Advanced Television

Freesat app boosts TV control

January 16, 2014

By Colin Mann

Freesat, the UK subscription-free DTH satellite TV service, has launched the Freesat App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, confirming its immediate availability on the App Store.

The app acts as a TV guide for all free TV viewers, so Freesat suggests that whether it’s enjoying brand new British drama such as Call the Midwife or Mr Selfridge, or chasing away the January blues with Birds of a Feather, everyone will now have the power at their fingertips to plan how and what to watch, and for catch-up service Freetime customers the chance to control their TVs.

According to Freesat, unlike other TV apps on the market, the Freesat App doesn’t just act as a guide to what’s on TV. It also works as a companion to Freesat’s Freetime service and enhances Freetime’s key features. In the app, users can look the Roll Back TV Guide which allows checking out the last seven days of TV to watch programmes that may have been missed, and the app also offers TV recommendations on what to watch via Showcase – allowing users to browse through programme picks for the week ahead and set reminders to view.

When linked with Freesat’s Freetime service, the app, which supports iOS6 and iOS7, is also a remote control and lets users set recordings remotely from wherever you are – at home and out and about.

Viewers of free TV in the UK, whether they have Freesat or not, will be able to search and find programmes from the UK’s major free On Demand players, including BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 – all through their iOS device. Furthermore, Freetime viewers can launch On Demand programmes from the app direct to their TV.

Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat, suggested the new Freesat App was “a game changer” for the free TV market. “January is naturally a popular month for staying in – so it’s perfect timing to make the most of all the great new TV programmes that are on via the Freesat App. Making this free app available to all UK free TV viewers fits with our core goal at Freesat of opening up fantastic subscription free TV, she said, expressing the believe that the new app was going to change the way people explore and discover television shows, as well as manage how they view them.”

The new app is being marketed as ‘Your clever little telly app from Freesat’ and the launch is being supported by an ‘unboxing’ video starring TV presenter Rick Edwards. Freesat will continue to evolve the new app, making it available on more platforms and devices over time.

Freesat told advanced-television.com in 2013 that its apps strategy was only to integrate those that enhanced the viewing experience

Categories: App, APPS, Articles, Broadcast, Content, DTH/Satellite, Mobile, Pay TV, Portable Media