Freeview was established by New Zealand’s leading broadcasters including TVNZ, MediaWorks (owners of TV3 and C4), Maori Television Service, and Radio New Zealand, to bring you New Zealand’s favourite TV programs in crystal clear digital quality for free. A one off payment is required for a digital receiver and, if required, a satellite dish or UHF aerial.

No - this is one of the main differences between Freeview and pay television - there are no sign up fees, no monthly fees and no contracts. You buy the hardware and the service is free.

All you need is a digital receiver and a satellite dish (for Freeview satellite) OR a UHF aerial (for Freeview|HD_®). Then, it’s free forever!

In the next 6-10 years, the current analogue services will be ‘switched off’. Freeview is being launched now to start the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Digital television and radio is available around the world and Freeview is here to ensure all New Zealanders have the opportunity to experience it.

Freeview is available to all New Zealanders.

The Freeview satellite service covers all of New Zealand.Freeview|HD_® is available in nine major centres (Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) covering 75% of New Zealand homes.

Once you have purchased the digital receiver and, if you need one, installed a satellite dish or UHF aerial, you can watch and listen to Freeview’s channels for free.

Learn more about Getting Started.

With Freeview you can access New Zealand’s favourite television programmes and national radio, in crystal clear digital quality for free. You’ll have access to a wide range of channels (shown below) and there are likely to be more channels in the future!

Broadcasters can choose whether to broadcast their channels on Freeview satellite and/or Freeview| HD_®so the channel offering may differ between the two platforms.

Check out the Freeview Channels page for more info.

A digital receiver (sometimes referred to as a set top box) converts the digital signal so that you can receive all of Freeview’s channels through your existing TV.

A satellite dish is required to receive the Freeview Satellite signal and to send this signal to your digital receiver for decoding.

If you have a Freeview approved digital receiver all new channels will be automatically added.

Please contact the manufacturer of you receiver if you have any problems.

No, you will not have to replace your current television.
The digital receiver converts the digital signal so you can see and hear all of Freeview’s channels through your existing television.

Yes, however you will require a Freeview digital receiver in addition to your SKY or TelstraClear decoder.

Please consult an installer if you are considering connecting a Freeview digital satellite receiver and a SKY decoder to the same dish.

See the Troubleshooting section below for instructions on dual installations of Freeview satellite and SKY from one dish.

To ensure that all New Zealanders can access Freeview, it is being offered by both satellite dish and UHF aerial. This is the most cost effective solution for New Zealand (given its topography) while ensuring a robust, reliable, secure, and modern broadcast infrastructure.

Freeview satellite_® is available to nearly 100% of New Zealand. Freeview|HD_®, which is received via UHF aerial, is available to about 75% of New Zealand households.

Freeview|HD_® is ‘High Definition’ (HD) capable, meaning that there are HD receivers (also known as set top boxes) and intergrated digital televisions available. It is up to each broadcaster to decide if they will broadcast an HD signal.

The satellite service will be ‘Standard Definition’ (SD) digital for the foreseeable future.

See the coverage maps and learn more about the option that’s right for you on the All About Freeview page.

The digital receiver converts the digital signal into a form that is suitable for viewing on an analogue television.

The government has decided:

A consumer facing government/industry entity will be created in 2009 manage the transition. At 60% digital homes (primary TV only) a target date will be set. At 75% digital homes or 2012 (whichever is earliest) they will set a date. A one region switch over trial will be completed followed by region by region switch over(all completed within one year). DSO will therefore take place sometime between 2012-2016.

The Freeview Service Provider Code of Practice (available for download) provides easy guidelines for interested parties to get a channel up and running on the platform, including processes and costs.

Contact us for further information.

TVONE, TV2 and TV3 each screen selected programmes in high definition, with the balance of their schedules up-converted from standard definition material.

There are no plans at this stage to broadcast in HD via the satellite platform. This is due to bandwidth limitations and cost – HD requires a much larger amount of bandwidth and SKY TV have leased the majority of the suitable bandwidth on the Optus D1 satellite therefore there is not enough room for Freeview Broadcasters to transmit HD.

