Vodafone is launching a streaming TV service which you can get as part of a bundle alongside your phone deal. It brings together live TV and streaming services including Netflix, HBO Max as well as Amazon Prime Video and compatibility with apps through the Google Play Store.
We don’t yet know how well the system will work with other non-partner services – will they be fully integrated with the interface, for example?
And crucially we also don’t know how much Vodafone TV will cost for either new or existing subscribers, which is a huge issue when trying to compare it to other services. We do know the service will be available from October, initially to existing Vodafone customers with a mobile or broadband plan.
The box is based around Freely (essentially the streaming version of Freeview) so you can get acess to over 150 live channels. There’s no aerial connection, so it’s completely based around streaming, even if you’re watching traditional terrestrial channels. As such, it’s more similar to Sky Stream rather than EE TV and TalkTalk TV – those platforms would usually combine a traditional aerial alongside streaming options.
Similar to Sky Stream, Vodafone is pitching itself as a solution to the plethora of platforms and subscriptions in our lives, bringing shows together into a constent interface.
The Vodafone TV box is a small puck-style streamer, that offers 4K alongside Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos if the content you’re watching supports it. The box also has smart search to provde you with personalised recommendations depending on what you’ve watched and because the platform is Google-based, there is support for Google Assistant.
The bundled remote has a dedicated Google Assistant button as well as dedicated buttons for Freely as well as for Prime Video, HBO Max, and Netflix.
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