Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I am coming to the end of a free month of Amazon Prime, including their TV streaming service.

An advert popped-up yesterday for "Amazon Freevee", apparently freeview TV supported by ads.

Will I be able to access this using the Virgin V6 once the Prime trial ends? :dunce:

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

It's not Freeview but it should work as long as you have an Amazon account..... Doesn't need to be the paid prime account

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Hence I didn't capitalise the "F".

I have an Amazon account, and have had one for years, but I have never seen any mention of Freevee before.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Freevee has been around a couple of years although was called IMDBTV until last year.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I find it shocking that you've never heard of it, if you used Prime video.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Freevee is just an alternative to Pluto TV. Similar drivel as the FAST channels in the 220s on the epg. Utter rubbish.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

The trial lasted a month (expires today) and an advert for it just popped-up during a show that was "included with Prime". A complete surprise to me.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

There are on-demand films including old MGM films like The Big Lebowski and other new content like Judge Judy and Neighbours...so not identical to Pluto.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

It's got Bosch Legacy on there which is a great spin off from Bosch, what kind of crap do you watch?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Four more FAST Channels set to be added to Virgin EPG by November 18th.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

What the frack is a 'FAST' channel :confused:

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Free Ad Supported Television.. ... Also known as S H 1 T E

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Also known as ITV, C4, C5, etc…

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

No. It's Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television. Niche channels that can't justify the cost of being broadcast.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

The menu on the left hand side of the screen lists -

Find
Home
Store
Live TV
Free with ads
My stuff.

You will find freevee under 'Free with ads'

---------- Post added at 09:34 ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 ----------

Correct. These are the channels that are most likely to survive if the existing scheduled broadcast channels go IPTV only by 2035.

But they certainly are cheap and cheerful - some would say rubbish.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

A big if there OB.

How would one distinguish scheduled broadcast television and FAST channels in an IP only era? You could almost do away with the separation and just call it linear television.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

So I opened the Amazon site on my PC, searched "Freevee", and up popped a list of films I would really watch. But not on my PC. So I'll have to get a USB stick for the living room TV.

At first look, none of the films were available to me during the Prime trial.

You can stream content on Amazon Freevee using the Freevee app on the following devices:

Fire TV
Android TV devices
Google TV
Apple TV (4th & 5th Generation)
Android mobile devices
iOS devices (such as iPhones and iPads)
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Fire tablets

The cheapest is £35, but it costs another £35 for a remote control. ???

https://www.amazon.co.uk/fire-tv-sti...ps%2C84&sr=1-1

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Firestick has a remote control included. They are much cheaper on prime days or black Friday..... Usually under £20.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

HD Google Chromecast is on Black Friday offer already £22.99

I prefer the Roku devices but both offer good support for the streamers both subscription and free ones

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Thank you for the update.

And of course these are channels which VM seemingly chooses to withhold from TV-only customers.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

That one is marked "Android TV boxes". Is that it's operating system or the type of TV it requires? :dunce:

I thought I had found a cheaper HD Google Chromecast but then saw the P&P "£17.10 + £7.21 Delivery".

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Except the FAST channels are very different from ‘normal’ channels. You only have to try watching them to see that.

I know you think that the linear channels will survive after IPTV takes over from transmitters, but if you take a look at Pluto TV for example, you will see an on demand option on there as well. Freevee is the same.

Just ask yourself, with all the content of those FAST channels at your fingertips, why would you opt to wait for the beginning of the next programme or jump into the middle of it through the channel section when you can watch it from the beginning simply by selecting the on demand option?

When IPTV only happens, I wouldn’t have thought that the majority who watch this stuff would prefer to go to the linear channel for a worse service, would you?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Not sure why you persist with this circuitous argument but the idea these nonentities could provide linear television with nobody watching it yet the biggest players in the industry couldn’t is preposterous.

Whether the majority prefer streaming is irrelevant.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

On the first point, I didn't say that.

On the second point, I agree, but I'm not the one who tells me ad nauseum that the channels will still be there post 2035, so clearly, it's relevant to you.

I simply say there would be no point in displaying the channels after the transmitters are turned off for TV broadcasts, when everything can be streamed over IPTV. There's nothing to stop them from doing so if they choose to do so, either to cater for the stick-in-the-muds or because the government tells them the public service channels have to.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

The stand-alone Freevee app isn't available on most platforms in the UK but Freevee content is usually available on the Prime Video app.

Just scroll down to the "free with ads" section for Freevee on demand content.

Some Prime Video apps also have the Freevee FAST channels, if available they will be in the "Live TV" section (e.g. on Roku devices).

