Manhattan Aero

[adduxi]

Just picked up one of these small Freely boxes. Mainly to get rid of some aerial cabling TBH.
Easy install, connected via Ethernet and away you go, Wifi is also an option. Not much to say, does what I expected and the picture and sound is fine.
All in all, as expected, but some of "Free TV" options are poor, with more ads than content...

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by adduxi

Just picked up one of these small Freely boxes. Mainly to get rid of some aerial cabling TBH.
Easy install, connected via Ethernet and away you go, Wifi is also an option. Not much to say, does what I expected and the picture and sound is fine.
All in all, as expected, but some of "Free TV" options are poor, with more ads than content...

I just go the I P T V route for £20 a year, unlimited options there, yes I know I'm naughty.

[ozsat]

Your can get local tv from some areas on the Aero if you use correct postcode

The Local TV channels currently working on Freely are:
Liverpool TV
Birmingham TV
London TV
Leeds TV
Latest TV (Brighton)
KMTV (Kent)

If you change the postcode then your BBC/ITV services will use that code too.

Originally Posted by adduxi

Just picked up one of these small Freely boxes. Mainly to get rid of some aerial cabling TBH.
Easy install, connected via Ethernet and away you go, Wifi is also an option. Not much to say, does what I expected and the picture and sound is fine.
All in all, as expected, but some of "Free TV" options are poor, with more ads than content...

[adduxi]

Originally Posted by ozsat

<snip>
If you change the postcode then your BBC/ITV services will use that code too.

Now that's an interesting tip! Ta very much :-)
It's not the main TV, this TV is usually on XBox duty, but can now be used as a standby if needed.

[thenry]

Freely is decent. Long overdue to be honest.

On my Hisense tele, I have to sometimes pull the power for it start streaming, blank screen.

[adduxi]

Originally Posted by thenry

<snip>
On my Hisense tele, I have to sometimes pull the power for it start streaming, blank screen.

Try this on the HDMI cable, it might help?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BlueRigger-...07BFL8TM8?th=1

[thenry]

Originally Posted by adduxi

Try this on the HDMI cable, it might help?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BlueRigger-...07BFL8TM8?th=1

Freely is on the actual tele

[homesecurity]

Having set up and calibrated dozens of Freely-enabled smart TVs (including Hisense models running VIDAA OS), that black screen streaming issue requiring a hard mains power pull is a known quirk with how Hisense manages background sleep and streaming DRM buffers.

Here is what is happening and the two simple tweaks to fix it without crawling behind the tele to pull the plug:

1. The Cause: VIDAA "Fast Boot" Memory Stacking
Hisense TVs ship with "Fast Boot" (or "Enhanced Standby") enabled by default. When you press the red power button on the remote, the TV doesn't actually shut down Linux or clear system memory—it simply suspends the panel and keeps RAM powered in an instant-on state.
Over several days of streaming BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4 via Freely's IP linear streams, the Widevine DRM / HDCP video decoders leak memory. Eventually, launching an IP stream results in an audio/video handshake timeout (black screen) because the hardware decoder has crashed in background memory. Pulling the mains plug forces a cold reboot, which clears the buffer—which is why it temporarily fixes it.

2. The Permanent Fix: Disable Fast Boot
You can force the TV to do a clean OS reboot every time you turn it on:
- Go to Settings -> System -> Advanced Settings.
- Look for Power On Mode (or Fast Boot / Quick Start).
- Change it from "Fast Boot" / "Last State" to "Standby" (or toggle Fast Boot OFF).
The TV will take about 10–12 seconds longer to boot up from the remote, but it boots fresh every single time with zero memory leaks, completely eliminating the black screen bug.

3. The Remote Soft-Reboot Trick (No Plug Pulling Needed):
If VIDAA ever locks up on an app or stream before you change that setting, you don't need to pull the mains plug. Simply point the Hisense remote at the TV and press and hold the Power button down continuously for 6 to 8 seconds. The TV will display a shutdown prompt and force a complete hardware reboot with the Hisense splash screen.

4. Router DNS / IPv6 Handshake:
One extra field note for Virgin Media Hubs (Hub 3/4/5): If you have IPv6 enabled on the Hub, Hisense TVs occasionally stall during the initial Freely DASH/HLS manifest lookup. If it ever acts sluggish loading the EPG channels, go into the TV's network settings and set primary DNS manually to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8.