topic Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings in TV

We're making some changes to BBC recordings

JordanTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:10:33 GMT

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.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

MoorCowbell — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:39:44 GMT

Not sure how customers will get the best overall experience when they are unable to watch some programming and lose Dolby Surround in favour of 2 channel sound.

Reithian values live on, telling viewers what's best for them!

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Midnight_Voice — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:51:33 GMT

@JordanTA

I hope you were chewing bumblebees while you wrote that!

And you said:-

‘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”.

Although said in the context of IP Mode, can we expect the BBC to now make this request for Aerial Mode also?

Or is there some reason they couldn’t do this?

In which case, are the broadcasters, in their haste for more control (why?), not aware that they are killing IP mode?

And is ‘asked’ a euphemism for ‘required’?

Couldn’t EE TV have politely refused, or at least equally politely asked the BBC to make 5.1 available on the iPlayer as a quid pro quo, before acceding?

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

LucyfromEE — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:51:59 GMT

Hi @MoorCowbell , thanks for your post. There are benefits with using iPlayer:

You'll always get the full programme, even if the recording is started after the programme is started, if there's a drop in broadband or if there's a change in schedule (which causes partial recordings today)
You'll be able to continue watching your recording from other devices. ie. you start watching 'Celebrity Race Across the World', but want to finish it on your Mini box. By watching via iPlayer, you'll be able to watch where you left off
You'll find more content easier. Either by finding previous / future episodes of what you've recorded, as well as find similar programmes that may take your interest
The quality of the recording will match your broadband availability meaning you'll be watching it in the best quality available

Regarding unavailable programmes, we are assured that this is minimal but do understand the frustration.

I hope that helps!

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

LucyfromEE — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:58:00 GMT

Hi @Midnight_Voice ,

I can confirm that this is just for Internet Mode and aerial mode will remain as is today.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Midnight_Voice — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:07:20 GMT

@LucyfromEE @MoorCowbell

But while you are striving to bring us Dolby Atmos from Now, you will simultaneously be cutting us off from 5.1 from the BBC.

So yes, watching in the best quality available, maybe, but a big big downgrade in listening quality 😢

And of course, all the benefits that you describe above, of replay via the BBC iPlayer, are anyway available to anyone who has recorded a programme in aerial mode, but found it lacking in regard to any if them!

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

MoorCowbell — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:23:09 GMT

I love it when someone tries to sell me something:

If I miss the start off a programme on BBC channels I can currently elect to watch it from the beginning on iPlayer currently. If I'm watching live I can press the green button to load iPlayer to watch from the beginning. So, by your own measure, the change has no benefit and is actually a devaluation if benefits currently offered.

I don't have a mini box and don't watch content in other devices.

I can currently find content much more easily than the iPlayer search function simply by using the universal search (which includes iPlayer content) that is baked into the Pro box.

The single-stream adaptable resolution developed by the BBC is impressive, but as I recall there is a minimum connection quality required for TV services from EE, so your point is moot.

Perhaps this could be an option for customers to opt into in the same way that customers can opt to use aerial or IP delivery. As it is, IP customers are not being treated equally.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

PW1966 — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 07:26:44 GMT

Final straw for me, i wasn't happy with being forced to watch adds on ITV recordings now I am being dictated to as how I watch recordings of BBC programmes that I have paid for via the licence fee.

Backward step in my opinion, could take the box out of internet mode but then you lose a lot of HD channels.

Bought a Manhattan Freeview recorder, which I will now use to watch recordings of Channels 1 to 5 ,at least I will be ready for when you do the same to CH 4 and 5.

Not an ideal solution and I appreciate that a lot of people would be unable to go down this route for financial reasons or poor terrestrial signal.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Tractor555 — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 17:35:18 GMT

I was seriously looking at EE TV as I already have BT Broadband and the TV aerial signal here is a bit iffy sometimes. I was a bit sad that the adverts couldn't be skipped on ITV recordings, but could see the commercial reasoning. However BBC and EE refusing to let programmes be recorded & watched makes paying for EE TV fairly un-attractive to me. I'll spend the money and get the TV aerial fixed and then be able to watch/recored/skip what I like on my old freeview recorder.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Midnight_Voice — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 09:20:22 GMT

@LucyfromEE @DarrenDev @MoorCowbell

You know you are being sold a bill of goods when one of the advantages claimed for the change is “You'll be able to continue watching your recording from other devices. ie. you start watching 'Celebrity Race Across the World', but want to finish it on your Mini box. By watching via iPlayer, you'll be able to watch where you left off”, but when EE TV wanted to provide this capability from the Pro boxes to the Box Minis, it was a different story :-

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/TV/Roadmap-for-ee-tv-minibox-Recording-Viewing-recording/m-p/1377479/highlight/true#M1041

So the BBC is clearly acting in bad faith, and cares more about advancing its own agenda than serving its customers in ways that because they are NIH, are verboten.

