Freeview (New Zealand)

Freeview (New Zealand)

Freeview is a non-profit organisation providing free-to-air digital television and digital radio to New Zealand. The organisation is a joint venture between the country's major free to air broadcasters – government owned Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand, government subsidised Māori Television, and the Australian owned Ironbridge Capital company MediaWorks (operators of TV3, FOUR and C4), . The Freeview service consists of a high definition-capable digital terrestrial television service, called Freeview|HD, to around 86% of the population in the major urban and provincial centres of New Zealand, and a standard definition digital satellite television service, called Freeview Satellite, covering the whole of mainland New Zealand and the major offshore islands. Freeview uses the DVB-S and DVB-T standards on government provided spectrum.

The Freeview service started in May 2007, introducing free-to-air digital television to the country and preparing for analogue switchoff, which began on 30 September 2012 and will be completed on 1 December 2013a In July 2012, it was estimated that 84% of New Zealand households have at least one digitally-equipped television set (including Freeview, Sky and TelstraClear), with Freeview making up approximately 45% of the digital television share.

Freeview-certified set-top boxes and IDTVs, as well as PVRs, are available at most major New Zealand retailers. Uncertified equipment can also be used to receive the service, which may have advantages (cheaper, extra features, international channels) and disadvantages (no/limited EPG, no auto-retuning) over certified equipment.