Streaming has firmly established itself as the future of television, with Sky investing heavily in cutting-edge technology such as Sky Glass and the Sky Stream box, which have gained significant popularity in the UK. The key attraction of these products lies in their simplicity – users can easily access a wide range of shows, sports, and movies by connecting to Wi-Fi without the need for complicated installations like engineer visits or mounting dishes on rooftops. While Sky remains a dominant player due to its extensive channel lineup and features, there are now other effortless ways to enjoy TV content.
One of these alternatives is Freely, a new option that enables households to watch live and on-demand TV without requiring an aerial, and the standout feature is that it does not necessitate a monthly subscription.
Previously, Freely was only integrated into the latest TVs from brands like Hisense, Panasonic, and Sharp, leaving owners of older TV sets or models from Samsung and LG without access.
With the recent introduction of the PLEIO Puck, developed by Netgem, this limitation has been overcome. The compact device provides complete access to Freely on any TV by simply plugging it into an HDMI port and connecting to broadband.
Once set up, the PLEIO Puck offers over 40 free channels for live and on-demand viewing via the Freely platform. Additionally, users can pause live TV, receive recommendations, and access an interactive guide to see current and upcoming programs.
In addition to Freely, the Puck also supports popular streaming apps like Disney+ and Netflix, offers over 200 games, and provides full voice control functionality.
The PLEIO Puck is now available for purchase at £99, inclusive of the device itself, a voice remote, a gamepad controller, and a three-month trial of the Netgem PLEIO subscription, which grants access to 250+ cloud games and 150+ extra channels. Subsequently, the subscription is optional at a monthly fee of £9.99.
Sylvain Thevenot, Managing Director of Netgem UK, highlighted the launch of PLEIO as a response to the fragmented entertainment market, aiming to provide consumers with a comprehensive viewing experience. He emphasized the platform’s readiness for households with Fibre broadband connectivity and its potential to offer both choice and value to consumers and operators.
Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore praised the PLEIO device as a long-overdue solution, noting the increasing demand for affordable content viewing options. He raised concerns about escalating subscription costs, partly driven by broadcasters paying more for sports rights, which are pushing viewers towards complex and fragmented viewing methods, including illegal streaming.