New Samsung TV'S Freeview or not??

p4ddy

Standard Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
37
Reaction score
1
Points
56
Location
South UK
Right then, I've searched everywhere and it's mixed bag of answers as to whether new Samsung's can receive all Freeview channels (Dave, Quest, etc etc). I"d say 85% of the results I find say no they cannot receive these channels and to do so would require a separate Freeview box. But then there's the 15% saying they do and that ALL TV's can receive Freeview?. Surely then if those 15% were correct then there would be no market for the separate boxes.
I read about Samsung's having an issue with Freeview and were no longer allowed to sell their TV's with freeview in the specs? I see Sony has both Freeview and Freesat tuners built in as does our present chicken foot Samsung but Samsung only specifies 'play tv'?. I have no idea what that is.
Anyhow we've see a lovely looking 43in Samsung but if it requires a separate box and therefore a second remote we'll go for the 43in Sony we saw instead.

Oh I should say I'm talking about Freeview and NOT Freeview Play.
 
I've contacted Samsung and I've been assured the TV does receive Freeview without an additional box. However as it's a 2021 model it doesn't support BBC iPlayer, itv hub, all4 etc. These will come whenever they can but who knows when that could be. So it looks like we'll be jumping the Samsung ship and seeking refuge on HMS Sony.
 
The market for set-top boxes is there because people want to be able to record and record more than one channel at a time, something TV's aren’t good at doing.
 
There will also be people still clinging on to their old CRTs and early LCD TVs which didn't have a digital tuner so, for them, Freeview set-top boxes will be the only option. Cheap STBs will often have a scart socket (as well as HDMI) for this reason.

Early 'HD Ready' LCD and plasma TVs often only had a Freeview SD (DVB-T) tuner, so a modern Freeview HD (DVB-T2) STB would be a way of getting the Freeview HD channels onto those TVs. Some SD channels also come bundled with those HD channels, so adding an HD STB will also increase the number of available SD channels.

AFAIK, all TVs currently sold in the UK should be capable of receiving all of the Freeview channels but it'll obviously be your location and aerial set-up that will determine which channels you actually get. Inclusion of Freeview Play and associated catch-up apps may also differ between manufacturers.
 
p4ddy,

What did you do in the end? I've got a Samsung 2020 model and can't get any Freeview channels at all, even though the shop (Currys) absolutely insisted my TV had built-in Freeview.

As a test, I plugged in an older digital TV (which definitely does have Freeview) into the same Ariel socket, and it came up blank too. Which obviously suggests there's a problem with the aerial or possibly the wall socket. But what? God only knows. For the moment, I'm stuck with Sumsung TV Plus channels or catch-up.

On your other point about BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, etc. Mine does have those and more, and that's from a 2020 model. So it'd be hard to believe Samsung have dropped this capability from newer models.
 
All TV's sold in the UK have digital terrestrial Freeview tuners so yes, they all have Freeview.
You need to get your aerial fixed.
 
All TV's sold in the UK have digital terrestrial Freeview tuners so yes, they all have Freeview.
You need to get your aerial fixed.
What is your evidence for this? There is plenty that 2020 and 2021 Samsung TV's do not, in fact, come with DVBT/S inputs, and rely exclusively on their own 'TVPlus' service... Wanted to avoid LG but I cant buy a TV without a tuner!
 
All Samsung TV's sold in the UK with a Belling-Lee coax aerial input have a DVB-T tuner.
The TV Plus section is derived from your internet connection.
 
What is your evidence for this? There is plenty that 2020 and 2021 Samsung TV's do not, in fact, come with DVBT/S inputs, and rely exclusively on their own 'TVPlus' service... Wanted to avoid LG but I cant buy a TV without a tuner!
If a Samsung TV is listed as having 'TV Plus', then I believe this is their alternative to 'Freeview Play' which is commonly found on other TVs. This is an interface that brings together all the online catch-up streaming apps and will be in addition to any conventional TV Freeview tuner, which all UK TVs should have.

I've come across some PC monitor hybrids that have online-only access to catch-up TV services and no tuner, but not TVs.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom