The mystery Humax Freely recorder we spotted last month now has an official name and potential launch timing – thanks to details that briefly appeared on Humax’s own website.
The device will apparently be called the “Aura EZ 4K Freely Recorder,” with support pages suggesting availability could begin sooner than expected, though Humax quickly removed the information.
When we reached out, the company confirmed to us that the device exists and is “under internal testing and development” – making it clear this isn’t just premature retailer speculation anymore.
However, despite the new information, we still have some unanswered questions.
Freely’s Box Problem
Quick context for anyone who hasn’t been following the Freely saga: Freely launched in April 2024 as Everyone TV’s streaming platform designed to eventually replace traditional Freeview and Freesat.
Freely delivers live channels and on-demand content through your broadband connection – no aerial or satellite dish required.
The platform now offers over 60 live channels from major UK broadcasters, with more channels announced recently including the long-requested Talking Pictures TV arriving in 2026.
The catch? Until now, accessing Freely has meant buying a brand new TV from select manufacturers like Hisense, Bush, Panasonic, or Amazon’s Fire TV televisions. Got a perfectly good three-year-old telly? You’ve been out of luck.
That’s supposed to change with standalone boxes. French company Netgem announced theirs earlier this year, promising a launch “later this year.”
The device will be streaming-only with no aerial port and absolutely no recording functionality.
The BBC is also exploring a second, “radically simplified” Freely box designed for people who find modern streaming technology overwhelming – again, with no recording mentioned.
What We Already Knew About The Humax Device
Back in September, we spotted a mysterious Humax device appearing on several Euronics retailer websites across the UK, including BJs Electrical, Kings & Branhams, and Sonic Direct.
The listings showed the “Humax FHR-6000T Freely PVR Recordable” with product photos displaying the Freely logo and a £249 price tag.
While some of those retailer pages have since been taken down, most remain live with the product still listed.
The specifications (that may not be final) suggested something significantly different from the other Freely boxes:
- Maximum recording time of 1,000 hours (suggesting a 2TB hard drive)
- 4-channel recording capability
- 4K maximum resolution support
- Both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
- Remote recording functionality
- Standard connections including HDMI and USB
- An aerial port for traditional over-the-air channels
That aerial port is particularly significant. Unlike the streaming-only Netgem box, this device appears to offer a hybrid approach – accessing Freely’s streaming channels while “topping up” with traditional Freeview channels through an aerial connection, just like current Freely TVs.
The big unknown was – and remains – whether this box can record from Freely’s streaming channels, or just from traditional aerial-based Freeview channels.
Given how aggressively the industry has moved against recording functionality, with BT/EE TV neutering their recording features and redirecting recordings to catch-up services, streaming recording seems unlikely.
The New Details From Humax’s Website
Fast forward to this week, when eagle-eyed users discovered that Humax had published support pages for the device on their own website – though these pages have now been removed.
The new information revealed a few key details:
The device will be called the Aura EZ 4K Freely Recorder – certainly a better name than the “FHR-6000T” designation spotted on retailer sites.
The Aura branding connects this device to Humax’s existing Aura Freeview recorder, which runs on Android TV and offers both traditional recording and streaming app support.
A support page on Humax’s website stated that support for the device would “start from the date of initial supply as of December 1, 2025” and would last for seven years.
While this suggests a potential launch around that date (and ahead of Christmas), it’s worth noting that release dates can easily shift – this shouldn’t be treated as a firm commitment yet.
The product images shown on the website matched those from the original retailer listings, showing the same device with the Freely logo.
Humax’s Response
When we reached out to the company about the new device, a Humax spokesperson provided this statement:
“Humax is aware that some preliminary images of an upcoming product were unintentionally made visible on our website.
“These images related to a device that’s currently under internal testing and development. These images have now been removed.
“We are reviewing internal processes to ensure images are not published in advance in this way going forward. We look forward to sharing official details about our next-generation products at the appropriate time.”
What’s clear at this point is that this isn’t just retailer speculation or premature listings anymore. Humax has officially confirmed they’re working on this Freely device, even if they can’t share the full details yet or when it’s launching.
What The Aura Name Tells Us
The shift from “FHR-6000T” to “Aura EZ” (assuming the name sticks) is more significant than it might first appear.
