Freesat, the satellite-based Freeview equivalent, is slashing £30 off one of its Freesat 4K Recording Boxes for the summer, just in time for people who are thinking about ditching Sky TV or other pay-TV services.
With Freesat, you can watch more than 80 channels (around 20 of them in HD), without paying a monthly subscription to anyone (though you would still need a TV Licence in most cases).
The offer is available from now until August 14, across several retailers (such as Currys), for the 500GB Freesat Recorder Box (see full details below).
Freesat, which was originally a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, was acquired by Digital UK last year – the company that leads the development of Freeview – therefore Freesat and Freeview are now one company.
While similar to Freeview, Freesat was created as a solution for places where standard aerial reception is lacking (you can see the full Freesat channels list here).
Instead of having to rely on aerial transmitters, you just point your small satellite dish to the sky, connect it to a tuner inside the house, and you’re good to go (Some can also use their old Sky dishes for Freesat, though those sometimes require retuning).
In 2020, Freesat launched a new range of set-top boxes, replacing the older Humax Freesat devices. The new boxes combine the Freesat service – which requires a satellite dish – with streaming via broadband.
The line includes a 4K Freesat Player with some streaming apps, and a 4K Freesat Recorder (which also comes with streaming apps) that can record up to 4 programmes at the same time – you can read more about the boxes in our Freesat recommendations roundup.
All the new boxes feature a collection of catch-up streaming apps from the public broadcasters (similar to what’s on Freeview Play), such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, as well as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon’s Prime Video and more.
These Freesat boxes also support Ultra HD (4K), but keep in mind that for now, there are no over-the-air 4K broadcasts in the UK – instead, you can only use that feature for 4K content on Netflix and YouTube.
Freesat 4K Recorder Offer
The limited-time deal offered by Freesat, is on the 500GB model of the 4K Recorder box (there are also 1TB and 2TB versions of the box – that let you record more hours of TV – but those models are not currently discounted).
The Freesat Recordable 4K TV Box 500GB can be used to record up to four different programmes at the same time, as well as Pause and Rewind live TV. With 500GB, you can record up to 250 hours of content.
Normally, the Freesat 4K Recorder costs £229.99, and until August 14, you can get it for £199.99.
Even at this price, a Freesat recorder is still more expensive than a Freeview recorder – such as the Manhattan T3-R, but for people who can’t get decent Freeview reception at their house, Freesat can be a good alternative (especially if you already have a Sky dish).
The special offer is available across several retailers, including:
Hardly slashed with just £30 off
I don’t see any offer on Currys website, still 229