# What does "recorded program not available for viewing" mean?



## brittu (Apr 27, 2006)

Just got Whole Home installed today. We've got three DVRS, a new HR24 and two HR20s. Our boys were in room 2 watching a show on the room 1 DVR. We were in room 3 and also wanted to watch a show on the room 1 DVR. But we saw a red stop sign symbol on the show we wanted. When we tried to watch it anyway we got the cryptic and not particularly helpful message "recorded program not available for viewing".

What does that mean? Can't more than one show be watched off the same DVR at one time?

Thanks,
Britt


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

brittu said:


> Can't more than one show be watched off the same DVR at one time?


You can watch one program locally and one remotely. An HR2x can only serve up one WHDS session at any time.

From the fine print near the bottom of the WHDS web page:


DIRECTV WHDS page said:


> Limit one remote viewing per HD DVR.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

brittu said:


> When we tried to watch it anyway we got the cryptic and not particularly helpful message "recorded program not available for viewing".
> 
> What does that mean? Can't more than one show be watched off the same DVR at one time?
> 
> ...


Yes you can "BUT" only one remotely, so the second must be locally on the DVR.
You've got three DVRs, so you can watch three programs remotely, but each has to be off a different DVR.


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## brittu (Apr 27, 2006)

Thanks. Wish I'd figured that out before we laid out all the upgrade money. Still nice though. Will just have to balance the recordings to make that work I guess.


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## Scooter22 (Jun 22, 2007)

Seems like there's no rhyme or reason when it comes to remote viewing. Right now, we have 5 HD DVRs networked and I usually see a bunch of those icons which warn you that programs are unavailable to watch. 

For example, just this morning, I got the error message but there was only one program being recorded on that DVR and the second channel was free. As a test, I pressed the down arrow to see if the dual buffers were activated, but they weren't. 

It's probably something silly that I'm not aware of, but I'd be happy to hear what I'm doing wrong.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Scooter22 said:


> Seems like there's no rhyme or reason when it comes to remote viewing. Right now, we have 5 HD DVRs networked and I usually see a bunch of those icons which warn you that programs are unavailable to watch.
> 
> For example, just this morning, I got the error message but there was only one program being recorded on that DVR and the second channel was free. As a test, I pressed the down arrow to see if the dual buffers were activated, but they weren't.
> 
> It's probably something silly that I'm not aware of, but I'd be happy to hear what I'm doing wrong.


 Not quite sure what you're trying to say here.
MRV had nothing to do with free tuners or not. 
It has to do with whether a DVR is already streaming to another receiver.
Each DVR can only stream out one program over the network. If you are doing this, then this DVR will show programing unavailable to all the other receivers.


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## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

I have a feeling scooter22 was associating the availability of "unused" tuners to the ability to stream content. Totally separate functions, as you note. Streamed content comes off data already stored on the disk, not via a tuner. Only one output stream at any given time from any one DVR.


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## Scooter22 (Jun 22, 2007)

Thanks guys. 

tkrandall, yeah, that's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion guys. 
Well, I was home alone all weekend, and on Sunday morning I tried to stream a show from my DVR (we have his and hers, so on), and it wouldn't let me because it said there were too many streaming. Mine wasn't streaming a thing and one of the other DVRs were inaccessible for the same reason.

I doubt this means anything, but I'll mention it anyway; My DVRs (HR20s and HR21) have both tuners activated and I'm still using the old 2 coax per receiver setup. Who knows, maybe they work different on the single wire setup. I wouldn't think so. 

...Even though I have at least 3 RG6 runs along with at least one ethernet, I sure would like to have the new setup because that would free up another coax that I'd like to use for something else. I suppose that's for another thread.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Scooter22 said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> tkrandall, yeah, that's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion guys.
> Well, I was home alone all weekend, and on Sunday morning I tried to stream a show from my DVR (we have his and hers, so on), and it wouldn't let me because it said there were too many streaming. Mine wasn't streaming a thing and one of the other DVRs were inaccessible for the same reason.
> ...


Well unless there was a receiver or two in pause mode that was "holding on" the the DVR(s), because you're not on a SWiM, you're not using the DECA networking.
As you're using ethernet, there may be something there not releasing the receiver for others to use.
Try rebooting your router and if that doesn't free up everything, go to the receivers and reboot them.


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## Scooter22 (Jun 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Well unless there was a receiver or two in pause mode that was "holding on" the the DVR(s), because you're not on a SWiM, you're not using the DECA networking.
> As you're using ethernet, there may be something there not releasing the receiver for others to use.
> Try rebooting your router and if that doesn't free up everything, go to the receivers and reboot them.


Thanks! 

I'll try your suggestions and see how it goes.


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## heathramos (Dec 19, 2005)

FTR...this has happened to me a couple of times too

at first I thought the stop signs meant I was running out of hard drive space but later noticed I couldn't play anything and got that error message.

I have 3 dvrs and I'm using ethernet to stream.

No one was streaming from any of the other dvrs (only one tv was on in the house).

When it happened last night, I waited 1/2 hour and the stop sign symbols went away on it's own and I was able to play it again.

Annoying. Maybe one of the dvrs was holding open a session.

I did replace my router fairly recently.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Sometimes, like all devices, the DVRs get confused. Rebooting will help get rid of those stop signs as well.


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## heathramos (Dec 19, 2005)

rebooting sucks if you are in the middle of recording something and wanted to watch something else on a different dvr, though.

just wish I knew exactly what was causing it since it hasn't happened to me at all until recently.

I have been using the MRV since the beginning without issues.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

heathramos said:


> rebooting sucks if you are in the middle of recording something and wanted to watch something else on a different dvr, though.
> 
> just wish I knew exactly what was causing it since it hasn't happened to me at all until recently.
> 
> I have been using the MRV since the beginning without issues.





> I'm using ethernet to stream.


I'd guess this may have something to do with it. Maybe something as simple as rebooting the router might do it.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

heathramos said:


> FTR...this has happened to me a couple of times too
> 
> at first I thought the stop signs meant I was running out of hard drive space but later noticed I couldn't play anything and got that error message.
> 
> ...


You may need to recheck your settings on your router for local network (RED FLAG) from your statement.


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