with free-to-air linear television in New Zealand, as the national platform
aggregating local programming in a unified channels list that reflect New Zealand communities
and voices. Today, it reaches audiences nationwide through digital terrestrial and satellite
transmission, as well as the Freeview Streaming TV app.

Put simply, Freeview is how Kiwis watch their favourite free TV channels. And DVB-I is how New
Zealanders will watch them in the future.

Over the past two years, Freeview NZ has been preparing for a world where IP delivery of linear
TV is commonplace. Our goal is to ensure free-to-air TV remains easy to find and universally
available as viewing evolves, while preserving the simple, familiar, local TV experience
audiences value.

Through close collaboration with consumer electronics manufacturers leading this innovation
such as TCL and Hisense, alongside broadcasters and the wider DVB community, Freeview New
Zealand has progressed well beyond a proof of concept and is now moving toward a
nationwide DVB-I production launch, ultimately simplifying and futureproofing free-to-air TV in
New Zealand.

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#3475796 31-Mar-2026 05:58

Makes it easier, but I think the various FTA (at least two of them in NZ), broadcasters are currently outlaying cash on their apps to promote non linear content and point users to this.

i wonder if we would start seeing “click here to see blah blah blah”, whilst watching live TV, or pesky inserts at the top of the ad breaks wanting you to navigate away and into their native apps?

Rikkitic

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#3475876 31-Mar-2026 09:49

I watch Freeview using the Github IPTV streams. I don't see any improvement over that.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

wellygary

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#3475891 31-Mar-2026 10:05

TLDR:

TV companies are looking for anyway they can to lower their operating costs, towers up and down the country are expensive and currently have a heavy overlap to the footprint of UFB...
We think when our transmission tower contract and leicenses end in the next 5 or so years, we'll just send everything down the Internet pipe...

+ although we might keep a DVB-S service for everyone in the back blocks.... (or we might just make you all get starlink- we've haven't decided yet..)

Goosey

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#3475935 31-Mar-2026 11:54

wellygary:

TLDR:

TV companies are looking for anyway they can to lower their operating costs, towers up and down the country are expensive and currently have a heavy overlap to the footprint of UFB...
We think when our transmission tower contract and leicenses end in the next 5 or so years, we'll just send everything down the Internet pipe...

+ although we might keep a DVB-S service for everyone in the back blocks.... (or we might just make you all get starlink- we've haven't decided yet..)

you forget there’s broadcast radio and also in many cases mobile radio on the same towers.

boosacnoodle

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#3475936 31-Mar-2026 12:01

What's the benefit of this over current m3u8 streams?

BlakJak

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#3475946 31-Mar-2026 12:38

On our Smart TV we've been using Freeview-over-IP ever since our DVB-S STB died a few years ago.. It's pretty usable and with unlimited data caps on UFB just makes sense.
TV has a wired network connection to eliminate local wifi performance issues.

Main problem is that the TV is sluggish AF. Cheaping out on the processing capacity of the TV is the thing that'll push me to another Streaming box... when the panel works fine as an HDMI display but the onboard software doesn't have the grunt to run streaming apps.
Already gotta use Casting to watch Neon and TVNZ reliably.

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#3475952 31-Mar-2026 13:02

boosacnoodle:

What's the benefit of this over current m3u8 streams?

I'd like to hope that they'll be encoded at a bandwidth appropriate for a fibre world instead of the blocky mess we get now.

alasta

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#3475966 31-Mar-2026 13:29

Goosey:

wellygary:

TLDR:

TV companies are looking for anyway they can to lower their operating costs, towers up and down the country are expensive and currently have a heavy overlap to the footprint of UFB...
We think when our transmission tower contract and leicenses end in the next 5 or so years, we'll just send everything down the Internet pipe...

you forget there’s broadcast radio and also in many cases mobile radio on the same towers.

Sky don't care about that. They will just want to stop paying broadcasting infrastructure fees to Kordia and JCL.

