Sky Q rival is spotted for the first time and will offer UK homes TV for free

A new way to tune into live and on-demand TV for free appears to be coming soon.

Sky Q has been ruling the roost for over 10 years with this set-top box remaining one of the most popular TV devices in the UK. Its ability to record endless hours of content is one of the biggest reasons users still love it, but it seems a new rival could be coming soon that will offer similar features without having to pay any subscription fees.

Freely already comes built into many new TVs and offers homes the option to watch live and on-demand content without the need for an aerial. That’s because everything is beamed to the screen using the web instead.

Sadly, the only way to access Freely is by buying a new telly but that’s about to change and it could give Sky Q a run for its money.

The team behind Freely, which also runs Freeview, recently announced plans to launch a dedicated set-top box that will plug into any existing TVs. Now, one of these Freely gadgets has been spotted online for the very first time by the team at Cordbusters.

It’s being made by Humax and, along with offering free telly access, it allows users to record shows as well – a bit like Sky Q. It also appears to be 4K-ready so will offer pin-sharp visuals that are four times better than standard HD.

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Prices could start from under £250 for the box, which is pretty expensive. However, once installed, there are no further fees to pay as all Freely content is totally free to watch.

There’s no word on an exact launch date for all the new Freely boxes, but they could be in retailers very soon.

Interestingly, the listing that was online has now been removed so maybe it was posted a little prematurely. We’ll keep you posted on any changes as soon as we spot them.

Speaking earlier this year, Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: “Freely was created to make free TV work for everyone. Expanding to ‘plug-in and stream’ devices is an important and natural next step to ensure even more homes can enjoy the full Freely experience without the need for a TV upgrade or paid subscription.”

Of course, although Freely offers similar features to Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q, this platform can’t match Sky’s plethora of content. Freely has no access to premium sports, movies or boxsets from channels such as Sky Atlantic or Sky Max. It also won’t let you watch services such as Netflix from within the platform.

To get all of that bonus content, you’ll need to sign up for one of Sky’s plans. These now start from as little as £15 per month and often include Netflix as well.