While the vast majority of devices based on Android TV are thin-client, Korean set-top company Humax is introducing what it bills as the first full-feature DVR powered by the Google Video OS targeted specifically for the UK’s Freeview Play service.
The Humax Aura packages a three-tuner digital video recorder, 4K HDR image resolution and all the accoutrements of Android TV—notably the Google Play Store and Google Assistant.
Humax is marketing the Aura specifically as the very first DVR for Britain’s Freeview Play service, which includes 70 live and nine VOD free, over-the-air broadcast channels. (The product is not being sold in the U.S.)
The set-top comes in a 1 terabyte iteration, retailing for £249 ($323) and a 2TB version ($262). Humax said the Aura will be sold through Amazon, various UK consumer electronics channels and directly via Humax.
Like CommScope, Technicolor and other set-top makers that have traditionally served the global pay TV market, Humax is looking for new revenue channels amid a recessionary pay TV business. Humax will now try to play catchup in retail channels for a cord-cutter consumer base, against entrenched competition that includes Roku and Amazon.
“Aura is designed to sit at the heart of a family’s home entertainment experience,” said Rob Peacock, director at Humax, in a statement. “The very first Freeview Play recorder to be built on the Android TV platform, it provides a fully integrated environment that reflects the preferences and favorite content of the individual or family—with lightning-fast access to everything they need in one place, and outstanding picture quality. With such an extensive array of features, users will never miss their favorite show, movie or sporting event, and thanks to a combination of Google technology and the Humax Aura app, they can enjoy the freedom of entertainment on any screen or device, wherever and whenever they wish.”
