New Freely box arrives and this time it records too – UK TV streaming getting more interesting by the minute

We've seen two Freely boxes arrive in the last months, in the form of the Pleio and Manhattan Aero, now there's another. And this time, it adds the ability to record programmes too.

That's because the new Humax Aura EZ 4K TV Recorder is a hybrid set-top-box, both giving you access to Freely channels streamed over the internet, plus three digital TV tuners that enable you to record up to four Freeview channels simultaneously, while watching another.

Available to pre-order from Humax itself, the box comes with a 2TB hard drive to store up to 1,000 hours of recordings. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Audio through HDMI and optical digital audio out. It is 4K-enabled too, with a resolution of up to 2160p possible.

Considering its recording capabilities, you can pause and rewind digital TV broadcasts, and that's also the case with Freely streaming. Freely offers all the UK's main TV channels – such as those from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and 5, including some exclusive ones. The U network has some channels on the platform too, like U&Dave and U&Drama.

It links with the major catch-up services from each, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 (previously All4), and 5. And you can therefore watch a programme from its start, even if you tune in halfway through. You can also catch up on missed shows via the EPG, just by scrolling backwards.

The Humax Aura EZ 4K TV with Freely box is the first of its kind to offer dual TV viewing capabilities, via aerial and broadband, although it doesn't seem to have access to other paid streaming services, unlike its Manhattan Aero and Pleio rivals. So you can't access Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, etc.

At least, they aren't mentioned in any of the information we've seen. We'll let you know if there's an update, though.

Some won't mind, of course, and would prefer the recording functionality, so it's great that there's now a Freely box with that option on the market.

The Humax Aura EZ is available to pre-order now for £249, with shipping expected later this month. Additional retailers will be announced soon.