Freeview has unveiled its latest weapon in the battle for eyeballs, launching its hybrid internet and broadcast set-top box for digital televisions as it looks to tap into the growing on-demand market.
On Monday, free-to-air TV platform Freeview launched what it said was the first set-top box to be certified for FreeviewPlus – a service which, among other things, aggregates free-to-air content in one place and allows catch-up viewing.
The aerialBox T2100 uses technology known as hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV) and will also include a number of applications, FreeviewPlus' electronic program guide and will allow free-to-air networks to introduce different services that would take advantage of the box's broadband connection.
Launched in the second half of last year, FreeviewPlus is aimed at the growing market for on-demand content, which has seen services such as Netflix, Stan (a 50-50 venture between Fairfax and Nine), and Presto (a 50-50 partnership between Seven and Foxtel) hit the ground running.
Demand for subscription video on-demand is predicted to be strong, with Credit Suisse forecasting there will be 1.5 million subscribers by the end of 2015.
Free-to-air broadcasters will be hoping that the new Freeview set-top box will be able to reel in more viewers in a market that has traditionally had strong leanings towards free content.
The new box will allow those who do not already have a compatible television to get FreeviewPlus. FreeviewPlus is available on a number Smart TVs within the Sony, LG, Bauhn and Hitachi brands.
"FreeviewPlus has been developed so that Australians can benefit from the best free-to-air TV experience in the world, and from today, viewers can enjoy FreeviewPlus via the new aerialBox STB," Freeview chief executive Liz Ross said.
The aerialBox T2100 will be manufactured by Dish TV and is available for $149 at Dick Smith and David Jones.
Earlier in May, SBS suddenly pulled out of Freeview, citing the Coalition government's $53.7 million cut to its funding over the next five years, joining regional broadcasters WIN and Prime, which withdrew last year.
