Knowledge Base
What is Freeview Play Channel Management and why do BBC HD channels appear twice in my channel list?
You may have noticed that BBC HD channels, such as BBC One HD, appear twice in your channel list. This is because your short-model is required to use a new feature called Freeview Play Channel Management when connected to the internet.
Here’s what Freeview Play Channel Management does:
Manages channel numbers: Freeview Play allocates channel numbers based on your location, available transmitters, and any regional conflicts. It handles this automatically through the Freeview Play server.
HD channel swapping: For example, you will see BBC One HD on both channel 1 and 101, with BBC One SD moving to channel 611. This change is part of Freeview’s plan to make HD channels more prominent. BBC channels are the first to do this and other broadcasters may follow.
Internet channels: Without an aerial, you can still access five internet-based BBC channels: BBC Three (301), BBC Scotland (302), BBC ALBA (303), BBC NEWS (501) and BBC Parliament (502). More channels may follow in the future.
How do I remove the duplicates? #
Option 1: Hide or delete duplicates
- Go to Home → Settings → Channels → Edit Channels
- Choose to hide or delete the duplicate channels
Option 2: Turn off Freeview Play Channel Management
This will restore the traditional Freeview channel numbers, with SD channels starting at 1 and HD channels at 101. It will also remove the five internet channels. However, since these channels are already available via your aerial, this shouldn’t be an issue for most users
To disable Channel Management:
- Go to Home → Settings → Channels → Freeview Play Channel Management
- Press OK to perform a full retune.
Important: Retuning will reset favourites, hidden channels, scheduled recordings, reminders, and regional settings. You can also choose to restore any deleted channels.
We know seeing BBC channels twice might be confusing, and we’d likely disable this feature by default if Freeview Play Channel Management wasn’t required!