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LG confirmed to T3 that they have no plans to add Freely to its TVs.
Freely launched in the first half of 2024. 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. It ditches the traditional TV aerial, and the most popular free-to-air channels are streamed over a wireless or wired internet connection.
This is similar to solutions like Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Virgin Media Stream.
Freely has since become a prominent fixture across various smart TVs — including Fire TV and the recently released Roku TV at Currys. In addition to LG, Samsung doesn't have Freely built in either.
Instead, LG relies on its own free built-in service called LG Channels.
Freely was first launched in 2024 and provides live and on-demand TV over broadband, replacing the need for a traditional TV aerial or satellite dish | EVERYONE TV Similar to Freely, it's powered through an internet connection, offering hundreds of channels across news, sports, movies, TV shows, lifestyle, kids’ content, and more—all in one place.
Its features include easy navigation directly from the TV home screen, personalised recommendations, and no additional hardware like a streaming stick or downloads required.
On the other hand, Samsung prioritises Samsung TV Plus. It's also a free, built-in streaming service that gives you instant access to live TV channels like GB News and on-demand entertainment directly through compatible Samsung Smart TVs and select Galaxy devices.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
However, there is a workaround to getting the popular streaming service on your telly.
Freely's recently released streaming devices like the Pleio and the Aero 4K TV streamer, will plug into the back of any TV via an HDMI port. Since Freely runs over Wi-Fi, as long as you have a plug socket and a good connection, you can enjoy all the same features the service has to offer.
That means you can place your television anywhere in the house as long as it has a minimum 10Mbps connection, and that bad weather can't disrupt your latest boxset obsession, sports fixture, or movie night.
It's ideal if you're not ready to upgrade your telly but still want to take advantage of all of Freely's latest offerings.
When Netgem launched the Pleio, it sold out within hours due to "exceptional demand," and it has struggled to stay in stock. The Aero 4K also sold out within 24-hours of its debut.
Upgrade your telly with Freely's Netgem Pleio from Amazon
Add Freely to ANY television by upgrading to the Pleio box | NETGEM PRESS OFFICEFrench 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
Upgrade your telly with Freely's Manhattan Aero 4k streamer from Currys
The Aero 4K TV Streamer runs the award-winning TiVo OS – so on top of Freely, there’s also access to apps for Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, as well as YouTube, and much more. Streaming in stunning 4K picture quality is supported. You'll also get support for voice search, so finding your next binge-watch won't require any fiddly typing using the directional keypad on the remote.
However, there are a few noticeable differences in each device's features.
For starters, Pleio costs £99, whereas the Aero 4K streamer is priced at £89.99.
The Pleio box includes a set-top box, remote, game controller, a 12-month subscription to premium channels, and cloud gaming.
It's worth remembering that ownership of the hardware is deferred until the 12-month subscription period ends, which means you’re essentially leasing or financing it as part of the subscription. You can't sell the Pleio box after six months as a second-hand item, since you don't technically own it at that point.
The Aero 4K TV Streamer is the second-ever Freely-powered set-top box to launch in the UK, bringing modern streaming features like the ability to pause and rewind live television
| MANHATTAN PRESS OFFICEIf you're not much of a gamer, the Aero 4K TV streamer may be a better pick since it misses out on the game-streaming capabilities of the Pleio.
Both devices allow you to stream the biggest free-to-air channels, including GB News, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, and more.
There's also an on-demand catalogue brimming with over 75,000 hours of on-demand content (believe it or not, that's more than Netflix).
You can also 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.
Previously aired episodes can also be seen 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.