Beware though, the "Live TV" section also contains Prime Video premium channel packages, so only select channels in the Freevee sub-section (if available).

---------- Post added at 14:58 ---------- Previous post was at 14:51 ----------

Except they aren't very different. Of the thousands of FAST channels available globally, many are copies of or replacements of traditional linear channels.

Many genres, e.g. News, Current Affairs, Music Videos, Kids content etc are ideally suited to the format.

Drama / Procedurals / Reality content is generally available for binge watching, which might not suit everyone but traditional linear channels have been doing the same thing for years.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Does the VM version of the Prime app have the Freevee content?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

[QUOTE=cheekyangus;36163858]Does the VM version of the Prime app have the Freevee content?]
Yes, under the ‘Free with ads’ section of the Amazon app.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Yes as OLD BOY has confirmed. I don't know if any of VM's devices have the FAST channels though, the V6 doesn't. I also checked Amazon Fire devices and they have Freevee content on both the Prime Video and the Freevee apps, which is interesting.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

[QUOTE=OLD BOY;36163859]Browsing from the Amazon homepage, I found Freevee content that I had not seen anywhere on the trial Prime TV app.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Some classic carp like The Walking Deceased... Lol

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Thanks.

I'm only vaguely interested in Freevee. Mostly for the Leverage spinoff and possibility of seeing the rest of Bosch, which I saw Season 1 of before Amazon's abysmal treatment of LoveFilm put the final nail in and I've been avoiding them ever since.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Yes, Chromecast is technically an Android TV box and works with any TV with an HDMI socket.
Think of it as another device to watch TV on, set your TV to that HDMI input number and use the Chromecast remote to navigate what you want to watch.

Hope that helps

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I've opted for the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device, to be a bit future-proof. An extra £10 at £34.99, but the base model demands £5 postage.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Good choice.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I ordered the Firestick last evening. It arrived just after lunch today (free delivery, not PRIME).

It's set up now, and I must say the image is far superior to what comes out of the V6 box.

Time for a play later.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Our daughter linked her Disney+ account to the stick, so I blasted through "The Mandalorian" and now "Secret Invasion".

Lots of stuff on Freevee has kept me very well entertained. The only downside is the complete lack of subtitles so far.

I find navigation a little clunky, but I can always ask Alexa on the remote.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Everything I've watched on Freevee has subtitles, give me a list that you're not seeing subs on and I'll check as there are 2 ways to watch Freevee via the stick but I think I've been using the Prime Video app button either on the stick or my new TV.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I was really thinking either there were no subtitles or I had made an error in the settings. Then I started a film in Freevee, and up popped text!

So it's not settings, but a general lack of available subtitles.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

It's been OK up until now. Disney+ via the Firestick now needs the TV volume at maximum to make it audible.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Are you using the sound on your 22in TV or do you have a soundbar?

I'd recommend a cheap soundbar if you don't have one it's a game changer atleast to my dodgy ears.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

TV speakers at the moment. I did look at sound bars, but they were all too wide.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Yes it's probably difficult with such a small TV, could you not consider upgrading it to atleast a still small 32in?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Maximum size is determined by space unfortunately.

I just checked, and realised I made a typo yesterday. The set is 32" not 22" !!

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Currys has some compact sound bars like this one which is only 45cm wide.


https://www.currys.co.uk/products/pa...-10178262.html

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

A lot of the reviews are not good at all. And my set only has 2 HDMI ports, both in use for V6 and the firestick. I'll look to see if it has an optical port.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Can your TV accept a wireless soundbar?

---------- Post added at 19:13 ---------- Previous post was at 19:10 ----------

Probably 10 times better than your TV speakers.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

I finally solved the sound problem. The TV has an audio setting to change volume levels for other input (e.g. HDMI). I had to crank that up to almost max to get a decent sound level when using the fire stick.

Another problem has been subtitles, but a mate sent me a link to a YouTuber who explained that many of the apps ignore the fire settings, and do their own thing with regards to turning subtitles on or off. I shall have a fiddle later.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

My Freevee on channel 205 has been down for two days now. It shows a security message and do I want to go back or proceed? No buttons allow me to do either. Can I fix it or will I have to call an engineer?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

It's a known problem. Bear with it and it will start working again.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

The service status says it will be fixed today but nothing yet. That's a lot of episodes of Neighbours to catch up.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Isn't the app on ure smart tv

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

It's every app, not just Amazon. Over a week and counting. All on my cable TV.

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Are the Streamed channels 25i/30i or something as they jump like crazy?

Re: Amazon Freevee on Virginmedia
 

Well Channel 4 etc is not breaking up any more, so thanks Virgin.

And most of the Stream channels are not jumping/skipping neither, thanks again.