The original Humax Aura launched in 2020 as a unique hybrid device – a Freeview Play recorder running on Android TV.
This gave users both traditional recording capabilities and access to some streaming apps and all the major UK broadcaster services, but some major apps—such as Netflix – were notably missing.
If the Aura EZ follows a similar approach (hopefully with a broader selection of apps), it could be attempting something ambitious: combining Android TV streaming apps, Freely’s unified streaming platform, and traditional Freeview recording all in one device.
That would make it potentially the most versatile option in the market – though also potentially the most complicated. The original Aura has suffered from some reliability issues and recurring stock shortages.
Whether Humax can deliver a stable and “EZ” to use device that successfully balances three different approaches to television – traditional recording, Android TV streaming, and Freely’s unified platform – remains to be seen.
The Recording Reality
Even with this new information, the fundamental question remains unanswered: what can this device actually record?
The most likely scenario is still that recording would be limited to traditional aerial-based Freeview channels, with Freely’s streaming channels accessible but not recordable.
The industry’s direction on recording is clear – Manhattan (makers of the popular T4-R Freeview recorder) explicitly rejected Freely support because recording wasn’t possible, while broadcasters continue dismantling recording capabilities wherever they can.
What makes the Aura EZ potentially significant isn’t revolutionary technology – it’s timing.
As the government pushes for an “IP switchover” by the 2030s, a hybrid device offering Freely streaming alongside traditional recording could provide exactly what some viewers want during this awkward transition period.
For households with poor aerial reception, Freely’s streaming channels solve signal quality issues. For those who value recording, the aerial port preserves time-shifting capabilities.
If the Android TV element delivers, you’d also get access to Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming services in one device.
But this remains a product with a built-in expiry date. The traditional broadcasting infrastructure it relies on for recording is exactly what’s being phased out over the coming decade.
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I’m really excited about the new features of the Humax Freely recorder! The combination of streaming and recording sounds like a game-changer for home entertainment. Can’t wait to see how it performs in real-life scenarios!
I’m really interested to see how the Freely implementation works out on this box, as my experience of using Freely across 3 televisions (Panasonic/ Philips/ Toshiba) has been universally terrible.
In all instances the app simply doesn’t work consistently or reliably; with channels frequently freezing, black screens, sluggishness, retunes required, error messages and an inability to show anything. Freely completely ruins the experience of using a TV that shouldn’t require a second thought.
I wouldn’t recommend Freely to anybody at the moment so I’m wondering how the app will be improved so that it “just works” whenever you switch your TV on.
It’s simply not a viable replacement for Freeview at present.
Strange, I wonder if it’s a hardware issue with those TVs? Recently got the freely TV box from Brsk which is a reskin netgem box. Fingers crossed so far in the 3 months I’ve had it, I’ve not a single issue and it’s used daily with the wife being on maternity leave.
Why no Freely app on AppleTV or FireTV stick, etc type devices? That would guarantee good user adoption rates!
They’ve already made that reason clear on a number of tech interviews on YouTube. The reason they made it exclusive to a small range of new TVs first is to create a natural phased launch where they can test and fix issues on a small scale and also ramp up the server infrastructure needed to run something this size over time.
It seems they are now moving into the dedicated box phase now which will be the next phase of the roll out. This will obviously be a huge addition and strain on their infrastructure over people buying new TVs so it will be interesting to see how it handles it.
Then maybe it’s possible that they will final make apps available for other 3rd party devices as a final phase. However I wouldn’t hold out for it as they never have with Freeview or freesat because of the hardware being so wildly different across devices. It’s almost impossible to guarantee the app would work properly across all platforms from a cheap spyware ridden £10 android TV box upto an Nvidia shield. Why would a new platform in its launch phase even bother with the increased support requests and bad publicity which doing that would bring.
recording will be easy once you can get hold of the stream url but until then it will be difficult I would be tempted to get the box to see if I can fi d the streams
I have had a Humax Freesat box for over 6 years. I can still record most channels that I receive although they are getting less bit by bit. If I record ITV I cant fast forward through ads. like I used to.
But now I have lost On Demand altogether after channels available for that were decreasing. Now no on-demand service.
