![\"Editors'](\"https:\/\/www.techadvisor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ta-ed-choice-22-final-2-1.svg\")
At a glanceExpert’s Rating<\/p>\nAt a glanceExpert’s Rating<\/p>\n
Pros<\/p>\n
Cheap initial price, no subscription costs<\/p>\n
No TV aerial required<\/p>\n
Integrated TiVo OS smart platform<\/p>\n
Cons<\/p>\n
No aerial fallback<\/p>\n
Needs 10Mbps broadband minimum<\/p>\n
Limited physical connectivity<\/p>\n
Our Verdict <\/p>\n
The Manhattan Aero Freely streamer is the most cost-effective way yet to bring internet-delivered Freely TV into any room. It\u2019s easy to use, performs well when it comes to sound and vision, and is a great way to free your telly from aerial cabling.<\/p>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/p>\n
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined<\/p>\n
Best Pricing Today<\/p>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/p>\n
Not available in the US<\/p>\n
\t\t\tBest Prices Today: Manhattan Aero TV streamer\t\t<\/p>\n
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Compact and capable, the Manhattan Aero streaming box wants to change the way you watch broadcast telly. Built on the Freely platform, from the creators of Freeview and backed by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, it delivers live and on-demand TV over Wi-Fi, without the need for a traditional aerial or dish.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the smallest standalone Freely streamer we\u2019ve seen so far, and the most affordable, undercutting its Netgem PLEIO<\/a> rival by some margin. You can check out all the competition in our round-up of the best TV streamers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Design & Build<\/p>\n Single HDMI connection<\/p>\n Wi-Fi and Ethernet<\/p>\n Compact footprint<\/p>\n Physically, there\u2019s not much to see. The Aero is small and unobtrusive, with a single power LED and two rubber rails on the underside help it stay put \u2013 a useful feature, given how easily lightweight streamers can be tugged out of position by their cables.<\/p>\n Within minutes, Aero is up and running<\/p>\n Connectivity is limited. There\u2019s a single HDMI output, plus USB-C, Ethernet for those who prefer to use a wired connection over Wi-Fi, and power port. There\u2019s no TV aerial socket, such as you might find on a Freely-enabled television, which underscores its reliance on internet delivery.<\/p>\n Steve May \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Included in the box is an HDMI cable, remote control, and power supply. The zapper provides direct access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and Freely, alongside a TiVo home button and a \u2018Free\u2019 shortcut to the TiVo+ FAST channel selection.<\/p>\n Setup is straightforward. Just plug it into your TV, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the onboarding process. Within minutes, Aero is up and running.<\/p>\n In addition to Wi-Fi connectivity, there\u2019s also Bluetooth pairing for wireless headphones.<\/p>\n Steve May \/ Foundry<\/p>\n User Interface & Features<\/p>\n Tivo+ FAST Channels<\/p>\n Freely linear TV with catch-up<\/p>\n Comprehensive streaming app library<\/p>\n The Aero runs the latest iteration of the TiVo smart OS. It\u2019s this that serves as the central hub for Freely, plus big name third-party apps.<\/p>\n Freely is basically next-generation Freeview. It provides access to around 60 live channels (and counting), plus a mountain of on-demand programming courtesy of BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n Big streamers include Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Discovery+, and Prime Video, plus YouTube. TiVo+ adds a further layer of FAST channels: this includes hundreds of free-to-watch linear streams, themed either for genre or specific shows. If you\u2019ve ever wanted to watch Mr Bean 24\/7, now\u2019s your opportunity.<\/p>\n Steve May \/ Foundry<\/p>\n The Freely programme guide stretches forward as well as back seven days, so you can easily catch up on missed shows. Plus, there\u2019s a mini-guide that overlays live TV, showing what\u2019s on next without interrupting viewing.<\/p>\n Freely is basically next-generation Freeview<\/p>\n Search covers live and on-demand content. There\u2019s voice control via a microphone built into the remote. You can use it to issue requests such as: \u201cShow me comedy movies\u201d or \u201cOpen BBC iPlayer\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Usability is good. Overall navigation is sprightly. Menus load quickly, and switching between live TV and apps feels seamless.