Thursday 21 May 2009

Freeview is about limiting your TV capabilities

There are ads currently running on Australian TV about "Freeview" saying that "Only Freeview gives you high-definition television" etc.

Lies.

Take note: Freeview is just a trademark that signifies compliance with a certain set of features. While some of those standard features are good (160GB hard drive, HD tuners) some are designed specifically to limit the functionality of the device. For instance, to sport the Freeview name and logo, a set-top box MUST apply evil DRM to any recordings in the device and those copied off, and NOT provide any ability to skip ads (but they can skip forward 10 minutes at a time).

So if you build a set-top box that is too functional, it can't be called Freeview. Freeview certification is more about making sure of what the device can't do rather than what it can. Other set-top boxes can be sold without the Freeview name, but if people are only aware of the "only Freeview" campaign, DVD recorders and other useful devices will disappear entirely due to poor sales.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - This is why the Freeview and "Get Ready" campaigns launched at the same time.
PPS - More details here.

2 comments:

Miv said...

Freeview is one of the biggest rort to approach Australian consumers in recent history.

There is not new content, there are no new channels. Allowing me high resolution images of the same outdated crap is not new, not innovative, and certainly not worth signing up for anything with DRM in it.

So far only two stations have presented new content, one and abc2, and even then abc2 is still largely time shifted abc1.

What I can't understand though is what upsets me more, that this is considered a valid attempt at marketing spin, or that society in general would actually fall for this horrible gimick.

John said...

Getting people to fall for it is the main idea behind launching the Freeview name at the same time as the "Get Ready" campaign. The latter brings digital TV into the public mindset (and gets them looking for special labels on new equipment) and the former shows them a specific "digital-ready" label to look for. Pure evil genius. I despise it, but I have a horrible sinking feeling that it's going to work.

The best bet to keep Freeview from succeeding at their goals is to educate your friends and family. Make sure they understand what Freeview actually means, and convince them not to buy Freeview-branded equipment. Freeview is NOT the name for digital free-to-air TV. It is the name for taking away your right to do as you please with your own television.

It should probably be called LockedUpView, shouldn't it?