Is there any fix?
 

This is a question about "metadata" about which I know almost nothing.

Back in 2022, the BBC One channels moved from SD to HD on Virgin, and it was said that previous recordings could be viewed for a year after that change. For example,
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...&postcount=429

So, seeing as I still have some of those recordings on my TiVo box, is there any technical fix that would allow them to be viewed, or is that an impossible wish?

It does seem rather pointless to put a block on recordings for a channel that still exists, as opposed to one that ceased broadcasting or dropped its arrangement with VM where it makes sense. And yes I know "recording is for time-shifting not meant for permanence".


Thanks.

Re: Is there any fix?
 

They are different channels. The SD ones have closed down. They were hidden for a year to enable viewing but have been deleted to save bandwidth.

Re: Is there any fix?
 

There is but it's not going to happen. Most of the BBC SD regions were held for around 419 days. A lot of time to view any recordings. These and other related placeholders were removed on 21/03/2023. If it has taken until now to realise that the recordings are no longer playable, how important were they? Not very important at all it would seem. If you don't want to be caught out by Virgin TV retiring old recordings from PSB channels on obsolete services, use a Freeview Plus recorder. Although, even with those, the harddrive will fail at some point.

Re: Is there any fix?
 

I've been told by someone that has Sky that any recordings made from deleted channels can be viewed for evermore (well until the HDD fails).

He still has films from the Disney channels and they closed a long while ago now (can't remember exactly how long thougj).

Re: Is there any fix?
 

Thanks for the answers, and yes I'm using a Freeview recorder now. At the time I was relying on the TiVO while being aware of the likelihood that they would not work after a year or so following the SD->HD move.
I was just thinking logically that there's no reason a programme from a free to air channel should be encrypted anyway, so someone might have a solution to retrieve them from the box.

Re: Is there any fix?
 

It's a completely different system. From what I was told elsewhere, Sky boxes aren't particularly standards compliant for on-device encryption either.

---------- Post added at 23:21 ---------- Previous post was at 23:18 ----------

It doesn't work like that. The only way to get the recordings to play would be to add the SDT and NIT records back for the individual services and it's a lot of data / clutter to carry for services that are no longer active.

Re: Is there any fix?
 

As far as Virgin Media are concerned:

1) The TV agreements permit recording "for the purpose of viewing at a more convenient time" only. They are not designed as an archive.

2) VM TV boxes are rented, you never own them, so in effect also never own the content recorded on them. All VM HD channels are encrypted including BBC, ITV etc.

Sky can block recordings of encrypted channels, such as Sky Sports, so that you can no longer view the recordings if you stop subscribing to the channels.

Your Sky+ box recordings would continue to work if you paid a nominal fee (I think it was £10 a month) to Sky to retain the recording features, otherwise these were also switched off & the box ceased to be a PVR.