Freeview Plus

Freeview Plus enables you to record, pause and rewind programmes on a PVR or personal video recorder with one or more Freeview receivers built in. This means you can have many of the features of a Sky, Virgin or BT box without the monthly subscription, so depending on the availability of channels in your area it can be a very cost-effective way to get digital TV.

What Do I Need For Freeview Plus?

Very simple – you need to have Freeview reception in your area and a Freeview Plus box, nothing more. Freeview Plus is also available in HD (just the same as normal Freeview) and for this you would need a Freeview Plus HD box and HD ready TV.

Freeview Plus is not a service as such but is a mark of approval given to any device that meets the specifications set out by Freeview. These are as follows;

EPG or Electronic Programme Guide – boxes must have at least eight-day EPG
Series link – this is where you can set one timer to record a whole series
Record split programmes as one programme – for example when a film is split in half by the news
Offer to record related programme
Record alternative showing if there is a time conflict
Schedule changes updated in standby – for example if you set the timer to record a programme and switch the recorder off (into standby mode) and the programme time is changed the recorder knows this
Accurate recording – programmes are recorded based on signals sent by the broadcaster rather than scheduled time

Compare Freeview Plus to Sky, Virgin and BT

What is the difference then between a Freeview Plus box and one of the boxes included in a package from the main TV providers? There is a huge range to choose from when it comes to Freeview boxes so here are the key features of the Sky, Virgin and BT TV boxes to use for comparison when you’re choosing.

Sky+ and Sky+HD Box

Storage 500GB
EPG 7 days
Number of tuners 2
HD ready Yes, with the HD pack
3D ready Yes, with Sky World package

Virgin V+HD Box

Storage 160GB
EPG 7 days
Number of tuners 3
HD ready Yes
3D ready Yes

Virgin TiVo Box

Storage 1TB and 500GB available
EPG 14 days
Number of tuners 3
HD ready Yes
3D ready Yes

BT Vision+ Box

Storage 160GB
EPG 14 days
Number of tuners 2
HD ready Yes
3D ready Yes

What to Look For in A Freeview Plus Box

How many tuners? If you have 2 tuners in a Freeview box it means the box can record one channel while you watch another, which is pretty essential. Some boxes even have 3 tuners so this is a consideration
How much memory? The TV you record needs to be stored in the box in the same way as data is stored on a computer and the capacity is measured in Gigabytes or GB. Many sizes are available but as a guide 500GB will store about 250 hours of standard definition TV and 1 Terabyte (1TB, which is 1000GB) will store around 500 hours
EPG – how many days ahead can you plan your TV recording? Some boxes will give you a 14 day EPG, good for setting recordings while you’re away on holiday