Yet we pay twice or three times the cost of any other streaming service to the BBC, via the licence.

Let’s campaign to defund them, I say, see how they get on competing on a level playing field with other streaming services.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Mike_Harvey — Sat, 24 May 2025 21:26:26 GMT

This is beyond a joke! I have just switched from Freesat because I was assured that I could record TV over the Internet. The area I live in has poor reception via an aerial and the place I have recently moved to does not allow satellite dishes. The EE box seemed like the ideal solution, but now I discover that any BBC programmes are actually coming via iplayer and will expire whenever the BBC decide they should. Worse still I cannot play my "recordings" within 15 mins of the programme finishing... I believe I have been mis-sold a poor solution to my needs.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Peter_W — Sun, 25 May 2025 11:58:59 GMT

Good afternoon @Mike_Harvey.

Welcome to the Community!

Whilst this didn't used to be the case, as the article from @JordanTA mentions, this is a change that has taken place on all TV platforms.

If you feel like this wasn't made clear at the point of sale, I'd definitely recommend either reaching out to our customer care team, or alternatively you can raise this as a complaint.

They'll be able to take a look into what you were initially sold, and make sure we've reviewed all of your options.

Peter

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

Vincenz0UK — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 23:23:01 GMT

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

Is that why the BBC Ten O'Clock News is listed as "not available" despite me setting a daily recording? This is one of the ONLY programs I set up a regular recording schedule for. I set up the EE TV Pro box just yesterday, and selected Internet mode - which I assumed was superior to aerial-mode now I have access to full fibre, but in this instance it appears not?

Can someone please clarify?

I did manage to record the local BBC South Today News but the recordings expire after 24 hours - is that part of the same "improvement" from the BBC?

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

graybag — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:49:36 GMT

Hello @Vincenz0UK

I think you are mistaken about only using Internet Channels - suggest you go to https://ee.co.uk/help/tv-sport/manage-use/modes

Hopefully if you plug Aerial into EETVBOXPRO you'll then be able to Record from EPG News and others without haing to be redirected to iPlayer.Also you'll be able to make 4 simultaneous Recordings if you wish including all Freeview Channels at your address.This will not affect your Internet Channels.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

PW1966 — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 20:12:27 GMT

Hi ,all correct me if I am wrong,I thought you can have only one or the other with the Pro box, IP mode or Aerial mode, the advantage of IP mode is more HD channels, ITV 2,3,4,BBC News HD and Others Quest etc, down side is recordings on BBC and ITV are made via iPlayer and Itv X, or Aerial mode which turns the box onto a Freeview recorder as far as BBC and ITV are concerned but you lose some HD channels that are not broadcast on Freeview and also you need an external roof or loft Aerial depending how close you are to the nearest terrestrial transmitter.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

graybag — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:44:47 GMT

No @PW1966 you lose NOTHING by connecting Aerial for Aerial Mode (with TVBOXPRO) .Keep any Subscription Channels (TNT and Sky Sports/Entertainments etc) for use/recording via EPG - those via Internet Mode.Plus,as I said,you can then Record BBC,ITV and other Freeview Channels to watch at any time without needing to go to iPlayer.You can also FF through Adverts because the TVBOXPRO can Record direct from EPG for all Internet and Freeview Channels.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

PW1966 — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 07:35:24 GMT

Still a little confused, what EPG do you get if you use aerial mode. I would assume you get the Freeview EPG with the subscription channels tagged on behind. So 1 is BBC is SD and 101 is BBC 1HD, 231 is BBC news SD, and other than ITV 1 HD on 103 the rest of the ITV channels are in SD.

On my box in IP mode the HD channels start at 1 , the ITV bundle of channels and the extra Channel 5 bundle are in HD and BBC news is HD on 231.

So how would I be able to watch or record ITV 2 HD or BBC news HD in Aerial mode?

One other point, do you not have to be in range of a main transmitter to get the full Freeview range of channels as my understanding is that if you receive Freeview from a relay site you may not receive some channels but then again not all the Freeview channels are available in IP mode.

Re: We're making some changes to BBC recordings

DarrenDev — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:21:36 GMT

Everything you've said is correct @PW1966 - there are some trade-offs between aerial and internet mode, including losing some HD channels in aerial mode. You need to make the decision about what's most important to you.