Humax Aura Owners Angry Over Mysterious Freeview Glitch

If your Humax Aura has been acting up when you tune into ITV2 or Film4 lately, you’re not alone. A nasty bug has emerged that’s causing several channels to freeze, display blank screens, or cut audio in and out at random.

The problem started hitting Aura boxes across the UK in early March, and it’s not just affecting your viewing – recordings of these over-the-air channels are turning out unwatchable too.

It’s a serious headache for owners of this premium Freeview recorder, who are now scrambling for workarounds while waiting for a proper fix.

• March 26 Update: Humax notified us that a software update that fixes these issues has been released today, and the Aura devices will be updated automatically. The original article follows:

A Very Specific Problem

What makes this particularly odd is that the problem seems to be affecting only the Humax Aura Freeview recording box – and only some channels on the box.

 

Unlike typical Freeview reception issues that would affect all your devices, this one appears to be some sort of software glitch unique to the Aura.

One frustrated forum member spelled out their experience:

“ITV2 and ITV4 freezing then blank screen with intermittent audio. Also STV +1. Film 4, More 4 blank screen intermittent audio, E4 +1 freezing then blank screen, intermittent audio.”

While another user shared their recording woes:

“The same problem has occurred on my Aura. Tried to watch More4 and picture stopped or went blank in the breaks. A recording made was unplayable by the usual method.”

The Full List of Affected Channels

If you’re wondering exactly which channels are playing up, one Aura owner kindly shared a comprehensive list of their trouble spots:

• Channel 6 – ITV2
• Channel 14 – Film 4
• Channel 15 – C4 +1
• Channel 18 – More 4
• Channel 26 – ITV4
• Channel 28 – ITV Be
• Channel 30 – E4 +1
• Channel 35 – ITV +1

For other users, it seems the issues come and go, with some channels working fine one moment, then acting up the next.

Interestingly, it seems other Freeview boxes in the same homes are working perfectly fine. Several users with multiple devices have reported that their Manhattan boxes, for instance, display these channels without any issues.

And since the reports are coming in from all over the UK, we can rule out a problem with one specific regional transmitter.

Humax’s Response To The Issues

I reached out to Humax about these widespread problems, and they did acknowledge the situation, albeit in a somewhat vague way:

“We are aware of the issue and we are working hard to resolve it.

“Customers should contact the Humax support team directly with any questions and they will be happy to provide assistance.”

While it’s good to get confirmation they’re working on the problem, the lack of a timeline or temporary fix leaves affected users somewhat in limbo. 

The Aura’s Rocky Road

This latest technical hiccup isn’t happening in isolation. As regular readers will know, the Humax Aura has had a turbulent time on the market – constantly disappearing from shelves and then reappearing, leaving potential buyers frustrated.

The Aura has always been a bit special in the dwindling Freeview recorder market – combining traditional recording capabilities with modern streaming features through its Android TV platform.

It’s a compelling package – when it works properly.

But here’s another concerning bit: the device hasn’t had any major software updates in ages. The last significant firmware update came all the way back in July 2021, when it added support for Apple TV and NOW.

Since then? Not much to write home about. 

When Older Boxes Lose Features

This latest bug isn’t the first headache Humax users have faced with their devices. Over the years, we’ve seen a pattern of technical issues and lost functionality affecting various Humax models.

Last November, the older Humax HDR-2000T completely lost support for BBC iPlayer, rendering a key feature of the device useless.

Before that, we saw numerous older Humax models, including the once-popular FVP-4000T and FVP-5000T, struggle with the transition from ITV Hub to ITVX.

Many of these devices never received the updates needed to support ITVX, effectively cutting users off from ITV’s streaming content.

While some degree of obsolescence is expected with older technology – the HDR-2000T was from 2013, after all – what’s concerning about the current Aura issue is that this device is still being actively sold as a current product.

Unlike those older models, the Aura should be receiving robust software support to address these kinds of problems promptly, along with updated features and apps.

What Can You Do About It?

For now, your options are pretty limited:

1. Reach out to Humax support directly (though don’t expect an immediate fix)
2. Try watching these channels via their catch-up apps instead of live (such as ITVX and the Channel 4 app).

We’ll keep an eye on this situation and update you when Humax rolls out a fix. 

For more updates on this and other TV tech news, subscribe to our free newsletter.