Took a chance on Aura from Australia

I think Australia uses similar standards to UK for digital TV (maybe trailing by a few years). UK starting using DVB-T2 for HDTV after approx 2013. You should be fine using autoscan.

The few posts after 2011 are most helpful.

As an aside, I should probably ask if you can swap out the HDD if it craps itself? Gonna be hard to send it back from here for repairs. Also, out of curiosity, if you can swap it out, will it accept a bigger drive? Not that I'll need it, I ordered the 2TB.
I would hope, if I do a disk image and save that on my NAS while it's alive, I could just put that on a new one? Thanks :)
 
Basically, you've embarked on a "project", the progress and outcome of which will be interesting but academic to the vast majority of us here.

Imaging the HDD is a neat idea, although experience of HDR-FOX suggests it would be possible to just bung in a replacement HDD and format it. None of the HDR-FOX's operational stuff is stored on the HDD, only recordings, timeshift buffer, etc. The hitch will be if you can't open the box (minor damage won't matter if you have no intention of claiming warranty, although it will affect resale value).

Compatibility is not just a question of the digital encoding of the broadcast stream. Choosing your country in the initial set-up is not only about language, but also configures the tuning frequency range, channel spacing, audio subcarrier, EPG system, and such. Each country's broadcast system has had to evolve from completely independent origins rooted in history, because of the requirements for continuity. It is not possible to rip it up and start again, because of the installed user base and other users of the radio spectrum. I also think there is a bit of protectionism for local manufacturers.

In particular: the UK uses a 9MHz channel spacing, whereas background reading indicates Australia is 7MHz. Therefore, when you scan for channels using UK settings in Australia, it might only find those which happen to be coincident with UK frequencies. That's why it was mentioned earlier in the thread you might be better off with system settings for Germany. Martin Liddle's post above suggests there are no user configurable country settings on the Aura, which indicates the settings might somehow auto-configure, or maybe they are preset for the country of sale.

By diving in before discussing it, you've taken a gamble.
 
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I forgot about the bandwidth difference. So maybe approach it in the order of (depending what is available/works on the Aura)
auto scan with region/country set to Australia
auto scan with region/country set to Germany
manual scan with bandwidth 7Mhz (Freeview Live TV settings/Channel & Broadcasting/Manual Channel search)

https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/black-holes-guide-to-the-hdr-fox-hd-fox-rc-menu-system.9645/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/humax-hdr-fox-t2-moved-from-uk-to-australia.5909/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/international-users-thread.1190/#post-55481

But whatever happens, please report back for nosy people like me!
 
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I think I was misinterpreted when I asked if Australia was on the list, I was asking about the channel/station scanner, not language. Is it possible someone could check their box and see if the channel scan has Australia available as an option?
You weren't misinterpreted; I just went looking for any indication of capability to use the box in other countries and language was all I have found.
Or at the very least tell me if the box is able to pick up any local stations during a scan regardless of the country it is in?
How is anyone in the UK going to be able to do that?
 
manual scan with bandwidth 7Mhz (Freeview Live TV settings/Channel & Broadcasting/Manual Channel search)

The HDR-FOX T2 manual search has 3 similar parameters to thoose mentioned in the Aura's user guide:
  • Frequency
  • DVB-T / DVB-T
  • Bandwidth: 7MHz / 8MHz
If the Aura options are the same, then for UHF channels setting the bandwidth to 7MHz and the transmission type to DVB-T will give the best chance of tuning the UHF frequencies, as it looks as though auto searching for channels is a no go.
Each of the 24 (?) UHF frequencies will need to be separately entered and tuned, and I doubt that the Aura will have the necessary to tune any VHF channels.
It could be less then 24 if it is known which are being broadcast from the local transmitter.
 
Basically, you've embarked on a "project", the progress and outcome of which will be interesting but academic to the vast majority of us here.

Imaging the HDD is a neat idea, although experience of HDR-FOX suggests it would be possible to just bung in a replacement HDD and format it. None of the HDR-FOX's operational stuff is stored on the HDD, only recordings, timeshift buffer, etc. The hitch will be if you can't open the box (minor damage won't matter if you have no intention of claiming warranty, although it will affect resale value).

Compatibility is not just a question of the digital encoding of the broadcast stream. Choosing your country in the initial set-up is not only about language, but also configures the tuning frequency range, channel spacing, audio subcarrier, EPG system, and such. Each country's broadcast system has had to evolve from completely independent origins rooted in history, because of the requirements for continuity. It is not possible to rip it up and start again, because of the installed user base and other users of the radio spectrum. I also think there is a bit of protectionism for local manufacturers.

