Virgin TV 360: all recordings defaulting to primary box

[Shamwari]

Hi. We have two Virgin boxes.TV1 and TV2.

TV1 is the primary box. 

For the last month or two, all recordings are defaulting to TV1 even if they are set up via TV2. Sometimes TV2 won't open/pause/rewind/fast forward recordings unless you get up and go the other room and turn on TV1, but, mysteriously, this doesn't happen consistently.

I have found that  when watching TV2, you can choose which box to record to by selecting Advanced Settings > Choose TV Box, after pressing the record button. But this is far too fiddly and annoying for my dear partner!

Is there a way to set the default box permanently? And better still, for the default to be that family members do not see one another's recordings (unless they feel like having a nosy as a next step). Is there something I am missing in the setup of the individual profiles?

I hope someone can help. Many thanks!

[japitts · Accepted solution]

From the sounds of your post, you've converted 2 x V6 into 360 and are now coming across some of the differences between the two.

In TV360 land, you only have one master box with a hard drive and every other box is a mini without an HDD which streams recordings from the master.

Having converted V6 mitigates for this, but the software is still designed around that principle.

[Shamwari]

Many thanks. You are absolutely correct about the V6 box conversion. 🙂

It looks like we'll have to put up with it and perhaps should be thankful to have the slight reprieve of being able to delineate somewhat, albeit with a few more keypresses. Would physically switching the two boxes cause any issues, do you think? At least I would then be spared having to listen to dear partner muttering and moaning every time he has to go around the houses to set up his recordings in order to be able to see his lists without my clutter. Thanks again.

[japitts]

Switching the boxes around won't make make slightest difference.

You have one pooled set of recordings, that's how TV360 is designed.

Separation of recordings by boxes is a TiVo-software function.

[5string]

Going around the house to setup recordings isnt needed. We also haver two hard disk boxes following an 'upgrade'.

When setting up a recording on either box, just choose the advanced option and it will give you the choice of which box to record on. There is a sort of default on the boxes as they will always then setup new recordings on the last box you choose in advanced until you change it.

But as already noted - all recordings are normally pooled, both boxes will see all recordings irrespective of where they are recorded.

However there is an option you may find useful if you set up recordings as noted above. If you go to a box, choose recordings, then the view all option against your recordings, then click the Recorded option,  a menu will appear to let you to select 'Recorded on this Virgin TV Box' so filters the recordings

The pooling also fails if you lose your broadband connection, the boxes will then show only their own recordings, they seem to rely on a link to VM for their pooling function.

[Shamwari]

Thank you, this is very helpful!

[Biggles7ar]

It doesn't always default to the primary box - my system is stuck defaulting to the second box, and I have to have that box turned on to be able to watch recordings through our main box and TV - so not so good for my energy bills; thanks goodness we aren't in a time of electricity price inflation!!!!!

[roy247]

Hi Biggles7ar,

Are both of your boxes upgraded V6 boxes or a 360 main box and a mini box, some users call the mini box their main box. If both boxes are V6 boxes as long as they are not turned off at the plug and left in fast start or active start, active start doesn't use much more power than eco mode then you should be able to watch recordings across boxes.

[Biggles7ar]

Unfortunately, both are V6 boxes and despite setting both to active start, I’m stuck recording to what should be a slave box with zero Mb used on box 1’s drive.

It’s another example of the pretty woeful recording management available through 360 - too much functionality lost for no real gain. The current implementation shouldn’t have got as far as beta testing before test user feedback resulted in lots of modification to disc management, control of series link, etc.

Like many providing comments via the forum I’m pretty clear that upgrading has been a massive mistake - Virgin Media either needs to sort out this mess or work up a way for customers to revert to the previous system.

[roy247]

When setting a recording you should be able to select Advanced Options, Click on Choose TV box and then select the box you want it to record on, then click on Record.