We're making some changes to BBC recordings

[JordanTA]

From Tuesday 27th August, any BBC recordings made while in Internet Mode on the TV Box Pro will play from the iPlayer app. Recordings made before this switchover will play from your box as normal.

You may have seen that this was originally going to go ahead on the 21st August. Our plans have now changed, and this will appear on your box from the 27th August.

What you need to know:

• There’s no change to how you make the recording, or where you find them
• You’ll need an account with the BBC to watch your programme
• Not all programmes are on BBC iPlayer. This includes regional news, films, and sports events. If a recording isn’t available on iPlayer, it will be shown as unavailable after the program has aired
• It can be up to 15 minutes until your programme is available after it’s finished. This depends on whether the programme was pre-recorded or broadcast live
• Programmes will expire and availability may vary. News bulletins may expire after 24 hours. Dramas and documentaries will be available for up to 365 days. The status of your recording will update when there are 2 weeks or less until it expires
• Majority of recordings made in HD will be watching in HD on the iPlayer app
• A BBC recording will still count as a recording slot. In internet mode, you can record 2 programmes at a time as it relies on the available broadband speeds. See our TV Modes help page for more information on Internet mode

Why is this change happening?

The way we watch TV is evolving, and EE TV is evolving with it. That’s why our TV Box Pro features Internet Mode, which enables customers to watch their favourite shows without needing an aerial installed.

Our TV channel partners (like the BBC) are adapting with this change and exploring new ways to give customers the best possible viewing experience when watching over the Internet.

As a part of this evolution, the BBC have asked TV providers for any future BBC programmes that are recorded to now play through BBC iPlayer. This will make sure that when our customers playback the content they watch it in the highest quality, pick up where they left off if watching on additional devices, get the most informed content recommendations and have the best overall experience when in Internet Mode.

[graybag]

A BBC recording will still count as a recording slot?

                         Instead of "recording" BBC programme and then being taken to BBC iPlayer to watch,thus taking up one of the Recording Slots,would it not be possible to go to the BBC iPlayer App to watch when convenient and still be able to Record two other (non-BBC) Channels?

     Graham

[Debbie_G]

Hey @graybag 

You are correct, you can use BBC iPlayer to watch past content, which would free up your slot. You can continue to record using BBC and this would continue to use your recording slot, this option is being left in place to support ease of use.

Debbie 🙂

[Hooba]

Question: How is iPlayer going to be the highest quality, and provide the best overall experience, when iPlayer lacks 5.1 audio?

[zulu17]

Will all BT/EE customers with the Box Pro be informed as I understand  some have  emails but not others and only a small  number will access the community and notice any changes in BT/EE webpages ?

[zulu17]

A prtactical question.

How is change to be implemented on 27th August  and what happens to any recordings in progress at the time of implementation .  For example are they playable because they started before implementation or are you directed to iplayer because they completed after implementation ?

[gomezz]

I would guess that they would be subject to the new regime as it would be part of the recording finalisation to mark the recording for streaming playback.   And otherwise, how else would you be able to chase-play an active recording?  Or is that another loss of functionality or relies on the iPlayer's Play from Start functionality?

[zulu17]

Another question

Who is responsible for the data that links the  Box "recording" to the IPlayer  programme and is the process for maintaining that data considered to be robust ? I ask that as  I have experienced that both the Youview universal search and the backwards EPG guide do appear not to link to a programme in iPlayer  at times  (ie programme apparently not available) but if I  actually  open iPlayer myself and use  iPlayer own search the programme is there ?

[LucyfromTV]

Hi @graybag - you can still use the Watchlist feature which is essentially 'bookmarking' BBC iPlayer content. As this won't be recording, it won't be using the recording slots. 

Hope this helps. 

[LucyfromTV]

Hi @zulu17 - They will yes. Additional comms are due to be sent throughout this week.