CHANNEL SEVEN'S planned TiVo digital video recorder service could be scrapped within weeks if free-to-air broadcasters proceed with their biggest assault yet on pay television.

The free-to-air industry is likely to launch its own FreeView-branded recorder early next year that will offer access to as many as 15 free digital TV channels and an electronic program guide.

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Early assumptions are for up to 2.5 million homes in Australia to ultimately have FreeView-compliant set-top boxes, starting at less than $100.

Dual tuner SD digital TV 160Gb recorders are at Dick Smith now for less than $250. If they were HD I'd get one. Not for the quality, but because some channels are only HD and I can't access them without HD.

I suspect the "from" $100 FreeView would be a single tuner SD box with a small hard disk. I presume dual HD tuner large hard disk versions would be $400+.

No word on ongoing monthly costs (to pay for the privilege of the electronic guide).

It sounds, from the vague descriptions, that FreeView boxes are very minimal in functionality, probably consisting only of an electronic guide and recording. No online component or movie downloads or whatever extra cruft TiVo wanted to tempt us with.

Good. I want minimal. And very very cheap. I'm still extremely offended that the TV networks think it's OK to charge me $200 for a HDTV tuner. A TV should cost $200.

I'm happy to pay $300ish for a VCR equivalent, but if I'm asked to then pay a monthly fee just to use it, I'll laugh at you.