Quick Summary
A Humax Freely box has been spotted on several British retail sites, suggesting it will launch soon.
As well as provide access to more than 50 streamed TV channels, it will be capable of recording up to 1,000 hours of shows and films.
It looks like there will be a rival to Sky Q and Virgin TV 360 boxes in the UK soon, with highly experience set-top-box manufacturer Humax set to release the first Freely PVR.
Spotted on several British retail sites, the Humax FHR-6000T is listed as being able to stream Freely channels, while also recording up to four at once. That means, bar the one-off price of the box itself, you'll get more than 50 channels, including all the major stations from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 with no monthly subscription needed.
A listing by electronics retailer G. Craggs (via ISPreview) states that the box will be able to record up to 1,000 hours of programming, and can even be activated remotely – much like a Sky Q box. It is 4K capable and has HDMI 2.1 and USB ports.
There's no mention of other streaming services on board, but the box has both Wi-Fi and Ethernet on board, so connects to the internet however you fancy – after all, it needs online access for the Freely platform.
It's also unclear whether its recording capabilities can store streams from Freely or if there's also a DVB-T tuner inside, with Freeview channels being recorded instead. There's an aerial socket on the rear that suggests the latter.
Still, when it does officially arrive, the Humax FHR-6000T will only be the second box to carry Freely, after a Netgem device that's imminent. It could also be more widely available, as the Netgem box is exclusive to internet service providers, so is only available to you if your internet is supplied by a supported ISP.
According to the listing on G. Craggs, the Humax Freely box will be £249.
What is the Freely service and what do I get?
Freely is the reasonably new TV streaming service in the UK that delivers a similar channel lineup to the likes of Freeview and Freesat, but over the internet instead.
It is completely free – hence the name – but you do need a compatible TV or device to access it. There are TVs from the likes of Panasonic, TCL, Sharp, Toshiba, Bush and Hisense that each carry it, with rollout now speeding up.
You cannot download a Freely app to any TV, however.
The service not only includes BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, you also get other channels, including those from U – such as U&Dave. If also intelligently links with each broadcaster's streaming service, so you can easily catch up with programmes you missed.
In many respects, Freely is being seen as the eventual successor to Freeview, with the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, claiming it's the future of TV in the UK.
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