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Picture & Sound Performance<\/p>\n 4K HDR10+<\/p>\n Dolby Atmos audio<\/p>\n 50\/60Hz output only<\/p>\n This bijou box impresses when it comes to AV prowess. Image quality is excellent (though this obviously depends on the TV you\u2019re using), and certainly comparable to other gadgets in the same class.<\/p>\n With Freely channels, HD appears crisp and stable. There\u2019s plenty of fine detail and texture on display, without any obvious artefacting issues. Colours and contrast, as viewed on a reference Philips OLED screen, are suitably punchy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stepping up, 4K streams from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Disney+ and others carry expected detail and clarity, with caveats. The Areo is compatible with HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision, and output is locked to 50\/60Hz. <\/p>\n There\u2019s no equivalent to Fire TV\u2019s \u2018Match Original Frame Rate\u2019 feature, so films can\u2019t be watched at 24fps. Admittedly, that feature is pretty flaky even on Fire TV devices, so this isn\u2019t much of a loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n Steve May \/ Foundry<\/p>\n The box also does a decent job with standard-definition programmes, which are still very much the bread and butter of Freely broadcasts. I\u2019ve seen very well-equipped TVs do a rotten job with SD channels from everyday Freeview, so to see them presented here with just a smidge more bite is welcome \u2013\u00a0 just the ticket if you\u2019re a fan of old Top Gear reruns.<\/p>\n The device\u2019s audio chops also impress<\/p>\n The device\u2019s audio chops also impress. With Dolby Atmos compatibility, you can partner the box with soundbars or AV receivers. <\/p>\n I routed the Aero through a relatively high-end Marantz AV receiver, and it acquitted itself well, passing through the immersive sound format where available, with clean channel separation. There was no sense of the device limiting my system\u2019s sonic potential.<\/p>\n Steve May \/ Foundry<\/p>\n Price & Subscription Costs<\/p>\n The Manhattan Aero sells for \u00a369.99. It\u2019s available from Amazon<\/a> and Currys<\/a>, among other retailers, but it\u2019s out of stock at the time of writing. <\/p>\n There\u2019s no additional charge beyond this, if you\u2019re only looking to watch Freely channels. It\u2019s the same deal as with Freeview. All content from the public service broadcasters and channel partners is free to watch, either live or on demand. You can also view the Tivo+ FAST channels gratis. Of course, if you have or want a subscription to additional streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney+, normal charges apply.<\/p>\n Should you buy the Manhattan Aero Freely streamer?<\/p>\n I reckon so. The Manhattan Aero is a great streaming device with plenty in its favour. Small, affordable, and well specified, it has precious few foibles \u2013 although I would have liked support for Dolby Vision, and maybe variable frame rate functionality \u2013 but generally it works very well. <\/p>\n The Tivo smart OS is refreshingly free from bloat, and Freely integration is handled well. If you need Wi-Fi-delivered, free-to-air TV, perhaps to move an existing screen to a spare room, or simply because you don\u2019t have access to a traditional aerial connection, it\u2019s definitely a winner.<\/p>\n Specs<\/p>\n Freely IPTV tuner\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Max resolution: 3840 x 2160 4K<\/p>\n Refresh rate: 50\/60Hz<\/p>\n 1 x HDMI\u00a0<\/p>\n HDR support: HDR10+, HLG,<\/p>\n Premium streaming apps<\/p>\n TIVO+ FAST Channels<\/p>\n 96.4 \u00d7 96.4 \u00d7 26mm (w x d x h)<\/p>\n Weight: 190g<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At a glanceExpert’s Rating Pros Cheap initial price, no subscription costs No TV aerial required Integrated TiVo OS…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[75,84,83,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-180680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Manhattan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Manhattan-Aero-device.jpg\")
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