- Vodafone TV is launching in October as a set top box and service
- It will come with access to Freely, Netflix, and HBO, plus Android TV apps
- Users will also be able to stream hundreds of cloud games
Vodafone is moving beyond mobile and broadband services to offer a TV streaming service and box called Vodafone TV, which gives you access to Freely — a free streaming service with over 70 live channels and thousands of hours of on-demand content.
Beyond the big free names like the BBC and Channel 4, Vodafone TV also comes with subscriptions to Netflix Standard with ads and HBO Max Standard with ads, which makes it something of a rival to Sky, as you can get similar subscriptions as part of that company’s Sky Ultimate TV package.
The Vodafone TV hub also runs Android TV, so it includes access to near-endless apps and games on the Google Play Store, including dedicated apps for most streaming services, meaning you’re not limited to what Vodafone itself bundles in.
It's a cloud gaming console too
And speaking of games, Vodafone TV also comes with access to over 300 cloud games, which you can play using a Bluetooth controller or a smartphone.
You’ll also be able to rent and buy films through Vodafone Box Office, and a companion app will allow you to start watching something at home and then continue elsewhere via the app.
As for the hardware, the Vodafone TV hub has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and support for 4K, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. Vodafone hasn’t yet revealed the pricing, but has said that its Vodafone TV box and service will be available from October to mobile and broadband customers, so we should find out more then.
Vodafone TV launches alongside a new Vodafone mobile plan called SuperMobile, which will supposedly deliver up to 4x faster speeds than Vodafone’s standard plans, and guarantee minimum speeds of 15Mbps at all times.
"Vodafone's double launch is a bid to be your 'everything' provider — one company for your mobile, broadband, telly and streaming, all on a single bill," Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch, told TechRadar in a statement.
"Vodafone TV is all about content convenience: streaming subscriptions, live channels and bills brought together in one place, with a companion app to take it on the move. And as the only UK mobile network to bundle TV with a mobile plan, Vodafone has opened this up to millions of households who don't take its broadband.
"But one roof doesn’t mean one option. Do the maths before signing up; remember add-ons can rise mid-contract alongside everything else, and only pay for certainty or convenience you'll actually use."
We'll be testing out Vodafone TV for ourselves over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for our verdict on its value-for-money proposition.
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