I have BT/EE Internet & TV is connected to that but can’t access On demand. I don’t hsve a roof aerial only a satellite dish. But I thought I was streaming as I used to be able to get YouTube & could have had Netflix if I had paid for it. But can’t now.
I don’t know whether to hang on for updated humax box or buy the alternative version of freeSat recorder Box in local Euronics shop at £249?
I can get I-player & My5 on my old laptop but that’s past its sellby date. I’m 78 & totally confused. Why do they have to keep changing things.
I get why they don’t want us to bypass ads, but it’s so annoying . You can watch an hours prog in half time if u cut ads out.
If the new Humax Freely is anything like the existing Aura Freeview box, I would give it a very wide berth! I’ve owned the latter for a few years now and it’s the single most unreliable piece of tech I own. Despite keeping up with the few software updates there have been, I would describe it as rubbish…and that’s the polite version 😂
When it’s it coming out as nothing online!
I found this one going through google Rob if this helps.
https://purewell.co.uk/humax-fhr-6000t-217958.html
Freeview Humax Aura HD 4K 2TB is better right? 🤔 💭 And I don’t know about Freely Humax Aura HD 4K 2TB Box how please tell me? 🤷🏻♂️
Hey Ronnie Freeview and Freesat end their support in 2029 and Freely is the new big boy in town. So moving forward you’d invest in freely whether it’s a freely TV recording box or freely on demand that’s integrated into latest smart TVs which is something I accidentally purchased without knowing some smart TVs came with.
Ending 2029, where is your evidence sir
The government have made it clear that those signals will be switched off by 2030. So 2029 is optimistic and then the end of 2029 is the absolute best case scenario.
That’s why this box is so widely anticipated because it offers the traditional way to receive TV for the time being but also has streaming capabilities for when that switch off happens in a few years.
I thought this was very well known as the government have been publishing information about the IP switch over for a while now but I guess not.
FYI: FROM BROADBANDTV NEWS (27th October 2925): “The timetable being modelled in Whitehall points to a full terrestrial switch-off in 2035. That would follow the expiry of Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV’s current public service broadcasting licences in 2034, the same year their distribution contracts with Arqiva – which operates the UK’s broadcast transmitter network – are due to end. The BBC’s current transmission contract with Arqiva runs to 2030, and its next Charter review with DCMS begins in 2027” I think this gives a little more clarity (and hope).
Sounds good, especially the seven years of support!
Will that be the same level of support they provided for the original Aura – one update and then nothing for the remaining years?
Glad that a recording box will soon be available, I can then finally get rid of sky because of it. Only thing stopping me is the cost. If the recorder costs over £125 than I wont bother and wait a few years till the price comes down.
You won’t bother but keep paying for sky wtf???
It’ll cost about £250 and these boxes don’t come down in price.
I’ve literally been looking into this as my Humax 2TB Freesat box died. Rather than getting it replaced I was wondering about freely as Freesat and Freeview are ending in 2029. I almost bought the freely £250 Humax recordable TV box but I went with the cheaper and bought a repair plan for my Freesat box. The main difference between Freeview/ Freesat and freely is that Freesat and Freeview uses a sky dish to broadcast but freely only uses internet. I just hope that freely can record all channels and not just the aerial channels. I do find this pop up in my news feed ironic now that I was looking into it when there was nothing to mention with any feedback and all of a sudden this pops up .
Lots of Humax Freesat recorder boxes on eBay around £30
One of ours stopped working we just bought one off eBay
When will a device become available that can record streaming content that can also skip adverts.
Hi Zonk. You might know this, but currently if you have a BT/EE PRO-box and have NOW package you can either record the programme you want (most are transmitted on more than one occasion) and skip through the ads or stream with (currently, at least!!) NO ads – except FOR just a 30 second promo for another show. The best of both worlds, I believe.
Its called VHS and a digital to analog converter bix avlibile on ebay for under £10 . a freeview box . Loads of new old stock tapes on ebay !
Commercial channels and rights holders are sure to lock down the Freely EPG to prevent the easy scheduled ad-skippable recording we’ve been so blessed with for 40 years.
But is it impossible to make a storage device that could capture programmes at some point in the process? I would happily pay quite a bit for that come the death of Freeview.
Will the Humax box be able to support additional apps such as a VPN to enable viewing from overseas?