The highly anticipated launch of Freely is almost upon us – and the future of Freeview, Freesat and the TV market in the UK is about to undergo major changes. Freely, the new venture from Everyone TV (the company behind Freeview and Freesat) promises to transform the way we watch free TV, and I recently had the opportunity to get hands-on with it. I sat down with Everyone.TV’s Chief Product Officers, Carl Pfeiffer and Sarah Milton, to discuss their vision for Freely and to see the platform in action. So, is Freely the game-changer it promises to be? Will it replace Freeview as the go-to platf ..read more

With so many TV and streaming services raising their prices this month, it was only a matter of time before Sky’s streaming service NOW (formerly known as NOW TV) joined the party – and indeed, some of its prices are going up. The good news is that most of NOW’s prices are staying the same (for now, at least) – but there’s one major increase that will disappoint sports fans. Starting on April 30 (at midnight), NOW’s Day Membership for Sky Sports -which lets you watch all of Sky’s sports channels for 24 hours – will go up from £11.99 to £14.99 – a whopping 25% increase, for just a single day o ..read more

Have you always thought you don’t need a TV licence when you’re watching Netflix? Turns out you do… in some cases – and that may come as a surprise to many viewers in the UK. For many years, Netflix viewers were indeed exempt from paying the TV Licence fee. But as Netflix is slowly expanding its offering with live broadcasts, subscribers who tune into these events will find themselves subject to the same licensing requirements as traditional live TV viewers. Earlier this year, for example, Netflix aired the live Netflix Slam tennis match, live comedy specials are streamed several times a year ..read more

In a major shakeup of its pricing model, Amazon has quietly pulled the plug on its Prime Video-only subscription option for new users in both the UK and the US. The standalone option, which allowed access to Prime Video without the added benefits of a full Prime membership, was previously available at a lower monthly cost – £5.99/month in the UK and $8.99/month in the US. With this change (first spotlighted by us today), new subscribers are now directed to get the full Prime subscription – which is more expensive – even if they just want the streaming service.  Furthermore, this pricing ..read more

Sky Glass and Sky Stream, the two broadband-based devices from Sky, are set to receive a new software update that brings several new features and enhancements to the user experience. The free update, part of Sky’s Entertainment OS, will be gradually rolled out to all Sky Glass and Sky Stream users, both new and existing. Some features are already available, and others will be available in May. The update includes several UI improvements (including a Rotten Tomatoes score on every title page), but its two main attractions are the new Low-Latency modes for gaming and sports. Yes, finally – Sky ..read more

Another day, another TV price increase: DAZN, the international sports streaming platform, has announced a staggering 50% price increase for its UK subscribers. The news will disappoint both new and loyal customers who have been enjoying the platform’s extensive coverage of boxing events, featuring some of the sport’s biggest names. The substantial price hike, which will see monthly fees for the annual subscription model jump from £9.99 to £14.99 (see full details below), has been met with anger from subscribers on social media, who are already threatening to leave the service.  What’s D ..read more

Just when you thought wired earbuds were out – SoundMAGIC pulls (the wires) back in. In a surprising twist, the company has announced the launch of their latest wired earphones, the E80D today. And despite earphone wires seemingly being a thing of the past, SoundMAGIC has brought them back with a modern twist – a USB-C connector (instead of the traditional 3.5mm jack plug) that can be connected to any modern smartphone. The E80D are available starting today (April 16, 2024) for £39.98 ($45.99 in the US). SoundMAGIC, founded in 2005 by acoustic design engineer Tony Xu, has a history of d ..read more

In a bid to sweeten the deal for its customers, Sky is now offering extended free trials for two popular streaming services. For a limited time, Sky subscribers can enjoy three months of free access to Apple TV+, which offers critically acclaimed original content, and Hayu, which specializes in reality TV shows and true crime documentaries. Apple TV+, known for its high-quality originals, such as the Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso and the gripping WWII drama Masters of The Air, has become a go-to destination for discerning viewers seeking thought-provoking and engaging content. Meanwhile, Hayu ..read more

Remember those futuristic homes from 80s and 90s movies? The ones with smart panels on the walls, controlling everything in the house with a simple touch (or, all too often, with a mere clap of the hands)? Well, the Amazon Echo Hub is exactly what those movies promised us: a control panel that aims to control every smart device in our home, be it a lamp, a security camera in the garden, the boiler, and of course – every other Amazon Echo device you might have around the house. The Echo Hub certainly looks and feels like it belongs in that futuristic vision. But now that this long-awaited futu ..read more

Are you tired of those confusing broadband, TV and mobile price increases every year? This week, BT Group unveiled its new pricing strategy, which aims to provide customers with more clarity and certainty about their future telecom bills. Starting in March 2025, BT, EE, and Plusnet customers will continue to see annual price increases on their mobile, broadband, and TV services – but instead of obscure inflation-linked increases, they’ll know exactly how much they’ll be paying. Under the new pricing model, customers will be informed of the precise amount of the annual increase in pounds and p ..read more