Virgin Media Community

[dickeverard]

I wanted to watch a back issue of The Bridge recently so I searched in CatchUp , found the episode and found that I was asked to pay.  So I went to BBC Iplayer on my phone, found the episode and watched it on the tv by mirroring my phone.  Why wasn't I offered the free version via my V6 box?  I know see that I can find the free version via Home/Apps & Games/All Apps/iplayer.  But this still doesn't explain why I am not offered Iplayer as a choice on Catchup and am only offered something that I have to pay for.  It very much looks as though I am being tricked into buying something uneccessarily.

[japitts]

When the same OnDemand programme is available from multiple sources, your V6 will, under "Watch now", list the different places.

Chargeable options are always listed first, that's the nature of the beast. Scroll down past the "Virgin Media Store" or whatever you've got, and "BBC iPlayer" should be an option - and that'll be free.

If you're finding the programme directly from the reverse EPG and clicking "Watch from Catchup", this should take you to the same screen.

[dickeverard]

What you say is only correct if the programme is less than 4 weeks old.  Thus the episode of The Bridge broadcast on 24th October shows up as available on Iplayer today 23rd November but episodes broadcast before this date are not shown as available for free on Iplayer when going through Catch Up despite the fact that I can access them for free via the Iplayer app.

[japitts]

The issue here is the iPlayer serves two purposes.

As a CatchUp service, it often has longer availability than the standard 30days - and very often, the TiVo/V6 EPG does follow it and give the appropriate shortcuts.

The iPlayer's box-set functionality doesn't always feed into the EPG quite as well - and yes, this can happen.

[dickeverard]

As I expected, they don't always show the free version   Anyway now that I know, I won't ever pay to watch anything without checking if I can get it elsewhere.  Mind you it wouldn't have been necessary if my V6 box had recorded episodes 3 and 4.  It recorded 1, 2, 5 and 6 etc but forgot to record 3 and 4.  Keeps doing that and similar.  Maybe I need a new box but I don't want to lose all my recorded programmes.

[japitts · Accepted solution]

---

@dickeverard wrote:

Mind you it wouldn't have been necessary if my V6 box had recorded episodes 3 and 4.  It recorded 1, 2, 5 and 6 etc but forgot to record 3 and 4.  Keeps doing that and similar.

---

Follow Home > My shows > Recording Hiccups and your box will list the reason for the failed recording.

[dickeverard]

Thankyou.  Yes tgat might be useful but I don't think it shows recordings where the V6 box simply ignored tge fact that it was meant to record something.  If there is a Series link how does it miss two episodes that were broadcast?  

[japitts]

Every failed recording should be listed in that folder, regardless of the reason. Even duplicate episodes of series already recorded, are listed.

You might have some fun going back as far as you need to, mind.