This is the new update for the Freedish viewers that the Test 616 MPEG-4 slot has become empty after the Bflix movies were left from the platform.
Because Bflix Movies is now rebranded to a new channel Bflix+ Movies. This channel can still be watched live on Mx Player for free.
At present only one slot is vacant on the Freedish platform, interested private TV channels can approach Prasar Bharati to add their channel on a pro-rata basis.
Maybe soon Prasar Bharati will issue an e-auction to fill this vacant slot.
Advantages of MPEG-4 Slot -
The price of the MPEG-4 slot is much less than the slot of the MPEG-2 right now.
Freedish viewer gets better picture quality and sound in MPEG-4.
Most people have changed their old traditional MPEG-2 set-top box to MPEG-4 /HD box as the price of both has reduced to a great extent in the market. MPEG-4 HD is now available at the same price as MPEG-2 boxes were available earlier. And the price of the MPEG-2 box has come down drastically.
Advice for getting the TV Box -
If you want to get a free-to-air box for Freedish, then take the same box with MPEG-4+HD+HEVC+DVB-S2x because now the new technology may come in Freedish is HEVC+DVB-S2x only. By which maximum free-to-air can be run in lesser bandwidth. Due to this, the price of the Freedish slot may also decrease in the future. And Freedish should become an option for all free-to-air channels.
After this test slot is emptied, see the updated MPEG-4 channel list from here
Note - The advice given for taking the box is tentative. Please use your discretion, it is not confirmed whether HEVC+DVB-S2x technology will be adopted by Freedish in the future.