It does raise an interesting question though as to whether Kordia and JCL would need to start charging higher fees to Mediaworks and NZME for their radio broadcasts in order to keep the infrastructure viable in a world without terrestrial television broadcasts. It's no secret that Mediaworks are already in financial dire straits despite having the lion's share of the commercial radio audience, and I personally don't think much of NZME's long term commercial prospects.

sdavisnz

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#3476866 1-Apr-2026 19:40

I would be keen to know if they are going to build an IPTV provider/streaming channels integration for sony android/google tvs, or all android tvs, and how they are going to deliver this on the multiple platfroms like samsung tizen, lg webos, fire tv os and google tv.

i know they have the google android tv app, but its not that good really, propper iptv intergration into the tv os makes more sense,

is there any info out there about this?

Voice gives context

bfginger

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#3477214 2-Apr-2026 16:17

It doesn't look like DVB-I will be supported by existing TVs unless they receive a software update - an article on DVB.org specifically said no TVs sold here support it.

Hopefully the audio and picture quality will be better than the existing low quality TVNZ streams and the Sky Open stream that has been broken on Panasonic My Home Screen for several months.

Spyware

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#3477219 2-Apr-2026 16:32

I would guess DVB-I will go live in NZ in 2028/9.

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#3493198 18-May-2026 09:21

Here's an update. It will start with TCL and HiSense TVs. DVB-I will be at the same level as DVB-T and DVB-S, that is it won't need an app, as it's built into the TV system.

Freeview is set to launch Freeview NextGen, a new service expanding its ability to deliver New Zealanders' favourite TV channels in an increasingly streaming-led world.

Built on the global DVB-I standard, Freeview NextGen is on track to be the world’s first nationwide free-to-air TV platform powered by this solution. This innovative new service delivers television channels seamlessly over the internet while maintaining the familiar experience of watching live TV.

Freeview NextGen allows viewers to tune in to Freeview channels via WIFI (sic) or broadband, without the need for a dedicated app, a satellite dish or aerial connection.

While Freeview remains a staple in New Zealand households, Kiwis increasingly rely on broadband connectivity for their home entertainment. The introduction of Freeview NextGen will ensure free-to-air channels remain easy to find and universally available as TV designs and setups evolve, all the while preserving the simple, comforting, quintessentially local TV experience audiences value.

The new service is also designed to work in harmony with traditional TV setups. For viewers who choose to connect both an antenna and broadband, Freeview NextGen will intelligently combine both signals into a single, clutter-free TV Guide. This hybrid approach automatically removes duplicate channels and provides access to the widest possible range of content all in one place, giving Kiwis the ultimate flexibility in how they watch.

Freeview, alongside launch partners Hisense and TCL, expect to debut Freeview NextGen in Q3 of 2026, placing New Zealand ahead of other markets where the DVB-I standard is being trialled.

Leon Mead, General Manager, Freeview, says meeting consumer expectations for free-to-air access is at the heart of Freeview NextGen, with its development driven by diversifying viewer habits and TV interface designs as well as enhancements in technology.

“Freeview NextGen represents momentum in futureproofing free-to-air television for all New Zealanders. There is no doubt we love streaming live TV, and Freeview NextGen makes this simpler than ever. While the trusty aerial and satellite will be around for a while, this is the
future for TV”, says Mead.

Watching TV channels over WIFI with Freeview NextGen will not require downloading any apps as it will be integrated as part of the native TV interface and setup process. At launch, this will only be available on TCL and Hisense TVs, but we expect to see it become widely available as more brands adopt the standard.

Freeview NextGen marks a leap forward for free-to-air TV. Its arrival will simplify live TV streaming and setup into a single, intuitive step, making it easier than ever for New Zealanders to connect with the local content and channels they love.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

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Apsattv

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#3493205 18-May-2026 09:24

UH oh! let some other place be the bug tester... hows mheg5 doing these days....that was a flop

" Freeview NextGen is on track to be the world’s first nationwide free-to-air TV platform powered by this solution. This innovative new service delivers television channels seamlessly over the internet while maintaining the familiar experience of watching live TV."

davidcole

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#3493243 18-May-2026 10:13

So is DVB-I hardware? Or could an existing TV get support for it via firmware upgrade?

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#3493245 18-May-2026 10:15

davidcole:

So is DVB-I hardware? Or could an existing TV get support for it via firmware upgrade?

Or could I view it on a PC with the right software?

Edit: after a bit of searching, it looks like DVB-I is just a glorified TV guide.

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