Freesat to launch WiFi Free time set-top this year

Free time, the new connected TV service from UK free-to-air DTH platform Freesat, will offer OTT services via WiFi by the end of the year.

Humax, the first set-top vendor to launch a Free time product, will launch a set-top with 1TB of storage and WiFi connectivity.

Free time from Freesat offers a backwards EPG linking to broadcaster catch-up platforms and a ‘showcase’ section offering editorialised recommendations. The first Free time device, a 500Gb model, will be available to consumers by the end of this month for £279 (€352). OTT services, which include the BBC’s iPlayer and ITV’s ITV Player at launch, are accessible via an Ethernet connection.

Humax’s commercial director Graham North confirmed to DTVE that the company would launch a 1TB version of the box with WiFi connectivity by the end of the year but did not say how much it would cost.