BBC iPlayer

[swill453]

If I use BBC iPlayer on a phone, tablet or PC and watch "Live TV", I can rewind to any point in the last 2 hours.

However if I watch the same on a smart TV, either with its iPlayer app or cast to Chromecast from one of the above devices, the most I can rewind to is the start of the current programme.

So I can't watch a show that's just finished until it appears in iPlayer in its own right, which is typically about an hour afters it's shown.

Does anyone know why they restrict it like this? I'm guessing marketing reasons. Or does anyone know a workaround?

Scott.

[Gerry557]

I have never noticed this issue but then again I've not looked for it.

If you know a show is on you can record it on a free view box like the humax aura and lots have catch up services.

I haven't tried your scenario though but might look out for it later

[Arborbridge]

If I use BBC iPlayer on a phone, tablet or PC and watch "Live TV", I can rewind to any point in the last 2 hours.

However if I watch the same on a smart TV, either with its iPlayer app or cast to Chromecast from one of the above devices, the most I can rewind to is the start of the current programme.

So I can't watch a show that's just finished until it appears in iPlayer in its own right, which is typically about an hour afters it's shown.

Does anyone know why they restrict it like this? I'm guessing marketing reasons. Or does anyone know a workaround?

Scott.

I'll have to try as I have never needed to. However, there is a parallel with BBC sounds in that if you "catch" a program before it has finished broadcasting you can let it run back or forth and follow it until the end. But, if you try to find the program immediately after it has finished, you can't for some considerably time - it's as thought they don't "post" it for an hour or so, which can be annoying.

[swill453]

I have never noticed this issue but then again I've not looked for it.

If you know a show is on you can record it on a free view box like the humax aura and lots have catch up services.

For the moment I have no terrestrial or satellite TV access so making do with Internet only.

My simple need is, for example, to be able to watch the BBC six o'clock news on TV if I switch it on at 6.35. I can't seem to do it using the (LG) smart TV app, or by casting from my phone or tablet. If anyone knows of a way...

Scott.

[swill453]

I'll have to try as I have never needed to. However, there is a parallel with BBC sounds in that if you "catch" a program before it has finished broadcasting you can let it run back or forth and follow it until the end. But, if you try to find the program immediately after it has finished, you can't for some considerably time - it's as thought they don't "post" it for an hour or so, which can be annoying.

Yes exactly the same. But with the anomaly that you can rewind 2 hours of live TV on the android app on a phone or tablet (but can't cast the same to the TV).

Scott.

[bungeejumper]

I know the problem. The viewing guide on my LG TV starts from the present set of broadcasts - not from this morning, which is often what I really want. When I get to this point, I generally find that the iPlayer app on my smartphone gets me where I want to be. I haven't noticed a two hour limit on the rewind, but maybe I've just missed it?

However, I think this might be a different thing from the time-lag between when the time when a programme ends and the time when it becomes available for catch-up viewing. HIGNFY runs for half an hour at 9.00 pm, but if you try to catch it at 9.35 you'll be out of luck until Nadine Dorries has finished vetting it the iPlayer people get round to putting it on the system. (Yawn.)

Sometimes I find that I can catch a recently-aired programme quickly using the TV's Search facility. At other times, not. Illogical, I know.....

Either way, the different behaviour of the various iPlayer apps on TVs, smartphones and computers does give the impression that the BBC really hasn't thought hard enough about the consistency of its platform.

BJ

[Stompa]

FWIW the BBC do confirm this behaviour here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/ques ... ve-restart

"If you're using the website or the mobile/tablet app, you can manually select a point in time in the live stream up to a maximum of two hours ago. If you're using the TV app, you can rewind to the beginning of the programme that's currently playing."

[swill453]

Does anyone know if the Firestick, Now TV thingy, Apple TV, or any other dongle or service gets round this?

Scott.

[tjh290633]

I have noticed this effect on SKY+ Catch up TV. My feeling is that prerecorded programmes are instantly available, whereas live programmes are subject to a delay until the recording has been uploaded. Some "live" programmes are actually been recorded some time earlier, like Question Time, but the delay still seems apply.

TJH

[Infrasonic]

I have noticed this effect on SKY+ Catch up TV. My feeling is that prerecorded programmes are instantly available, whereas live programmes are subject to a delay until the recording has been uploaded. Some "live" programmes are actually been recorded some time earlier, like Question Time, but the delay still seems apply.

TJH

QT has an hour delay between live recording and broadcast I think - enough time to edit anything out that shouldn't be broadcast and possibly get you into trouble with Ofcom...

Live TV is fraught with danger, technically and 'what if' wise.

[mc2fool]

FWIW the BBC do confirm this behaviour here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/ques ... ve-restart

"If you're using the website or the mobile/tablet app, you can manually select a point in time in the live stream up to a maximum of two hours ago. If you're using the TV app, you can rewind to the beginning of the programme that's currently playing."

Yeah but what they don't tell you is that "rewind to the beginning of the programme that's currently playing" in the TV app only works if the beginning of the programme is less than 2 hours ago. If you come in to, say, a 3 hour film after 2.5 hours then "restart" will start 30 minutes into it.