TELLY fans using a popular set-top box have been warned some features have been removed this week.
Three useful tools have mysteriously disappeared from screens, making it harder for viewers to find shows they want to watch.
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Freesat is the satellite alternative to Freeview, which launched way back in 2008.
The firm said changes have come about as part of “ongoing improvements to our service”.
Certain older boxes sold between 2013 and 2019 are affected by the move.
Check the full list of models below.
- Humax HDR-1100S
- Freesat Recorder 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB
- HB-1100S non-recordable Freesat Receiver
Those impacted have lost the ability to search, as well as scrolling backwards on the TV guide to find shows recently aired.
The showcase recommendations and deep linking functionality are no more too.
But linear channels will continue to be available as normal, as will the most popular streaming apps like BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
However, the Channel 4 and ITVX apps continue to be absent.
ITVX was never made available on the same boxes in 2022 when its predecessor ITV Hub was replaced.
Last year, remote recording was also removed from Freesat boxes, meaning viewers could no longer order recordings from their phone when out and about – a move that affected every single Freesat box.
And just a few months ago, the remote control functions from the app were taken away too.
Freesat is owned by the same company that owns Freeview, known as Everyone TV.
The company – itself jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 – has been putting a lot more focus on its new Freely product in recent years.
Freely beams channels onto screens via an internet connection instead, much like Sky Glass.
Get more quality TV for free
By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor
If you’re tired of paying out on several streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ then there are a growing number of free alternatives around.
While many of these alternatives have been filled with obscure content, more big names like Sky have got on board in recent years offering some quality stuff, which is largely archive but still entertaining.
As well as UKTV, Sony and 5 are among the other players getting involved.
If you haven’t already, give Pluto TV a go, it’s available on pretty much all devices including Fire TV Sticks.
On there you’ll find channels from MTV, with Catfish and Geordie Shore.
Some of the classics are real gems too – I found myself watching long-forgotten episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch the other day.
