Freeview HD TV Guide app on Android and iPad

What's on the box? Ask your iPad: the Freeview HD TV Guide app is now available for Android smart phones and tablets, and your Apple tablet.

First of all, let's get what it doesn't do out of the way: the Freeview HD app doesn't let you watch TV on your iPad. Shame. So what does it do?

It's built around a grid of channels and programmes, telling you what's on. You zip up and down the channels or side-to-side to see what's on with a carefree swipe of the finger. Tap on a show and a box pops up at the bottom to give you more details, where you can also set a handy reminder.

Another thing it doesn't do is rotate -- you have to hold the iPad in portrait mode. That means you can't see as far as ahead in the schedule, but does mean you can see more channels.

The app helps you decide what to watch with HD recommendations and top picks, highlighting shows to look out for -- in case you need reminding that Hollyoaks and Come Dine With Me are on, great, cheers for that -- and a more useful option to save your favourite shows. Save enough favourites and the app will learn what you like, a bit like Virgin Media's TiVo service, which has its own recording app.

And if you're a Twitter addict as well as a telly addict, there's a nifty section that displays tweets on each programme currently on air. Simply tap on a channel and it'll search for all the tweets about what's on, particularly good for shows that invite 'second screen' conversation like Strictly Come Essex or Britain's Got the X Factor or whatever. Sadly, if you want to add your two pennorth over how orange Maria looks, or what Gary said to Tulisa, the app sends you over to Safari to tweet.

The Freeview HD TV Guide app is free to download from iTunes, Apple's App Store and the Android Market. If you want to actually watch TV on your tablet, stick up a Sky dish and you can use the Sky Go app, or sign up for LoveFilm to watch movies and boxsets.