In particular: the UK uses a 9MHz channel spacing, whereas background reading indicates Australia is 7MHz. Therefore, when you scan for channels using UK settings in Australia, it might only find those which happen to be coincident with UK frequencies. That's why it was mentioned earlier in the thread you might be better off with system settings for Germany. Martin Liddle's post above suggests there are no user configurable country settings on the Aura, which indicates the settings might somehow auto-configure, or maybe they are preset for the country of sale.

By diving in before discussing it, you've taken a gamble.
"By diving in before discussing it, you've taken a gamble"
I most certainly did! :) However, I think it was a gamble worth taking, given that the box "just might" be usable with the German or even manual settings. I'd say the odds are good, but you live, and you learn... ;)
 
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I forgot about the bandwidth difference. So maybe approach it in the order of (depending what is available/works on the Aura)
auto scan with region/country set to Australia
auto scan with region/country set to Germany
manual scan with bandwidth 7Mhz (Freeview Live TV settings/Channel & Broadcasting/Manual Channel search)

https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/black-holes-guide-to-the-hdr-fox-hd-fox-rc-menu-system.9645/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/humax-hdr-fox-t2-moved-from-uk-to-australia.5909/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/international-users-thread.1190/#post-55481

But whatever happens, please report back for nosy people like me!
Will do... Thanks :)
 
You weren't misinterpreted; I just went looking for any indication of capability to use the box in other countries and language was all I have found.

How is anyone in the UK going to be able to do that?
"How is anyone in the UK going to be able to do that?"
When I do a scan of the channels here, I get a hierarchical menu starting with the country, then the state, then the city. I was expecting a similar menu that someone could check is all.
 
The HDR-FOX T2 manual search has 3 similar parameters to thoose mentioned in the Aura's user guide:
  • Frequency
  • DVB-T / DVB-T
  • Bandwidth: 7MHz / 8MHz
If the Aura options are the same, then for UHF channels setting the bandwidth to 7MHz and the transmission type to DVB-T will give the best chance of tuning the UHF frequencies, as it looks as though auto searching for channels is a no go.
Each of the 24 (?) UHF frequencies will need to be separately entered and tuned, and I doubt that the Aura will have the necessary to tune any VHF channels.
It could be less then 24 if it is known which are being broadcast from the local transmitter.
If it's possible, I have no issues with a manual search. So long as I can save the settings, so I don't need to do it over again during the testing phase. Thanks for the help. :)
 
By diving in before discussing it, you've taken a gamble.
To be fair, I suspect no-one could have given a definitive answer, as all the above shows, so the advice would probably have been "Give it a go, but don't blame us if it doesn't work."
He's just saved a bit of time :)
 
For the manual scan (Freeview Live TV settings/Channel & Broadcasting/Manual Channel search)
Using info from https://www.digitalbitrate.com/dtv.php?lang=en

For some people in UK, they could try bandwidth 8MHz and these frequencies
DTT UK London / National
482.0MHz DVBT
490.0MHz DVBT
506.0MHz DVBT
514.0MHz DVBT
530.0MHz DVBT
586.0MHz DVBT
546.0MHz DVBT2

So, for some people in Perth, they could try bandwidth 7MHz and these frequencies
DTT Australia Perth
177.500MHz DVBT
184.500MHz DVBT
191.500MHz DVBT
219.500MHz DVBT
226.500MHz DVBT

@Nodeity - check your current setup. Note the channels and frequencies. Later on duplicate them on the new Aura.
Also
note1 (on the HDR FOX T2) there is some validation on the settings - maybe based on region/country.
note2 (on the HDR FOX T2) with hidden settings/Country/England doesn't allow the Perth Frequencies.
note3 (on the HDR FOX T2) with hidden settings/Country/Australia doesn't allow the lowest Perth Frequency 177.500MHz, but others ok.
 
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For some people in UK, they could try bandwidth 8MHz and these frequencies
DTT UK London / National
482.0MHz DVBT
490.0MHz DVBT
506.0MHz DVBT
514.0MHz DVBT
530.0MHz DVBT
586.0MHz DVBT
546.0MHz DVBT2

So, for some people in Perth, they could try bandwidth 7MHz and these frequencies
DTT Australia Perth
177.500MHz DVBT
184.500MHz DVBT
191.500MHz DVBT
219.500MHz DVBT
226.500MHz DVBT

@Nodeity - check your current setup to confirm the channels and frequencies for your location.
Also
note1 (on the HDR FOX T2) there is some validation on the settings - maybe based on region/country.
note2 (on the HDR FOX T2) with hidden settings/Country/England doesn't allow the Perth Frequencies.
note3 (on the HDR FOX T2) with hidden settings/Country/Australia doesn't allow the lowest Perth Frequency 177.500MHz, but others ok.
The point is kind of moot until the box actually gets here, which may take a while, but I suspect a manual scan will be ok. I do a local manual scan all the time here, as I live in a more rural city. :)
 
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