First FreeviewPlus STB available in Australia

Freeview welcomes first FreeviewPlus STB

Freeview today welcomed the arrival of the aerialBox T2100, the first set-top box (STB) certified for FreeviewPlus, the new TV service that provides access to more content and services from the Freeview networks.

The aerialBox set-top box can be connected to any digital television to access all the FreeviewPlus services and applications.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dish TV as a manufacturing partner. The arrival of the first FreeviewPlus STB is an exciting development for Australian consumers as an affordable way of accessing all of FreviewPlus’s many great new features,” Liz Ross, CEO of Freeview, said.

“FreeviewPlus has been developed so that Australians can benefit from the best free-to-air TV experience in the world, and from today, viewers can enjoy FreeviewPlus via the new aerialBox STB,” she said.

Launched last September, FreeviewPlus is a world-first TV service for Australia, incorporating the most advanced, user-friendly free-to-air EPG experience yet seen.

FreeviewPlus delivers the Freeview networks’ Catch Up services from one place on TV screens for the first time. Access to Catch Up and other services is easy, with viewers simply using the coloured buttons on their remote.

“Dish TV is proud to be the first manufacturer to bring a FreeviewPlus-certified STB to the Australian market,” Dish TV’s Nipuul H Patel said.

The aerialBox STB is on sale for $149 at Dick Smith and David Jones.

FreeviewPlus is also available on a range of TVs from Sony, LG, Bauhn and Hitachi.

The FreeviewPlus service uses hybrid TV technology, which seamlessly combines broadband and broadcast TV. The technology also enables the free-to-air networks to introduce a range of new broadband services.

FreeviewPlus offers an array of new features including:

• A 7-day, easy-to-use EPG
• Access to available free-to-air Catch Up services in one place on the TV
• Recommendations of the best programs on today, on Catch Up and in the future
• The ability to browse and search programs across the next 7 days
• A favourites function that keeps track of programs on live and Catch Up TV