MARCH 11, 2015 11.05 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER
Freebox 4KFree has launched its new Freebox 4K Android powered set-top box, for the same price as the existing model, €30 per month.
The new device comes equipped for ADSL2+, VDSL 2 or fibre and Wi-Fi of up to 450 Mbps. It also carries a Femtocell to give a boost to mobile phones in poor reception area and a promise of 200 channels, 49 of them in HD.
But the surprise to some was the inclusion of Android TV, which was the subject of disparaging remarks at a conference last October. But CEO Xavier Niel says he was not rubbishing the system, telling local media that Free had been working with Google for the last 12 months.
From Android TV comes access to the Google play Store, Films, Games, Music and of course, YouTube.
Freebox is bringing its own apps that include its own Video Club VOD services and instant access to content from Canal+ and the CanalSat bouquet of channels.
For the adventurous there is voice control, those less so can use the mobile app, or a standard remote.
