Streaming · Review
Netgem Pleio (Freely Puck)
A free-live-TV box and a full Android TV streamer in one - a genuinely different idea.
No BS summary
Most streamers just do apps. The Pleio also does live telly - it's a Freely box, streaming 60-plus live UK channels over your broadband with no aerial, from the people behind Freeview and Freesat. On top of that it runs full Android TV with the Play Store, so all your usual apps install too. It even throws in a gamepad and a year of cloud gaming. As an all-in-one for free UK live channels plus streaming on a single box, nothing else quite matches it.
Score: 7.5/10
Kudos for
- 60+ live UK channels over broadband, no aerial
- Full Android TV with the Play Store
- Friendlier to sideloading than a locked-down Vega stick
- Bundled gamepad and a year of cloud gaming
Dropped the ball
- A niche pitch - you need to want the live-TV half
- Freely leans on a decent broadband connection
- Not as quick or polished as a Google TV Streamer
What makes it different
The clever bit is Freely. Instead of pulling live channels off an aerial, the Pleio streams them over your internet - BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and more, live, in one guide, no rooftop kit involved. For anyone in a flat with a poor aerial feed, or who's quietly given up on Freeview, that's genuinely useful. And because the rest of the box is proper Android TV, your streaming apps live right alongside the live channels.
The remote
The 11pm test - find it in the dark, hit the right button? The Pleio's Android TV remote is a standard affair, no backlight, and you also get the bundled gamepad rattling around the sofa to lose. Functional, not memorable. It does the job and gets out of the way. And the usual bugbear: the hardwired app-shortcut buttons (Netflix, Prime and the like) are far too easy to knock by accident and bump you clean out of whatever is playing - some people love the one-press access, I would happily bin them.
Performance in normal use
Perfectly smooth for live channels and the mainstream apps. It's not trying to be the fastest box on the shelf - a Google TV Streamer will feel snappier and more powerful - but for flipping between live telly and your apps it does the job without fuss. On our TalkTalk gigabit line the live streams held up cleanly.
What's missing
The Google TV Streamer's raw power and that Ethernet port - the Pleio's live-TV trick leans on your connection, so a wired option would suit it down to the ground. Give the Pleio the Streamer's guts and it'd be close to unbeatable for this all-in-one job.
Who should buy this
Anyone who wants free UK live TV and their streaming apps on one tidy box - especially without an aerial. It's the rare streamer that genuinely does something the others don't.
Who should skip it
If you've already got a solid aerial and Freeview, and you only really want apps, a cheaper, faster stick or the Google TV Streamer makes more sense. The Pleio earns its keep on the live-TV half; ignore that and you're paying for a feature you won't use.
Specs at a glance
| Live TV | Freely - 60+ live UK channels over broadband, no aerial |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Android TV (Google Play Store) |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD |
| Bundled | Wireless gamepad + 1 year cloud gaming |
Where to buy
Pick your country. We may earn a small commission on some links once our affiliate programmes are approved - you pay the same.
| UK | Amazon UK · Currys |
|---|---|
| US | Amazon US · Best Buy |
| CA | Amazon CA · Best Buy CA |
Links go live as each affiliate programme is approved.
Final word
A genuinely original little box - the only one here that hands you free live UK telly and your streaming apps in one place, no aerial required. It won't win a speed contest, but it doesn't need to. If the live-TV half appeals, it's an easy recommendation.