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The Pleio set-top box has dropped back to its £99 launch price — as it celebrates three months on shelves. The diddy box, designed and produced by French brand Netgem, was the first to bring Freely to any television.
Dubbed "the puck" by the manufacturer, Pleio lets you stream live free-to-air channels and on-demand boxsets from dozens of broadcasters. It's a very similar lineup to Freeview or Freesat, but you can ditch the traditional TV aerial in favour of a Wi-Fi connection to watch from anywhere in your home. This also unlocks Sky Glass-like tricks.
In the weeks since its launch, Netgem has been forced to adjust the cost of its set-top box — hiking the price tag from £99 to £119.88. That's a 21% increase in just two months on the (digital) store shelves.
The price rise comes as Pleio faces more competition than ever. While it might've been the first to bring Freely to a standalone box, it's no longer the only option. British brand Manhattan has since launched a rival £69 box with the same functionality, and Humax has became the third brand to release a box with Freely baked-in.
All of these Freely TV boxes have struggled with indredible demand.
Unlike its closest competition, Netgem's Pleio puck ships with a wireless controller, making it a great choice if you enjoy gaming — with new titles added monthly. To celebrate the streaming device's three-month anniversary since its release, Netgem is "supercharging its service" with the addition of popular game Mafia: Definitive Edition, which is the acclaimed 2020 remake of the classic gangster game.
Upgrade your telly with Freely's Netgem Pleio at its original launch price
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
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Netgem Pleio
$119.88
$99
Sylvain Thevenot, Managing Director of Netgem Pleio said: "Adding Mafia on Pleio Gaming – included in the 12-month access to Cloud Gaming — is a real indication of what consumers can expect from Pleio in the future. It's a truly phenomenal, console-quality game, and we are excited to be the first ones in the UK to enable it on TV via a streaming service."
New games that have also just joined Pleio's library includeThe Smurfs: Dreams, Totally Spies! Cyber Mission, Tintin Reporter – Cigars of the Pharaoh, and My Universe – Doctors & Nurses.
For those who don't know, 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.
When Netgem launched the Pleio, it sold out within hours due to "exceptional demand."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
New games aren't the only update this compact box is being treated to, either.
The home screen is also getting a handy upgrade with two new features you may recognise from other streaming services, like the Roku Streaming Stick or the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
There is now a "My List" section that lets you save programmes you want to watch later, while the "Continue Watching" feature helps you pick up where you left off without digging through menus.
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 There's a catch, though. These features only work with content you're watching through Pleio's own interface – meaning they won't sync with what you've been viewing on Netflix, Disney+, or other apps.
Netgem says cross-app integration is something they're exploring for future updates, but it's not ready yet.
The Freely section also keeps its own separate watchlist that doesn't connect with the new My List feature.
You'll also notice more content recommendations from third-party services like Netflix appearing on your home page alongside Freely suggestions.
Freely is the successor to Freeview, offering access to an unrivalled selection of free-to-air channels and on-demand catalogues over a Wi-Fi connection — with no aerial needed | EVERYONE TV PRESS OFFICE On the channels side, there are new releases to look forward to as well. For instance, you'll find Masha and the Bear – the hugely popular animated series for little ones that's racked up massive viewing figures on YouTube.
Wildlife fans can tune into Terra Mater WILD & Adventure Earth for nature documentaries, while Autentic History and Autentic Travel channels offer exploration content.
One thing to note, though, is that these new additions are part of the Pleio Extra subscription.
While this normally costs £9.99 per month, you'll get access at no extra cost for 12 months when you first buy the set-top box.
For streaming, there's the channel Toon Goggles Jr with animated shorts in a safe kids' environment, plus Duck TV – designed specifically for babies and toddlers to help with early development. Plus, you can now enjoy Motor Vision, which serves up supercar reviews and racing history on demand.
If you're not much of a gamer, you may find that the new Aero 4K TV Streamer, built by the British brand Manhattan, is a better fit. Plug this box into the HDMI port on the back of your telly, and you're able 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).
The £69 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 OFFICE This is the second Freely-powered set-top box to launch in the UK for only £69.99, undercutting the sale price of the Pleio by £20 and sold out within hours of its release. However, you won't get access to gameplay that's associated with the Pleio.
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.
You'll need a standalone subscription to login and watch some of these services, but TiVo+ gives you another 400 completely free streaming channels and a huge library of free on-demand movies and shows.
Streaming in stunning 4K picture quality is supported. Manhattan has added support for voice search too, so finding your next binge-watch won't require any fiddly typing using the directional keypad on the remote.
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