No, with the Freely service on your PLEIO puck, the need to manually record programmes has largely been eliminated. Freely is designed to make sure you rarely miss a show, offering seamless access to content you would previously have needed to record.
The Freely Solution: Catch-Up is Built-in
The main reason you no longer need to rely on recording is that Freely integrates directly with the official player apps (like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and 5). This means content is automatically available to stream shortly after it has finished airing.
How to Easily Access Past Content
Instead of using the record button, you have two simple ways to watch programmes you've missed:
Scroll Back in the TV Guide:
Press the Guide button on your remote.
Use the left arrow to scroll backwards in time, up to seven days.
Any show that is available for catch-up will be marked. Select the programme, and it will launch instantly in the correct player app.
Example: You scroll back to last night, select a drama that finished at 9 pm, and it begins playing from the start.
Use the Restart Function:
If you tune into a live programme that has already started (e.g., you are 10 minutes late), simply select the programme and choose the Restart option on your screen.
Example: You switch to the news at 6:15 pm, press 'Restart', and the broadcast jumps back to 6:00 pm.
Use Freely Browse or Search:
Navigate to the Freely Browse section to find box sets and series.
Use Universal Search to find a show by name (e.g., 'Coronation Street'). The puck will take you straight to the latest episodes or the full box set available on the player apps.
In summary: Freely acts as your personal digital recorder, making sure the shows you would have wanted to record are always available on-demand, without you needing to pay costs (i.e., additional storage devices).