Panasonic VIERA TVs to include Freesat Freetime

chris

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Panasonic is now offering the award winning Freetime service that comes from Freesat to all their customers that are based in the UK. Previously, the Freetime service was only available via a Humax set-top box. Since it was launched in 2012, the Humax boxes have accounted for 40% of sales. Regardless of whether customers receive their television channels through an aerial or satellite, the service will be available to them.


Panasonic have decided that Freetime will be offered on selected models of their VIERA Smart TV range. The interface will allow users to roll back their television guide, through the past seven days which will enable them to catch up with programmes that they have missed, along with the on-demand services offered by all of the public service broadcasters and YouTube. Freesat has worked with Panasonic since it began in 2007. The venture was a joint one between the BBC and ITV to offer free-to-air satellite television to people across the UK in addition to Freeview terrestrial television which was also on offer.


Panasonic was the first television manufacturer that integrated Freesat into their flat screen televisions along with the multiple receiver types in its televisions. Now, Panasonic will be the first to offer the Freetime user interface which really changes the way television manufacturers and Freesat collaborate. What this deal now offers is a change but it also gives new possibilities in other areas which is an exciting prospect. What also makes this even more interesting is that it is will be available to satellite and terrestrial viewers, opening the doors for all to be included.


The Freetime service brings in the possibility of using the online services offered by the public service broadcasters, which are delivered via an internet connection. This offers a unique experience, where users can choose what they watch, whether that be the services broadcast through satellite or terrestrial networks or those delivered through broadband.

Its competitor, YouView, which was created to offer an open environment for internet connected televisions has so far not been used inside television receivers and has only been offered through set-top boxes and offered by several broadband providers.


Freetime was created and further developed by Freesat at a fraction of what it cost to create YouView. Freetime is easy to use and offers a superb experience through the combined broadband and broadcast television. Research shows that when it comes to Smart Tv’s users want quality content, a friendly usability and the flexibility to be able to watch whatever they want. Freetime offers all of this, giving users the possibility of watching what they want, when they want and with the ability to roll back over seven days it is offering a superb service that will prove that the collaboration between Panasonic and Freetime will be a successful one. panasonic freetime freesat.jpegpanasonic freetime freesat.jpeg
 

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Hmmm, a TV is simply a receptacle and the 'last mile' of the broadcast. How would the manufacturer, or the broadcaster know what has been watched from anything apart from through the ethernet cable/wired dongly thing bolted to the back of the screen.

What about encrypted stuff that is decoded with a Conditional Access module stuck in the back ?
 

2cvbloke

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Yes, but would LG ever have provided their viewing audience with a backlog of TV content based on what was harvested by them ?
 

2cvbloke

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Yes, but would LG ever have provided their viewing audience with a backlog of TV content based on what was harvested by them ?

Had they not been discovered to have been spying on their Smart TV users' watching habits, probably... :-rofl2

After all, it could have been a nice littler earner for them, going to the various TV companies and saying "Hey, we have all this viewing data, we'll sell it to you for $xxxxxxx so you too can spy on your audiences!!", what else would they do with such harvested data? :-rofl2
 
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