V6 recorded programme unavailable

[AnotherUser]

Hi,

I have some old BBC recordings on my V6 box, but when I try to play them, I get the message:

No Longer Available

We're sorry, but this recording can't be viewed because BBC ONE is no longer available from Virgin Media.

What's going on? Of course BBC ONE is available! If I the try to watch the same recording through my TIVO box, I get the message:

Not Permitted

Doctor Who - Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse

Due to policy set by the copyright holder, this recording cannot be played on the TIVO box.

Why a different message?

[Oops2]

Would have been nice to have been given some clear notice that recordings from BBC HD channel 108, for example, were to disappear down a Virgin Media created black hole! Having had a subscription both at the time of recording and the time of intended viewing, VM's subscription argument appears to be irrelevant, a red-herring. If the recording resides on the V6 box, I really cannot see a GENUINE reason why I can't still view it.

BTW, it might be a nice gesture were VM to send an email with their sincere apologies for the inconvenience to all of us who lost our broadband and land line connection earlier this week. Am I being naive in this expectation?

[nodrogd]

VM are being reasonable in giving customers 12 months to view time shifted content. There are constraints on the system that tie up resources transmitting these “ghost” channels so that a handful of people can gain access to long closed broadcast streams. The rest of Europe has moved to cloud recording, where limits are more strictly imposed (ie. The recordings expire the same as they do on catch-up). There are already signs that some broadcasters are accepting the idea of cloud recording, so make the most of your hard disk while you still have it.

[CPCP]

"VM are being reasonable in giving customers 12 months to view time shifted content."

The issue isn't whether VM are being reasonable in giving customers 12 months to watch time shifted content. The issue is whether they are being reasonable in not making it clear to customers that this is the case.

There are two things here:

1. The general point that VM are not being clear about the status of recordings. Given that VM give customers the capability of recording hundreds of hours of content, it is perfectly reasonable to expect VM to be clear under what circumstances these recordings will become unplayable. They don't do this.

2. There is the specific point about recordings made from BBCFourHD. When you go to play older recordings made from BBCFourHD you get a message saying "We're sorry but this recording can't be viewed because BBCFourHD is no longer available from Virgin Media." This is clearly incorrect. It is still available. It has always been available.

Anyway, I'm sure you are waiting to hear how I got on with that visit from an engineer. "That's a weird one. I haven't seen anything like that. I don't know what the problem could be." He said he'd have to contact his manager, who would probably have to contact his manager.....and someone would get back to me.

[Oops2]

As far as I am aware, recordings made to a V6 box reside on the box, not in a 'cloud'. So that may change, but it hasn't yet. In the meantime, I fail to understand how being able to view content stored on the hard drive in any way 'ties up resources'.

Your reference to 'a handful of people' implies we're just a nuisance minority, but I think you'll find that the money that I pay to VM each month is just as good as anyone elses'.

[nodrogd]

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@Oops2 wrote:

As far as I am aware, recordings made to a V6 box reside on the box, not in a 'cloud'. So that may change, but it hasn't yet. In the meantime, I fail to understand how being able to view content stored on the hard drive in any way 'ties up resources'.

There are only a finite number of metadata “ghost” channels the system can accommodate. These have to remain on the system to “unlock” the recordings, as they are locked to channel PIDs they were recorded from. Keeping one going indefinitely for every channels that closes, is moved or otherwise modified is not feasible.

Your reference to 'a handful of people' implies we're just a nuisance minority, but I think you'll find that the money that I pay to VM each month is just as good as anyone elses'.

Depends how many people there are out there with the expectation of “That looks interesting, I’ll record that & watch it next year”. No there isn’t many. What there is is a lot of are people who think the box is a suitable archive facility for their favourite programmes, & then keep them to watch as & when they choose.

[countyexile]

If it isn't feasible then why not give customers the option to transfer any recordings they want to keep to their own separate hard drive? Plus, at the very least,  give paying customers advance notice if any of their recordings are going to be removed. In recent months I have lost a number of music concerts that were recorded from BBC4, without any warning, and as others have stated none the wiser because the channel is still part of the package.

[Roger_Gooner]

The option to transfer any recordings they want to keep to their own separate hard drive means piracy as far as content owners are concerned, so no boxes have provided this facility after the TiVo - and even that was only in SD.

[NeillRoy]

I just had a chat with a very nice chap from GiggaFibre or some such. Fast cable broadband for WAY less than I pay virgin. I told him I was trapped into staying with virgin due to the amount of recorded content I still have on my V6 box. 

Thanks Virgin for fixing the one last reason to stay a loyal (25 years) customer. 

[nodrogd]

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@NeillRoy wrote:

I just had a chat with a very nice chap from GiggaFibre or some such. Fast cable broadband for WAY less than I pay virgin. I told him I was trapped into staying with virgin due to the amount of recorded content I still have on my V6 box. 

Thanks Virgin for fixing the one last reason to stay a loyal (25 years) customer. 

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If the service offered is not what you want then by all means move. Pretty soon the only means of storing recordings locally will be a Freeview or Freesat PVR. Sky are revamping their Stream product to move away from satellite (which will leave the PSB channels carrying the can for Freesat), & Virgin will also be transitioning away from "Cable" services.

PS. Virgin Media & Wight Fibre are the only companies in the UK that offer radio based Cable (or DOCSIS) Broadband. While others like Giganet use separate networks, they all operate XGS-PON services using the same technology as BT etc.

[Roger_Gooner]

WightFibre doesn't use DOCSIS as it has a P2P network. TV is provided to customers in collaboration with Netgem whereby premium channels are streamed and an aerial is needed for Freeview channel viewing and a USB stick for recording.