TiVo : multi tivo streaming

[DJSADERS]

Has Virgin ever said why there are so many restricted channels on the tivo to tio streaming service?

It makes no sense... for example i think its NAT Geo SD can be streamed but no the HD version... its bloody annoying lol

[spiderplant]

From http://help.virginmedia.com/system/s...MER_TYPE=Cable

There are a number of reasons why you might not be able to stream shows from one TiVo box to another:

• The channel on which the show was recorded is no longer available through Virgin Media e.g. if the channel provider has closed the channel
• You no longer subscribe to the channel on which the show was recorded.
• We are not allowed to provide the channel to watch through room to room streaming. This is usually because the channel provider has restricted how the channel can be watched as part of their agreement with us.
• Where a video has only been recording for less than 45 seconds you won’t be able to watch it just yet. Wait a minute or two, and try again.

When a show is unavailable to watch, you’ll see the Roadsign stop icon beneath its description, with some information on why it cannot be streamed

(my bold)

[kev247]

Makes me wonder if this is more a actual/perceived hardware restriction put in place by VM - thinking your home network or TiVo boxes can't cope with streaming HD content maybe?

I actually went to the trouble of contacting the BBC (I was that mad at the time, having received the dreaded playback not possible message when trying to watch something recorded on BBC 1 HD) - I did actually get a response:

'Thanks for contacting the BBC regarding our services via Virgin Media.

Generally speaking any Virgin viewer can watch BBC content from the past 7 days via the iPlayer application on any VM box (be it TiVo or otherwise). Therefore we are not aware of any copyright restrictions which would prevent you from watching on a multi room service basis.

We will endeavour to raise this with the Virgin Centre call team, to ensure there is absolute clarity around this issue.'

Needless to say there have been no further developments, that was at the end of september 2014 :-/

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by DJSADERS

Has Virgin ever said why there are so many restricted channels on the tivo to tio streaming service?

It makes no sense... for example i think its NAT Geo SD can be streamed but no the HD version... its bloody annoying lol

I think it's because a lot of their carriage deals where negotiated before TiVo was available on the service. As such, they will not have negotiated the right to stream the content to other rooms (why would they pay extra for rights they aren't in a position to use?).

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by kev247

Makes me wonder if this is more a actual/perceived hardware restriction put in place by VM - thinking your home network or TiVo boxes can't cope with streaming HD content maybe?

Not at all. Why would BBC News content (which can be streamed) require less hardware than BBC1 content (which can't)? Or why did all Sky channels suddenly become streamable last year, whereas Comedy Central stopped? It's entirely down to rights.

[kev247]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Not at all. Why would BBC News content (which can be streamed) require less hardware than BBC1 content (which can't)? Or why did all Sky channels suddenly become streamable last year, whereas Comedy Central stopped? It's entirely down to rights.

As I said in my previous post, I am referring to 'HD' content which VM do have rights to, for instance the same program recorded on BBC1 can be played on another TiVo, but the HD recording of the same program cannot. Especially when BBC say there is no reason why I should be able to play either or - it being BBC's own content:

Generally speaking any Virgin viewer can watch BBC content from the past 7 days via the iPlayer application on any VM box (be it TiVo or otherwise). Therefore we are not aware of any copyright restrictions which would prevent you from watching on a multi room service basis.

We will endeavour to raise this with the Virgin Centre call team, to ensure there is absolute clarity around this issue.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by kev247

As I said in my previous post, I am referring to 'HD' content which VM do have rights to, for instance the same program recorded on BBC1 can be played on another TiVo, but the HD recording of the same program cannot.

The MRS restrictions are applied to the whole channel, and both BBC1 SD and BBC1 HD are restricted. But there are plenty of HD channels that do allow streaming.

To see the channels where it is permitted, go to http://store.virginmedia.com/discove...uspart=TVAW_02 then select "What can I watch with multi-room streaming?"

[kev247]

Thanks for the list spiderplant, although I have been able to play some BBC1 programs in the past, not sure why that might have been the case.

Aside from that though, it doesn't explain why VM say 'right issues' whilst BBC say otherwise.

I can see why other channels have certain restrictions but there doesn't seem to be any reason for the likes of BBC 1 and 2 etc to have such restrictions?

[Stuart]

They did say "via the iPlayer application".The rights for that may well be separate.

[DJSADERS]

i already knew about the list of channels, i was looking for a reason more than anything, as the restrictions on an internal network, where i can go into another room to watch it is silly, i cant see why making a channel streaming from one box to another would be breaking any "rights"

[BenMcr]

End of the day, Virgin Media provide the technical capability to do it for all channels, but it's down to the channels themselves to agree to it - just as them being carried on Virgin Media in the first place is an agreement.

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

but it's down to the channels themselves to agree to it

Or for VM to pay the extra cash the channels ask for to allow MRS?


TBH, I think the channels are stupid and short-sighted to withhold or ask for more money to allow MRS. They should be encouraging viewers who are prepared to pay for their content with incentives such as MRS. After all, if people download it illegally, they can watch it anywhere, any time on any device.