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Freeview

There has been a lot of publicity in New Zealand about our new TV broadcasting method, called Freeview.

What is Freeview?
Freeview is a new, Free-To-Air digital television and radio service. It will be replacing the previous analogue transmission. Through this new digital service, TV broadcasters like TVNZ and MediaWorks can broadcast new channels and digital services to New Zealand consumers.

What's all the fuss about?
A digital television service offers a lot of advantages over an analogue service including better picture quality, support for high-definition TV, programme guides on your TV up to a week in advance and other interactive features.

Should I get Freeview Terrestrial or Satellite?
There are some differences between the two broadcasts.
We recommend you get Freeview Terrestrial, if possible, because the terrestrial signal includes more channels and supports high-definition content.

You can check coverage in your area on the Freeview website http://www.freeviewnz.tv/all_about_freeview/coverage

Can I get Freeview?
Freeview is intended to be available to all New Zealanders but coverage may vary depending on your local environment.
1.    Freeview Terrestrial (Over-the-air UHF signal) is available in about 75% of New Zealand.
2.    Freeview Satellite is available nearly everywhere including some rural areas.

What does Freeview cost?
Freeview is, as the name implies, free to receive. There are no fees, or ongoing monthly costs to receive it, and the broadcasters have promised that this will not change.
However, there are some equipment requirements including an antenna or satellite dish capable of receiving Freeview, a Freeview decoder and a TV.

What kind of Freeview decoder should I buy?
There are many different models and brands of decoder on the market. You should purchase a 'Freeview Approved' decoder which has been tested in NZ. You will need a decoder that suits your signal type, either UHF or Satellite.

Pricing for a decoder starts at around $150. You can now purchase decoders with extra features such a hard drive, to allow you to record TV shows and watch them later or schedule your recordings in advance from the programme guide, and also decoders with multiple tuners, which means you can watch one channel and record another at the same time.

Installation
We'd recommend you get an approved Freeview installer to install, setup and test your new Freeview equipment. If you have a Sky Satellite dish or UHF antenna already, you may be able to setup Freeview yourself.

At some point in the next few years, the analogue transmission of TV in NZ will be switched off. After that, to get TV in NZ, you will have to have Freeview.

For more information on Freeview, check out the Freeview NZ website at http://www.freeviewnz.tv/