{"id":315116,"date":"2026-08-06T11:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T11:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315116\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T11:39:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T11:39:00","slug":"the-manhattan-aero-4k-saved-me-from-the-dreaded-london-renters-tv-aerial-hell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315116\/","title":{"rendered":"The Manhattan Aero 4K saved me from the dreaded London renters’ TV aerial hell"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know renting has always come with its fair share of setbacks. But I never expected a lack of TV to be one of them.<\/p>\n

When I first moved into my current London flat five years ago, there wasn\u2019t even a hint of a problem. We happily connected our aerial cable and had everything we could want right on the telly.<\/p>\n

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But, as the years went by, my precious channels started to disappear; at first gradually and then all of a sudden, leaving only the BBC HD ones guaranteed to be working without the picture going and turning into pixelated blocks.<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromShortlist<\/p>\n

It was every telly addict’s nightmare. But a new streaming solution might just save the day (and your binge-watching evenings, of course).<\/p>\n

The problem with apps<\/p>\n

Of course, I\u2019m perfectly happy with streaming TV, but it doesn\u2019t always work the way you hope. Not everything streams live; certain apps (looking at you, ITVx) are a bit of a nightmare to navigate, and there\u2019s a whole cohort of mid-range free channels (the likes of Really, Dave and Drama) that don\u2019t even have a streaming home.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, there\u2019s nothing quite like channel hopping around for some light entertainment; there\u2019s a comfort in having everything at your fingertips in an all-in-one guide to browse when you\u2019re indecisive and have no idea what to put on.<\/p>\n

“Watching telly is still a huge part of our culture,” says Alex Arbab-Zadeh, COO of Manhattan TV.<\/p>\n

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“Watching live broadcasts gives people a shared experience \u2013 big news events, sports, or even just trending shows that everyone watches and then talks about. Some experiences are just more meaningful when you know you’re watching along with everyone else.”<\/p>\n

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\"Manhattan\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

As a gameshow fan, that always used to mean throwing on Challenge and watching some reruns of The Chase in the background. Sadly, that\u2019s not an experience that\u2019s easily available via streaming services, where you actively need to have something in mind that you want to watch. I didn\u2019t just give up on terrestrial telly immediately (after all, I\u2019m paying my TV license), but after months of chasing building management to get the aerial working led to nothing, we eventually just stuck to watching The Traitors over iPlayer.<\/p>\n

I wondered why nobody else in our building had complained about this, but it seems they all mostly watch streaming TV too, so it\u2019s never been a priority to fix. In fact, this is all a bit of a \u201cgrey area\u201d for renters. Of course, a management company should mend a communal aerial, but if they don\u2019t, it\u2019s not like there\u2019s a law requiring landlords or building companies to sort these things out. There are likely obligations in a lease agreement, sure, but management didn\u2019t bother with repairs and, unsurprisingly, it\u2019s not something any renter can tackle themselves.<\/p>\n

Enter Freely<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Freely is not only the answer to my specific issue, but also to a long list of TV woes \u2014 whether your aerial cable is dodgy, you don\u2019t have an aerial connection in a particular room, you have poor weather, signal interference, or a lack of HD channels over the terrestrial signal.<\/p>\n

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\"Manhattan\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

What is Freely, then? Think of it as the long-overdue upgrade to Freeview. Created by the UK’s core broadcasters, it streams live TV straight over your Wi-Fi into a unified programme guide, so you can watch things as they\u2019re broadcast.<\/p>\n

It also offers a great range of channels including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and saves you from needing rooftop aerials, satellite dishes, or set-top box installations.<\/p>\n

Small box, big upgrade<\/p>\n

Given that most solutions with baked-in Freely are built into televisions themselves, and I was very much happy with the TV I already had, just a tiny box full of channels was what I needed.<\/p>\n

And exactly what Manhattan has made with its Aero 4K. It costs \u00a389, and affordably brings the Freely service to any TV, even my ageing Samsung.<\/p>\n

I got the Manhattan Aero 4K up and running in about five minutes; you just plug it into the HDMI and power, and you\u2019re sorted, with no subscription to worry about. And, yes, although it really shouldn\u2019t need to be said: yes, of course you still need to pay for your TV license!<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 4<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

Using the Manhattan Aero 4K is as straightforward as it gets. It runs on TiVo OS rather than Android TV, and I find that a cleaner, simpler and more integrated experience that\u2019s less about streaming-first. You have a \u201cGuide\u201d button on the remote that takes you straight to your old-school electronic programme guide (EPG) and I\u2019ve found channels load fast, and it\u2019s great that you also get access to TiVo+’s 400-plus free FAST channels (that means \u201cfree ad-supported TV\u201d) including Sony Action Hits, the Pokemon channel, Bloomberg, CNN, plus movie and sports channels, too.<\/p>\n

“People can buy a very affordable device like the Aero, then find that it has upgraded their viewing experience to such an extent that their old TV actually feels like a brand-new set,” Arbab-Zadeh told Shortlist.<\/p>\n

While Freely itself is in HD rather than 4K, this hardware supports 4K streaming and brings you all the services you expect too: all the UK catch-up platforms (integrated into the guide) and Netflix<\/a>, Disney+<\/a>, Prime Video<\/a> and YouTube are all present. The only major omission I noticed was Apple TV<\/a>, which is a shame, and one that’s hopefully rectified soon. Size-wise, it\u2019s similar to a Sky Stream<\/a> puck and a little smaller than an Apple TV box, so you won\u2019t have trouble placing it anywhere.<\/p>\n

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\"Manhattan\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Simon Cocks \/ Manhattan)<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t many downsides. I did notice it\u2019s not as fast as the Apple TV device that I\u2019m used to using for my streaming; the remote can be temperamental, and I do experience a little lag hopping between menus. It also doesn\u2019t play along with my TV audio quite as well as I hoped, and it\u2019s worth remembering you can’t record telly from it. You’d need a different box that probably requires an aerial connection if you care about that. For Freely and getting proper TV over the Wi-Fi, though, this is perfect, and any drawbacks feel minor.<\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s been the solution to my years-long struggle. In the past, I\u2019d had to contend with unreliable live streaming and have missed certain events entirely (yes, not all live streams are available on iPlayer and ITV). This just feels easier than fussing with cables and aerials, and means you can put your TV anywhere in your home, not only where you\u2019ve got a socket.<\/p>\n

For renters, the Aero costs less than a couple of months’ Sky subscription and requires no one’s permission to install. And, much to my delight, it has an entire channel devoted to reruns of The Chase.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\"Shortlist\n<\/p>\n

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