If, in future years, Freeview Broadcasters did manage to secure additional bandwidth viewers would need to replace their current satellite receiver with one that is capable of decoding an HD signal (much like Sky subscribers need to rent a new HD receiver for their HD service).

Freeview|HD_® is available to 75% of NZ homes. In the future coverage may expand to include a greater percentage. Check if you’re in the current coverage area here. As well as digital receivers you can now purchase integrated digital televisions (iDTVs) with the Freeview|HD_® built in.

With MyFreeview|HD_® you’ll be in control of your TV viewing. Pause, record and replay live TV to fit around your busy schedule. Record all your favourite shows and watch them when you’re ready. You can now record an entire series at the touch of a button. You can even record in high definition!

All you need is a Freeview approved Digital Television Recorder (DTR). You can then record in High Definition for free. With Freeview there are no subscriptions…ever!

Keep an eye on the Freeview website to find out when terrestrial Digital Television Recorders will be in store.

Yes, however there are currently no Freeview approved satellite Digital Television Recorders.

Please review our certification agreement below and contact us if you are interested.

Freeview product certification agreement

While Freeview is not a direct competitor to pay TV (pay TV is always going to be a premium offering), free-to-air television competes with pay TV for audience share. Free-to-air television generates revenue by selling advertising and therefore needs audience share to ensure value for the advertiser. What this means is that the more people viewing pay TV, the smaller the audience share for free-to-air channels, which results in less revenue potential and therefore less money to purchase quality programming.

The more revenue generated (via subscriptions) by pay TV operators, the more money they have to outbid free-to-air Broadcasters for first-run programmes leading to a growing subscription base. If this cycle continues free-to-air television will struggle to survive and we may end up with a situation where all New Zealanders have to pay to watch television.

Previously if New Zealanders wanted to experience digital television they had to subscribe to a pay TV service and pay a monthly fee. Freeview offers a free alternative for viewing free-to-air digital television.

Digital Switch Over (DSO) will enable a reduction in broadcaster transmission costs and deliver a healthy dividend for the Government once the analogue spectrum is freed up.

Analogue switch off will enable a reduction in broadcaster transmission costs and deliver a healthy dividend for the Government once the analogue spectrum is freed up.

TVNZ will no longer be transmitting TVNZ Sport Extra on the Freeview satellite_® platform. Transmission also ceased on Freeview|HD_® on Saturday 1st August, 2009.  TVNZ says this decision has been made, with regret,  because in the current economic climate the company does not have the resources available to maintain or develop a sports channel.

Freeview is an open access broadcast platform.  It is up to individual broadcasters whether they broadcast their channels on Freeview satellite_®. and/or Freeview|HD_®.  Please consult TVNZ if you have any further questions.

Sometime between 2012 and 2016 the analogue free-to-air TV signals in New Zealand will be switched off and viewers will only be able to view a digital signal.

Once the analogue signal has been turned off, the only way for Kiwis to continue to watch their favourite TV shows for free, is to switch from analogue to Freeview digital television.

Digital uses improved technology that has benefits over the analogue system, including more channels, 8 day on screen programme guide, better picture and improved sound. And it’s free, forever.

No, Freeview does not control the content or programming offered by the free-to-air networks.

Freeview simply encourages people to switch from analogue to digital by promoting the benefits of free-to-air digital TV, including more channels for free, better picture quality and a Free 8 day on screen programme guide .

Yes, if you are watching analogue television you are likely to receive around 5 channels. By switching over to Freeview digital television you will be able to receive around 11-13 channels depending on where you live.

Also, if you are in the Freeview|HD® coverage area, you can watch some programmes in high definition. 

By switching from analogue to Freeview digital, you will enjoy some new digital only channels such as:

TVNZ 6 for all day kids programming
TVNZ 7 for those who like to keep up to date with all the news, current affairs and NZ documentaries.

TV3+1 allows you watch all the programmes on TV3 one hour delayed in case you miss something you really want to watch.

Te Reo for a Maori language channel

Chinese TV8 for Mandarin and Cantonese news and programming from Mainland China.

There are also four radio stations which you can listen to with crystal clear sound; these are Radio New Zealand National, Radio New Zealand Concert, George Fm and Base Fm.

*Channel line up will vary with Freeview services and region availability