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Freeview Equipment

Here is our guide designed to help you understand the terminology used when buying a Freeview device.

Equipment Guide – our guide to different types of Freeview devices

This part of our Buyer’s Guide is devided in to two parts :-

  • What equipment do I need to get Freeview and use a Freeview Recorder?
  • What are all the different types of Freeview equipment?

What Equipment do I need to get Freeview and use a Freeview Recorder?

Actually not a lot – in short, a TV, a Freeview box and an aerial.

TV – this doesn’t matter if it is a digital or analogue tv – so long as it has a scart socket you will be ok as the vast majority of Freeview devices connect to your TV via scart. Most freeview recorders also work well with surround sound systems but these are optional. If you need tv speakers, Cheap Speakers is a good resource.

Freeview box – this could be a simple Freeview receiver if you just want to watch, or a Freeview Recorder if you want to record programs to watch at a later date (see our comprehensive guide to the different types of Freeview devices below).

Aerial – while Freeview will work with an indoor aerial in some areas, it is best to use an outdoor aerial, or perhaps a loft-aerial.  You can use the Freeview Coverage Checker to see what channels you may be able to receive in your area, but this isn’t always 100% accurate. From experience, the bext way to check is speak to your neighbours and see what sort of aerial they have. Chances are, there will be someone on your street using Freeview who will be able to tell you what they use.

What are all the different types of Freeview equipment?

There a number of different types of devices that all carry the Freeview and Freeview + logos. This guide helps compare Freeview devices.

  • Freeview Receiver – (or Freeview Set-top-box) a Freeview Receiver is what is commonly known as a set-top-box or digital tv. When connected to a TV aerial, it gives you access to up to 48 free digital tv channels and numerous digital radio channels with no subscription. A Freeview box typically connects to your TV via a scart lead.
  • Freeview Recorder – (or Freeview +, Freeview Playback) adds the ability to record any of the Freeview channels on a tape-less system. A Freeview Recorder has a built in Freeview tuner, so you don’t need two separate boxes.
    • Freeview Hard Drive Recorder – quite simply a hard drive recorder will record Freeview channels using a hard disk drive (similar to one you would find in a computer) to store the recordings. What it means is that any recordings you make stay on that machine and cannot be taken and played on another machine in a different room or taken to friends’ houses for example, like you could with a VHS recorder.
    • Freeview DVD Recorder – instead of using a hard drive to store the recordings, these devices record the programs on to recordable DVDs. They have their pros and cons – for example you need to make sure you put a DVD in the machine before it will record, and it must have space on the DVD (similar to a VHS video recorder) although you dont need to worry about rewinding or forwarding to the right place – the machine does this for you. In addition, you will need to buy some recordable DVDs to use with it. The upside is that once recorded, you can play the recordings on any DVD player that will play recordable DVDs, including laptops and computers etc.
    • Freeview DVD/HD recorder – combines both of the above. Generally will record the Freeview channels on to the hardr drive and then adds the ability to transfer recordings on to a DVD if you want to archive it, or give it to someone else to watch.
  • TV with Freeview Recorder – these devices have a Freeview Recorder (typically the hard drive type) integrated with a TV in one unit. Great if you are short of space and also does away with the need for multiple power supplies and aerial cables messing up your lounge or bedroom. Improvements in technology means that these are often flat screen LCD TVs.
  • Freesat – still digital TV but different to Freeview in that it uses a satellite dish rather than an aerial. See our Freesat Guide for more details.
  • Freesat Recorder – the equivalent of a Freeview Recorder only for the Freesat System. See our Freesat Guide for more details.