What is FREEVIEW?

FREEVIEW is the easiest way to watch digital TV for free. There are up to 50 digital TV channels to choose from , not to mention 24 digital radio stations, better picture and sound quality and great interactive features when you press the red button on your remote.

With FREEVIEW there's no contract or subscription. Just check you are in coverage, plug it in and away you go!

How can I get FREEVIEW?

FetchTV’s SmartBoxes come with all FREEVIEW channels as standard, All you need to do is check you are in a Freeview coverage area before you buy a digital box or digital TV. To do this use the coverage check link below. If you are not in a FREEVIEW coverage area now then you may need to wait for the digital TV switchover. The whole of the UK will go digital between 2008-12. When your area goes digital, you should be able to see the Freeview channels.

FREEVIEW COVERAGE CHECKER

Will I need a new aerial?

Freeview tell us that a few people will need an aerial upgrade to receive the full range of channels from Freeview ? more information is provided in the coverage checker or consult an aerial installer. For more information visit www.freeview.co.uk

What channels will I get with FREEVIEW?

There are up to 48 digital TV channels, plus 20 digital radio channels with Freeview. For more information visit www.freeview.co.uk

What is FREEVIEW+?

With Freeview+ you'll get all the benefits of tape-free digital recording on top of access to Freeview's great range of TV and radio channels.

With the great functions available from Freeview+, TV viewing has never been better. You are free to control your TV entertainment experience. Pause, record and rewind live TV to fit around your work and play. You'll never miss a thing especially as you can now record an entire series at the touch of a button.

Why do I need broadband?

You’ll need a broadband connection to access FetchTV’s video on demand service, as well as catch up TV services like BBC iPlayer.

Do I need to change my broadband provider?

No, the FetchTV service works on any broadband connection. We do recommend a minimum connection speed of 2mbps in order to get the best out of the service.

How much does it cost?

FetchTV SmartBoxes are available for around £179.99 for a standard definition twin tuner box and around £99.99 for the standard definition single tuner box. The Technika SmartBox 8320HD is available exclusively from Tesco for £200 and allows you to watch and record FREEVIEW's high definition channels, subject to coverage. All three SmartBoxes require internet connectivity for access to services like movies and TV on demand, remote recording, Sky Player and BBC iPlayer.

Do I have to pay a subscription?

No, you don’t have to pay a subscription for anything. With FREEVIEW, all of your TV channels are free. With FetchTV, premium movies and TV shows are available on a pay as you go basis, but there are some subscriptions available and we are looking at adding more convenient packages in the future. For premium online services like Sky Player, a Sky iD and Sky TV or Sky Player subscription is needed.

Do I have to pay for Catch Up TV?

No, access to all Catch Up TV services is currently free of charge, all you need to do is register your SmartBox with a FetchTV customer account.

Can I watch BBC iPlayer programmes on my TV?

Yes, the FetchTV & Technika SmartBoxes let you watch a range of free web video services. You can watch BBC iPlayer content as well as other free web video from Channel 4, Sky Sports news, CNN, Jamie's Ministry of Food and lots more.

How many hours of programmes can I record?

That usually depends on the size of the hard drive. The SmartBox 8320HD has a 320GB hard drive where you can store up to 160 Hours of standard definition FREEVIEW recordings or up to 40 hours of FREEVIEW HD recordings. The SmartBox 8000 has a 160GB hard drive, letting you store around 80 hours, and the SmartBox 7000 has an 80GB hard drive, so you can record around 40 hours of TV, but remember, both SmartBoxes have USB ports so you can archive your favourite programmes onto external hard drives and play them again and again. Streaming services like BBC iPlayer and Sky Player cannot be recorded on your SmartBox.

How much do I have to pay for downloads from FetchTV?

That really depends on the title and the studio it comes from, the latest/new release movies in high definition are £4.99, the latest releases in standard definition are normally £3.49 and these can be watched as many times as you wish over a 24 hour period. Library movies usually cost £1.99, with other items priced at £2.99, £1.99, £0.99 and £0.49p dependant on the title, studio and programme length.

How regularly are the on demand movies updated?

Movies are updated all the time - visit our what's on pages to see a sample of our latest movies and list of titles that are coming soon.

Where can I get a FetchTV or Technika SmartBox?

The Technika SmartBox 8320HD is exclusive to Tesco and is available in Tesco Extra stores and online at Tesco Direct. The SmartBox 8000 is available to buy online from our shop and at John Lewis stores . You can also buy your SmartBox 8000 online from Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk and Carphonewarehouse.com; you will also find the SmartBox 8000 in Carphone Warehouse Wireless World Stores. The SmartBox 7000 is currently only available through our own online store.

Can I get FetchTV without a SmartBox?

No, the FetchTV video on demand service is currently only available with a FetchTV or Technika SmartBox.

Can I get FetchTV on my computer?

