how does videotape work again?

[dbskyler]

It's the last day of a holiday weekend here in the U.S., and for the first time, BBC America went ahead and broadcast the new Doctor Who episode over a holiday weekend instead of delaying it by a week. So of course, this happened over a weekend when I was actually away for the holiday. However, because I knew the episode was being broadcast, I set the timer on my VCR to tape it for me while I was gone. However however, I've just discovered that the episode didn't tape correctly. So I can't watch it. In fact, not only did it not tape correctly, but I seem to have accidentally taped over the last two or so minutes of the previous episode on the tape, "Let's Kill Hitler." Which isn't terrible, because I've seen it, but part of the point of taping it was to be able to see it again. Which I can, except for the last two minutes of it. Which were kind of good, as I recall. Not that I can doublecheck or anything.

Of course, the most frustrating aspect of the whole thing is that I can't watch the new episode. I'm trying to decide what to do about it. BBCA is repeating it on Friday, so I could wait and watch it then. Or I could buy it right now from the iTunes store for $2.99, which isn't a bad price, but having to pay anything for something that was just broadcast here for free and is about to be broadcast here for free again is just a tad annoying. And then there's the fact that the iTunes store only offers the episode in HD, which takes a l o n g t i m e to download onto my computer. Plus, just in case that's not enough, I just downloaded the free "Let's Kill Hitler" prequel from the iTunes store, also available only in HD, and not only did it take a worryingly long time considering it's only 1:58 minutes long, but when I try to play it, there's no sound. So let's just say I'm not filled with confidence as to the chances of my getting a working download for the new episode should I decide to purchase it. I kind of suspect the problem has to do with downloading HD using my not-quite-broadband-level internet connection, and/or playing it on my not-exactly-cutting-edge-anymore computer. Why don't they offer non-HD downloads as an alternative? I don't need it in HD; I just want to see it. HD is new and spiffy and high-tech, but the whole reason I need to buy the episode in the first place is because I still haven't figured out how to work a VCR correctly. Let's face it, HD is bound to defeat me.

Anyway, so that was my welcome home tonight. At least I had a good time away. How was everyone else's weekend?

ETA: Guess what's on my cable system's "on demand" menu? THE NEW DOCTOR WHO EPISODE!!!!!!!! I am SO psyched! And also slightly confused, as they still haven't put up "Let's Kill Hitler" yet. But I decided to check just in case, and there it is!!!!!!!!!

The weekend is ending on a good note after all. :D

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Eek! That sucks. (Not that you're missing much by not seeing the episode, in my opinion, but still...!)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I feel really stupid for messing it up, actually. Unfortunately I was in a bit of a rush getting out the door on Friday, so I set the recording up quickly and then didn't doublecheck it. Of course, when you're setting something up quickly is exactly the time when you should doublecheck it . . .

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that's exactly when...

*hugs*

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Just found out that I can watch it through my cable system's "on demand" menu! So yay!!!!!!!!!!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Woot! That's you sorted then!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Yep! Just watched it! And now I know why you said I didn't miss much. But now I can go to bed in a happy mood because I am officially caught up. :D

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Hooray for being caught up!

(Yeah, not the best ep ever!)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of Mark Gatiss' writing. I think all four of his DW episodes were on the mediocre side.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Yup! I've never forgiven him for having Dickens say "What the Shakespeare" - so fricking pointless since Shakespeare himself used the phrase "What the dickens" 400 years before Dickens came along. Idiot! (Gatiss, not Shakespeare or Dickens.) I suppose Gatiss thought he was being clever, but it made Dickens look stupid and that I cannot forgive.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I've never forgiven him for having Dickens say "What the Shakespeare"

That was totally ridiculous! "What the dickens" is a phrase that has nothing to do with Charles Dickens -- it's another way of saying "what the devil," and not only did that make Dickens look stupid, it made it look like Gatiss thinks the audience is stupid, which is completely inexcusable.

Although maybe that was an RTD addition, and we shouldn't blame Gatiss?

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I don't know - it just seems exactly the sort of smart alec thing Gatiss would do.

[pitry.livejournal.com]

Hooray for the victory of weird scheduling! :D

It could be that they got confused - won't be the first time! Although the biggest mistakes I can remember were by iTunes - I'm pretty sure there was more than one Stargate episode that they opened for download before the TV broadcast by mistake :D BUT you're benefiting from the confusion, so who cares?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really don't understand their schedule for making episodes available through "on demand." Sometimes episodes are available within a day or two, and sometimes they take weeks. Sometimes specific episodes are mysteriously left out, i.e. the episode before it and the one after it will be available, but not that one. I don't know if it's because of rights issues or a huge mistake somewhere. Anyway, I'm glad someone somewhere got on the ball and made this one available right away! "On demand" is free for me since it's part of the cable service I pay for. Plus it's commercial-free!

That's hysterical that iTunes was letting people have Stargate before broadcast.

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, I'm glad you found it somewhere. I don't video things much now (our video player is a bit dodgy), but I was always very good at recording over things, recording the wrong side etc etc. Video+ means I usually don't anymore, though.

Random is random, what can we say? :-)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I don't have a DVR anymore, so if I want a recording, I have to use videotape. On the other hand, I find that I don't need to record things very often anymore, as stuff tends to be online if I miss it (except for Doctor Who -- when are we getting that international iplayer???)

Back in the old days, I used to record shows all the time, and I rarely made mistakes. Now I've lost the skill of it or something.

[thisbluespirit]

Hee, I've never had anything as modern as a DVR, but video+ stops me recording the wrong channel at the wrong time on the wrong day. Up until then I was great at recording over things, recording the wrong side etc etc. I'm glad to hear you were better at it... :-)