All products and promotions are independently selected by our experts. To help us provide free impartial advice, we will earn an affiliate commission if you buy something. Click here to learn more
This is PLEIO — the first set-top box that brings Freely to any television. Dubbed "the puck" by manufacturer Netgem, it lets you stream free-to-air channels and on-demand boxsets from free-to-air broadcasters over Wi-Fi.
For those who don't know, Freely launched in the first half of last year. Built by the same team as Freeview and Freesat, this new platform is forecast to overtake both of these by the end of the decade.
In the box, you'll find the £99 PLEIO streaming set-top box, a remote control with voice control capabilities, and a controller to use with Netgem's cloud-based gaming service
|NETGEM PRESS OFFICE
Until now, the only way to experience the Sky Glass-like features included with Freely was to upgrade to one of a slew of new televisions built from the ground up to support the streamer.
But that all changes with the arrival of the plug-and-play PLEIO, which brings Freely-exclusive features to any Smart TV for the first time.
Plug in PLEIO and you'll have access to over 75,000 hours of on-demand content (believe it or not, that's more than Netflix) and 55 live channels, including GB News, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, U, and dozens more.
Freely offers quick access to previously-aired episodes of a show, without the need to seek out and launch a specific app — like BBC iPlayer — from the main menu of the service | FREELY PRESS OFFICE | GBN Freely has a few new tricks up its sleeves when compared to watching many of the same channels on Freeview or Freesat. For example, you can restart a show that's already started with a single button press — saving you the hassle of jumping to a catch-up service to watch the beginning.
- BBC is building new Roku rival with 'radically simple' design to help Britons switch to streaming TV
You can also browse through previously aired episodes in the same series directly from the TV Guide, bringing together on-demand catalogues available to stream and live terrestrial television in a way previously only seen from the likes of Sky Stream, Virgin TV Stream, and EE TV.
Add Freely to ANY television by upgrading to the PLEIO box
French entertainment brand Netgem is the first brand to launch a plug-and-play box that brings Freely to any television. Connect via HDMI, and you'll be able to stream the most popular free-to-air channels, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, U, and of course, GB News. Freely arrives packed with several features previously only found on paid-for options like Sky Stream and EE TV
Netgem PLEIO
$99
New features are being added all of the time, with the Everyone TV team behind Freely adding the ability to scroll backwards through time on the TV Guide to access content from streaming services, earlier this year. Likewise, the catch-all My List feature announced earlier this year is now available on all Freely-powered gadgets.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
PLEIO isn't just designed to bring Freely to your television. Since it's powered by Android 14, it also offers access to the Google Play Store to download hundreds of popular streaming apps, and its own dedicated game streaming service
|NETGEM PRESS OFFICE
If that isn't enough, the Android 14-powered PLEIO includes access to the Google Play Store, so you'll be able to download a wide selection of streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, NOW, Disney+, YouTube, and more.
Still want more to watch? Netgem can unlock more than 150 FAST channels to your PLEIO box if you subscribe to its optional monthly plan. Not only that, but the PLEIO can double up as a fairly convincing console too.
There's a dedicated Bluetooth-enabled controller in the box, and you'll unlock more than 250 titles as part of that same subscription. Netgem owns a cloud gaming service, so most of the grunt happens on its servers.
Out of the box, PLEIO lets you stream 250 titles via a dedicated game streaming service. There's an Xbox-like controller in the box that uses Bluetooth to connect to the Freely-powered box
|NETGEM PRESS OFFICE
You'll be treated to three months of access for free.
What's the catch? Netgem hasn't included an aerial port on the back of the PLEIO — something that isn't the case with all Freely-enabled devices available on store shelves today.
As such, if you lose your broadband connection, there's no way to continue watching free-to-air television via this Freely-powered box.
Netgem also decided not to include a hard drive, so there's no way to record shows when they air — you'll be completely reliant on the libraries of streamers like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, U, and others.
At £99, the PLEIO is more affordable than switching to a brand-new flatscreen with Freely built-in.
However, if your telly is starting to show its age, it might be worth checking out the Black Friday TV deals for something new.
Netgem has partnered with several full-fibre broadband firms, including WightFibre, Connect Fibre, and BRSK, to offer its PLEIO box as part of their bundles with Wi-Fi and internet. It's also available as a standalone purchase from Amazon UK, Freely.co.uk, and Pleio.tv.
With the PLEIO box connected to your telly, you can stream 75,000 hours of content from the most popular free-to-air broadcasters in the UK
|NETGEM PRESS OFFICE
Discussing the launch, Sylvain Thevenot, who serves as Managing Director of French entertainment company Netgem, said: "After a decade of collaboration with national broadcasters and operators, we recognised the need for a simple, all-in-one platform and are proud to launch in the UK, as a first step of our product strategy.
"We built PLEIO as the answer to the fragmentation of the entertainment market. PLEIO delivers a truly comprehensive viewing experience — Watch, Stream, and Play — that is ready for any Fibre broadband-connected home today. It represents a new approach for consumers and an unparalleled opportunity for operators to deliver both choice and exceptional value."
Speaking about the arrival of the first plug-and-plug Freely box ahead of the launch, Everyone TV CEO Jonathan Thompson said: "Freely was created to make free TV work for everyone.
"Expanding to ‘plug-in and stream’ devices is an important and natural next step to ensure even more homes can enjoy the full Freely experience without the need for a TV upgrade or paid subscription.
"In partnership with Netgem, we’re launching streaming devices to make it easier than ever for UK audiences to enjoy the nation’s favourite TV, for free, on the TV you already have."
More From GB News