Freeview 101

Freeview is the trading name of DTV Services Limited. It is the name for the collection of free-to-air services on the Digital Terrestrial Television platform in the UK. It is a service jointly run by the current five equal shareholders, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and transmitter operator Arqiva. DTV Services is designed to market changes to the platform. DTV Services is responsible for marketing services such as Freeview+, the PVR brand and Freeview HD.

All Technical specification information for Freeview is published and maintained by the Digital TV Group, the industry association for digital TV in the UK. They are also responsible for the testing and conformance regime for Freeview, Freeview + and Freeview HD products. DMOL, a company owned by the operators of the six DTT multiplexes (BBC, ITV, C4, and Arqiva) is responsible for technical platform management and policy, including the electronic programme guide and channel numbering.

Freeview officially launched on 30 October 2002 at 5 am when the BBC and Crown Castle (now Arqiva) officially took over the digital terrestrial television (DTT) licences to broadcast on the three multiplexes from the defunct ITV Digital (originally called ONdigital). The founding members of DTV Services, who trade as Freeview, were the BBC, Crown Castle UK (now part of Arqiva) and British Sky Broadcasting. On 11 October 2006, ITV plc and Channel 4 became equal shareholders. Since then, the Freeview model has been copied in Australia and New Zealand.

To receive the services that Freeview promotes, either a television with an integrated digital tuner, or an existing standard analogue television receiver (used as a display device) plus a set-top box (typically available from £15) or digital PVR is required. (New analogue receivers are no longer sold as there will be no more analog transmissions after the 2010-2012 digital switchover.) DTT tuners for computers are also available from about £15. Some retailers say that a digital television receiver is actually required, which is untrue.