When we went from analog to digital, we had to change the way we watched TV. You could no longer tune in to the five channels we always had with just your antenna and TV. Now the minimum that was needed to watch digital television was a DTT box. However, there are different options for watching TV and three popular options are Freeview, YouView and Freesat. But which of these is the most suitable for you?

Which one is best will depend on what you want to watch on TV, and all options come with good and bad points to consider. So let’s take a look at them.

Good and bad sides of Freeview

You may have bought a Freeview decoder or you could have it built into your new TV. However, this could be a basic Freeview box with no frills and you may want to consider moving up to Freeview+. With Freeview+ you get everything you would get with the normal Freeview decoder, such as all channels and features, plus you have the option to rewind and pause TV along with watching up-to-date TV.

The good points of Freeview+ are that you can access around 50 channels along with 24 radio stations. Another point in its favor is that once you have the equipment and have it installed, you don’t have to pay every month to continue watching TV. If you opt for Freeview+, you’ll never miss a show again as you can set it to record, rewind or pause while you make a cup of tea, take a phone call or answer the door.

The downside to Freeview is that you are limited with channel selections as Freeview offers the smallest choice of the entire range of digital TV services. Another drawback is the fact that there are numerous set-top box options available from different companies, so choosing one can be confusing. Not all of them offer the same features and the prices of the boxes differ.

Good and bad sides of Freesat+ along with free time

Freesat is in the same vein as Freeview in that when you have paid for the equipment there is no monthly subscription. However, it differs in that along with the set-top box, you also need a satellite dish. With Freesat+ you can pause, record and rewind live TV and also get access to many services such as Catch Up TV.

The good thing about having Freesat+ is that you can have access to over 150 TV and radio channels, which is a lot more than you would get if you had Freeview. Since Freesat is a satellite service, it means that the signal is generally more consistent, so the picture quality is better and you get a stronger signal. If you have picture quality issues with Freeview, you may benefit from Freesat. Freesat offers a good electronic program guide under the name of Freetime. This means you can go back in time in the guide and see the shows you missed and choose to watch them on demand. There is also a Showcase to show you some of the best content.

The downside of Freesat+ is that you need a satellite dish installed in your home. The outlay for Freesat+ is generally more expensive than with Freeview. Not all the channels you would get with Freeview are available via Freesat.

good and bad sides of you

YouView is relatively new on the block when it comes to how we watch TV and a variety of companies are behind it, including BT and TalkTalk. YouView gives you Freeview TV along with options like pause, rewind and record TV. You can buy a YouView standalone decoder from major retailers or you can go for the BT or TalkTalk version.

The good points of YouView are that you will get around 50 TV channels and this includes all the channels you get with Freeview. Once you’ve paid for the standalone decoder, there’s nothing to pay each month. There are extensive options when it comes to Catch Up TV as you can get access to iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand 5 and watch Catch Up TV right from the EPG. You can also pause and rewind live TV.

The disadvantage of YouView is that it is relatively expensive compared to the other options. If you choose to have it via TalkTalk or BT, you pay a subscription cost each month. Another drawback is that compared to the other options, YouView can be slow as apps take a while to load. BT and TalkTalk YouView come with movies on demand and a few extras, but you don’t get them with the standalone decoder from retailers.

So, have you decided which option is best for you? For more information and advice on these systems, you can ask your local TV antenna installation company.