Freeview is the free digital TV service offering over 40 TV and 20 radio channels. More information about Freeview and the coverage in your area can be found at www.freeview.co.uk.

The UK is about to cease broadcasting traditional analogue channels and upgrade to digital channels region by region over the coming years starting from the Borders already. The scheduled upgrading is called Digital TV Switchover and more information about Switchover can be found at www.digitaluk.co.uk.

Portable Freeview TV is a portable or handheld TV with a built-in digital tuner (a mini digital set-top box) enabling you to watch Freeview TV channels. It produces a much clearer picture compared to traditionally small sized TV with a glass screen and analogue tuner.

Portable Freeview TV has only become available in recent years following development of technologies and operating of Freeview service in the UK. Products available in the market place vary from a 3.5 Inch Handheld TV, which has been featured and recommended by Which ?, T3 and a number of other leading magazines, to various models of August portable Freeview TVs with screen sizes up to 11 inches.

Portable Freeview TV with screen sizes up to 7 inch, such as August DA701C, are suitable for people traveling around regularly and students studying and living in the UK. Those models with screen sizes between 9 and 11 inches, such as 9.2 inch DA920A, 10.4 inch DA104PF and 11 inch DA110BD, are ideal sizes for kitchens, bedrooms, caravans, boats and lorries.

There are various models of Xoro and August Portable DVD Players, Portable Digital Photo Frames and Portable Boombox with built-in digital TV tuners which can be used to watch Freeview TV channels. Some models with integrated memory card read and USB socket can be used as a multimedia player for playing back video and audio stored in a memory card, flash drive and hard disc.

An USB Freeview Receiver or Computer Freeview Card can enable you to watch Freeview TV on a laptop or desktop PC by simply plugging it to your computer.

Please note that there may be difficulty to receive Freeview TV signal with a portable TV antenna in some areas in the UK at present where the signal is not sufficiently strong. This is due to that the Freeview service (www.freeview.co.uk) in the UK is yet to operate at full power and does not support portable TV antenna everywhere at present, see Constrains at Present. The reception for Portable Freeview TV will be improving along with the progress of Digital Switchover Program, see Scheduled Upgrading, over the coming years.