Freely confirms four new smart TV partners
Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Metz will all support the Freely streaming platform on selected models in their new TV lineups
Everyone TV, the company behind Freesat and Freeview, has confirmed its new streaming platform Freely is coming to TVs from four more manufacturers.
Hisense became the first brand to partner with Freely in December 2023, signing an agreement to incorporate the service into its 4K TVs for the next five years.
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Argos brand Bush followed suit by partnering with Freely earlier this year and has now been joined by another four manufacturers.
Panasonic is the most prestigious of the quartet and I got a first-hand look at its new range in Dusseldorf in May. It’s not confirmed which models will run Freely but it’s almost certainly those powered by TiVo OS: the Panasonic W60A and Panasonic W63A (4K), the Panasonic S45 (Full HD) and the Panasonic S40 (HD).
TiVo OS is also the operating system of choice for a couple of Freely-enabled Sharp TVs that were on display alongside new Atmos soundbars at a recent event at Dolby HQ in Soho.
Details are yet to be revealed about the Toshiba and Metz TVs incorporating Freely, but they’re likely to be relatively cheap options targeting the budget end of the market. That’s great news for those wanting a cost-effective way of getting Freely in their home.
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Freely itself doesn’t cost a thing but does require you to own a TV that supports it, have a TV licence, and have an internet connection with a minimum download speed of 10Mbits/sec.
You can read all about the platform in my Freely hands-on and we’ll have a review of the first TV with Freely that we’ve tested – the Hisense E7N Pro – very soon, so be sure to check that out to see how well the service works alongside Hisense’s VIDAA U OS.