No, the FetchTV video on demand service is currently only available through the FetchTV SmartBox.

Can I view subtitles?

Yes you can. To view these press the 'INFO' button on the remote control followed by the yellow fast text button.

Can I set the FetchTV or Technika SmartBox to record in advance?

Yes, with a FetchTV or Technika SmartBox it is really easy to pre-select the recordings you wish to make, directly from the on screen TV up to 8 days in advance. You can also set your SmartBox to Series Link from your on screen EPG and record all episodes in a series so you need never miss your favourite shows again. With a FetchTV account you can also set recordings on your SmartBox from a PC or internet enabled mobile phone using remote recording.

Can I pause, or rewind, live TV?

Yes, to do this you need to press the central 'OK' button on the remote control handset. Once you have paused the programme you can then rewind by pressing the left double arrow button '<<', or fast forward (only until the programme is then live) by pressing the right double arrow button '>>'.

How can I access my recorded programmes?

You can access them by pressing the 'MENU' button on the remote control, then selecting the 'MY RECORDINGS' option. Here you will see a list of recorded & downloaded programmes you can watch these by pressing the 'OK' button on the remote or delete them by pressing the yellow button.

Programmes that you have not watched yet are marked with a '*'.

Programmes are sorted by the date you recorded them, but you can change this by pressing the '>>' button. You can sort by date, or by expiration (this is for programmes that have been downloaded, which also appear in the My Recordings list).

How can I access my downloaded programmes?

You can access them by pressing the 'MENU' button on the remote control, then selecting the 'MY RECORDINGS' option. Here you will see a list of recorded & downloaded programmes. You can watch these by pressing the 'OK' button on the remote or delete them by pressing the yellow button.

Programmes that you have not watched yet are marked with a '*'.

Programmes are sorted by the date you downloaded them, but you can change this by pressing the '>>' button. You can sort by date, or by expiration - remember to watch downloaded programmes before the licence expires.

Can I record one programme while watching another?

The Technika SmartBox 8320HD and the FetchTV SmartBox 8000 have twin tuners, so yes, you will be able to, you can even record two channels and watch a programme using the TV's tuner (analogue or digital) while the SmartBox continues to record if you choose. Just use your TV remote to switch to the TV's built-in tuner (ensure that loop-through cable is in place).

With the Technika SmartBox 8320HD and the FetchTV SmartBox 8000, you can also watch a recorded programme, or download and watch videos from FetchTV's on Demand service whilst recording two channels.

The FetchTV SmartBox 7000 only has one tuner. But you can watch a programme using the TV's tuner (analogue or digital) while the SmartBox continues to record - just use your TV remote to switch to the TV's built-in tuner (ensure that loop-through cable is in place).

You can also watch a recorded programme and record another one at the same time.

Can I connect the FetchTV or Technika SmartBox to a Hi-Fi system or to a home cinema?

Yes, the FetchTV and Technika SmartBoxes include 2 audio output formats for maximum flexibility. You can connect your Hi-Fi system to the SmartBox using the analogue audio line-out (jack connector) or you can connect a home cinema to the digital optical output (S/PDIF). Digital 5.1 sound is available only through the digital output and when included in the programme file.

How do I connect to my home network?

You can connect your FetchTV or Technika SmartBox directly to your broadband router using the supplied ethernet cable, or by WiFi (Technika SmartBox 8320HD and FetchTV SmartBox 8000 only) or by using a pair of powerline adaptors, that will use your home mains as an Ethernet connection. It is best to enable DHCP settings on your router, to automatically allocate a network address to your SmartBox, but if you do use static IP addresses, then you can input these settings to your SmartBox by going to MENU>PREFERENCES>NETWORK and choosing manual.

Can the Ethernet connection be used to connect to a wireless gaming bridge?

Yes it can. Provided the bridge is connected to your home network the FetchTV SmartBox and Technika SmartBox will still see this as an Ethernet connection and will connect to the bridge. The Technika SmartBox 8320HD and the FetchTV SmarBox 8000 have on-board WiFi as standard.

I have a Wi-Fi device that connects by USB. Can this plug into the side?

No. USB Wi-Fi devices require drivers to be installed, and there is no way to do this on the FetchTV SmartBox 7000.

The Technika SmartBox 8320HD and the FetchTV SmartBox 8000 have on-board WiFi as standard.

Will the FetchTV or Technika SmartBox be configured for my network automatically?

Yes, providing your home router is set up for DHCP (most are set for this at the factory) then the SmartBox will automatically be assigned an IP address and connect to the internet. If you wish to give the SmartBox its own IP address this can be done via the internet configuration menu: MENU>PREFERENCES>NETWORK and changing the configuration to manual.

How do I access content on my PC?

Once you have installed Windows Media Player 11 on your PC please re-boot it. Once you have done this make sure that you have set WMP to allow the device to share content by going to "Library" and then "Media Sharing" and set the preferences to allow media sharing.