In recent weeks, British consumers seeking to purchase the Humax Aura Freeview Recorder have been met with frustration as the device has once again vanished from shelves across the UK.
This scarcity is not a new phenomenon in the Freeview recorder market, unfortunately, which has seen its fair share of supply issues and discontinuations over the past year.
Amidst this backdrop, the upcoming launch of Freely, a broadband-based replacement for Freeview and Freesat, is drawing attention.
Promising to integrate live and on-demand content without the need for traditional recording hardware, Freely represents a significant evolution in the UK’s free-to-air television landscape, potentially impacting the future demand for physical Freeview recorders.
So – is that one of the reasons Freeview recorders like the Aura are becoming harder and harder to find?
Humax Aura – Freeview and Android Combined
The Humax Aura stands out in the Freeview recorder market for its combination of traditional recording capabilities and modern streaming features.
Running on the Android TV platform, the Aura supports many of the major UK streaming services, Freeview Play‘s broadcast catch-up apps, and even includes Google Chromecast support.
Curiously, though, it doesn’t include a Netflix app, and you can’t even cast Netflix from your phone to the Aura – despite this being an Android TV device.
Despite its advanced features, the Aura’s recurring stock issues have left many potential buyers disappointed.
In recent weeks, buyers have noticed that the Humax Aura is almost impossible to find – and indeed, most online and high-street shops no longer have it in stock, including Humax’s own direct online store.
What’s worse, is that due to the scarcity, some second-hand sellers are selling it for crazy prices (I’ve personally seen one being sold for… £1259.99 – so be careful).
Please keep in mind that the 1TB version of the Humax Aura normally costs £249, and the 2TB is £279 – so don’t fall for exorbitant prices.
We reached out to Humax to inquire about the availability of the Humax Aura, and were told that the device will be back in stock in early March.
This news offers a glimmer of hope for consumers eager to get their hands on a Freeview recorder. However, the repeated stock issues raise questions, yet again, about the future of Freeview recorders in the UK.
Are Freeview Recorders Slowly Going Away?
The UK’s Freeview recorders market is currently experiencing a significant period of transition and uncertainty, highlighted by the recurring stock issues of the Humax Aura and the discontinuation of other popular models.
This situation has left a noticeable void for consumers looking for reliable Freeview recording solutions, as not everyone’s ready to move over to streaming and on-demand TV watching.
The discontinuation of the Manhattan T3-R, another favourite recorder among Freeview users, back in 2023, marked the beginning of a challenging period for the Freeview recorder market.
Then, later in 2023, Humax’s own FVP-5000T box – another popular Freeview recorder – was also discontinued.
The anticipation for the successor of the T3-R, the Manhattan T4-R, has been building, but repeated delays have further exacerbated the scarcity of available Freeview recording options, with the T4-R now only expected to launch in late April 2024.
Freely and the Evolution of Freeview
As the UK prepares for the launch of Freely in Q2 2024, the traditional Freeview recorder market faces an uncertain future.
Freely, a broadband-based platform developed by Everyone TV (the company behind Freeview and Freesat) aims to revolutionize the free-to-air television experience by seamlessly integrating live and on-demand content – and all without the need for an aerial or a satellite dish.
The introduction of Freely, with its advanced features like live pause and restart, and an enhanced EPG, presents a direct challenge to the relevance of devices such as the Humax Aura and the yet-to-be-released Manhattan T4-R.
As the market shifts towards broadband consumption, the demand for physical Freeview recorders is expected to wane, highlighting a significant transition in how audiences access and enjoy television.
For the time being, however, it certainly seems many are still looking for physical recording devices that can let you watch whatever you want – whenever you want – and, importantly – fast-forward the adverts.
The eventual restocking of the Humax Aura and the launch of the Manhattan T4-R will be critical moments for the market, in showing whether Freeview recorders are here to stay – and for how long.
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Panasonic manufcture freeview recorders. I have 2 and they are better, easier to use and more reliable than any Humax recorder.
The Panasonics don’t have as many recording channels as the Humax FVPs. That’s the only reason I got an FVP
I’ve had an Aura Box for about 4-years. I didn’t use it for the first year because I couldn’t get it to work with the remote control as I had another PVR box and I had to switch the Aura off.
Now I am using the Aura the quality of reception is worse than on the TV direct and some recordings are unwatchable. The Aura is a very flawed device and a bad product for Humax.
The Freely won’t appeal to me if I cannot record. I rarely watch anything live, I view on catch-up or on a recording.
I have two Humax Aura boxes total rubbish ,on both boxes the screen goes black sometimes, the recordings go back to the beginning when fast forwarding , and the remote buttons stick on , one remote got replaced but is doing it again so if people are eager for them , I have two going for 2k 😆
Given Freely PVRs won’t be part of the initial hardware launch and will “come later”, Freeview and Freesat PVRs wil remain essential.
Yes PVR popularity is already waning but there’s still plenty of people hiding them, subscribing to Sky Q and the like.
* Using them
Perhaps another reason for low stocks is ships from the far east having to detour around Africa.
Good point. Humax are South Korean.