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Originally Posted by Hugh

...and replied based on your choice of words "transition rather than a permanent feature".

If one asks the question "are parallel DVB services over IP a permanent feature", the answer is

It gave him the obvious answer "It looks like the “parallel DVB over IP” part of the Freely service in the UK is intended as a transition rather than a permanent fix.."
Any parallel service is transitional, the same applied to radio and analogue / digital tv transitions. The hybrid system is always transitional, until the legacy system is turned off.

Let's dive deeper with OB's favoured friend... err.. AI chatbot.

Asking a similar question to OB, it gave the reply (lots of irrelevant AI nonsense clipped):

Yes — from what I can find, the IP‑delivery via Freely is very much designed as a transition step rather than a permanent, exclusive replacement of broadcast (DTT) imminently. It seems to be part of a planned evolution, where over time more services shift from terrestrial broadcast to IP/broadband, but with broadcast maintained at least until the mid‑2030s.

Moving on...

What do you mean by "transitional step"?

Great question. When I say that Freely's parallel DVB-over-IP services are a "transitional step," I mean that:

They are intended to bridge the current traditional broadcast model (Freeview via aerial) with a future model where TV is delivered entirely over broadband/IP.

Let’s break that down more clearly.
✅ Current State: Traditional Broadcast (DVB-T)

• Most homes receive free-to-air TV (BBC, ITV, etc.) via terrestrial signals using an aerial (DTT = Digital Terrestrial Television).
• This uses the DVB standard over RF (radio frequencies) and requires spectrum (airwaves), masts, transmitters, and local aerials.

�� What Freely Introduces: Parallel IP Delivery

• Freely delivers those same linear (live) channels via IP (Internet Protocol) over broadband — not via aerial.
• It replicates the Freeview-like experience without needing a broadcast signal.
• But right now, it runs in parallel with traditional DTT services.

�� Transitional Step Means:

• Not permanent as-is: The dual system (aerial + IP) is meant to ease the move toward full IP-delivery of all channels.
• Over time, more channels will be available only over IP, and fewer via aerial/DTT.
• Eventually, when IP coverage, reliability, and adoption are sufficient, the broadcast side (DTT) could be phased out — possibly around or after 2034, when current DTT licenses expire.

Analogy:

Think of this like how the UK transitioned from:

• Analogue TV → Digital TV (Freeview): for a while both were available. Then analogue was turned off.
• Now it's moving from:
  • Digital Broadcast TV (via aerial) → Digital Streaming/IP TV: Freely is the hybrid in the middle.

So, when I say "transitional," I mean:

• It’s not the final destination, but a designed phase in the journey from terrestrial broadcast to IP-based TV.
• It’s meant to allow broadcasters, manufacturers, and viewers to adapt gradually over the next 5–10 years.

Next question...

So the broadcast + IP stage is transitional but what about the new DVB over IP infrastructure is this a permanent replacement?

Excellent follow-up — and you’re zeroing in on a key distinction.
In short:

Yes — the broadcast + IP phase is transitional, but
the new DVB(-like) over IP infrastructure is intended to be permanent, or at least long-term.

Let’s clarify exactly what that means:
�� Transitional: Broadcast + IP Stage

• This is the hybrid phase we’re in now (and likely until ~2034):
  • Traditional broadcast (DTT via DVB-T) continues over aerials.
  • IP-delivered channels (via Freely) run in parallel.
• Purpose: To ease migration from aerial to broadband for viewers and broadcasters.
• Once IP delivery reaches critical mass (broadband coverage, adoption, device support, regulatory approval), DTT may be shut down (or scaled back).
• So this dual mode — broadcast + IP — is temporary, transitional.

✅ Permanent (or Long-Term): DVB-like over IP Infrastructure

This refers to the technical and operational framework Freely and other services are building to deliver live TV over IP in a way that emulates traditional broadcast, including:
✔ DVB-style linear channels over IP (multicast or unicast)

• These use HLS/DASH streams, potentially multicast IP in future, with metadata and channel guides similar to DVB standards.
• They're "broadcast-like", just delivered over broadband rather than RF spectrum.

✔ HbbTV Operator Applications

• Freely uses this to allow smart TVs to launch a full UI and control over live/IP-delivered channels without needing an aerial.
• This infrastructure is designed to become the new standard delivery platform for free-to-air television.

✔ Technical permanence

• The IP delivery stack being built now — streaming formats, service metadata, UI integration — is meant to be:
  • Scalable
  • Standards-based
  • Manufacturer-friendly
  • Eventually universal, replacing aerial-based DVB-T.

�� Strategic Goal:

Everyone TV and UK regulators are aiming for a "DTT-equivalent" experience over IP that is:

• Free
• Reliable
• Linear (live channel-based)
• Discoverable (via EPG)
• Universally accessible (across smart TVs and future devices)

Once this is achieved at national scale, that system becomes the new permanent baseline.
So in summary:

Element Transitional? Intended to be Permanent?
DTT (DVB-T broadcast via aerial) ✅ Yes ❌ No (likely phased out ~2034)
Dual mode (Broadcast + IP) ✅ Yes ❌ No (coexistence is temporary)
Freely’s IP delivery system ❌ No ✅ Yes (long-term foundation)
DVB-like service over IP ❌ No ✅ Yes (replaces terrestrial DVB-T)

I went on to ask more but I'll spare you the replies, it was basically to test the AI's technical knowledge of Freely specs (which are not in the public domain). It (ChatGPT) made numerous errors about the actual technology used as did Google but both concluded that the hybrid system is transitional and that the DVB over IP system currently employed is the permanent (long term) replacement for DTT (DVB/T DVB/T2) infrastructure. Which is what I was saying in the first place. A final word from Google.

Here is a summary of the correct, nuanced position, and an acknowledgement of the flaw in the original phrasing:

• The technology is permanent: The investment by broadcasters in DVB-I, DVB-DASH, and related IP delivery infrastructure is a long-term, permanent strategy. This technology is the future of free-to-air broadcasting and is more robust and scalable than the old DVB-T/T2 system.
• The parallel service is transitional: The current period where broadcasters are running both the IP delivery and the legacy aerial delivery services side-by-side is what is temporary. This transitional phase is intended to allow a smooth migration for viewers.
• The phrasing was misleading: The statement that "parallel DVB over IP... is intended as a transition rather than a permanent fix" was poorly worded. It should have been more explicit about distinguishing between the parallel service (transitional) and the underlying IP technology (permanent).

QED