# Allow for remote deletion of .tivo files



## smithcferg (Mar 28, 2003)

Allow .tivo files to be remotely deleted through a remote internet command, or by tivo desktop or other third party apps that support tivo, and also through tivo web if it isn't there yet.

This would be very, very useful!

Craig


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

I'd love to see this, but actually I'd like to be able to do it from another TiVo... or perhaps make it a MRV selection: "Transfer this Recording" "Transfer this Recording, and delete it from other TiVo when transfer is complete."


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

The issue would be a user deleting a program on the remote tivo, but thinking they're deleting a program on the tivo they're using. A user on their PC thinking they're deleting a show on their PC but actually deleting a show on their PC.

Years ago we were able to turn on backdoors and get access to some additional features.

We need an option to turn on "expert or advanced" features. That would give us a menu with options that might have "issues" if an "ordinary" customer used.

Examples include remote delete, change buffer size, delete a program without sending to the recently deleted folder, empty recently deleted folder and a way to purge a show from the recently deleted folder with one keystrook.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

bicker said:


> I'd love to see this, but actually I'd like to be able to do it from another TiVo... or perhaps make it a MRV selection: "Transfer this Recording" "Transfer this Recording, and delete it from other TiVo when transfer is complete."





lew said:


> The issue would be a user deleting a program on the remote tivo, but thinking they're deleting a program on the tivo they're using.


Uh, I don't understand that ... if they're initiating the transfer of a recording, how can anyone think that the copy that they're creating by that action is going to be the copy that gets deleted?


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

bicker said:


> Uh, I don't understand that ... if they're initiating the transfer of a recording, how can anyone think that the copy that they're creating by that action is going to be the copy that gets deleted?


Assume tivo is setting up software for stupid people. A wife initiates the MRV from "your tivo" to "her tivo". A few days later she watches the show and deletes it, forgetting she deleted it from "your tivo" when she transferred the show.

This is not a good example. *I don't think you or your wife will make that mistake* but others will. I think options like this should be enabled via a menu option for "advanced settings". Similar to the extra features we used to get by enabling back doors.

edited--Maybe instead of saying stupid people I should have said something like people who don't take the time to read instructions. People who will be calling CSR and complaining when their show vanishes.

This problem is compounded when you consider the fact that tivo purges shows from the recently deleted folder based on date recorded not date deleted. A show that was recorded a month or so ago is likely to get purged almost immediately after it's deleted.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

lew said:


> Assume tivo is setting up software for stupid people. A wife initiates the MRV from "your tivo" to "her tivo". A few days later she watches the show and deletes it, forgetting she deleted it from "your tivo" when she transferred the show.


Given that there are two different choices ("Transfer" and "Transfer and Delete") I think the difference between that and the wife just manually deleting the transferred recording after the transfer is complete is pretty small. Extend your logic, and perhaps there shouldn't be any way to delete anything.


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## smithcferg (Mar 28, 2003)

actually, "transfer and delete" option is a safe option for non-experts. It is non-destructive. You can always go back to the TIVO the show came from AND transfer the show back to it. 

I think most people transfer shows to view them, so they usually need to delete them anyway once viewed. It might be more useful it they had implemented "transfer and delete" rather than "transfer"!

Frankly, a remote delete operation is a very safe operation if there is a remote undelete operation available as well. It doesn't make much sense to say people can handle a local delete function but not a remote delete function.


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

Think of the remote tivo "belonging" to your kid. You don't care if he copies one of your programs but you don't want him deliberatly or accidently deleting a show off "your" tivo. He knows not to delete anything when he's actually using your tivo.

I don't think this is a bad request, I think it should be a setting that the user has to enable on an "expert" settings screen.

Undelete is very unreliable. Tivo purges shows from the RDF based on the date recorded not on the date deleted. That means a show you deleted could be gone from the RDF hours after you deleted the show.



smithcferg said:


> actually, "transfer and delete" option is a safe option for non-experts. It is non-destructive. You can always go back to the TIVO the show came from AND transfer the show back to it.
> 
> I think most people transfer shows to view them, so they usually need to delete them anyway once viewed. It might be more useful it they had implemented "transfer and delete" rather than "transfer"!
> 
> Frankly, a remote delete operation is a very safe operation if there is a remote undelete operation available as well. It doesn't make much sense to say people can handle a local delete function but not a remote delete function.


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## txporter (Sep 18, 2006)

lew said:


> Think of the remote tivo "belonging" to your kid. You don't care if he copies one of your programs but you don't want him deliberatly or accidently deleting a show off "your" tivo. He knows not to delete anything when he's actually using your tivo.


That's what multiple tivos are for!  My son has his own tivo and it runs kidzone, so it is hard enough to do anything you actually want to do, let alone delete things you shouldn't.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

And if you don't trust someone in your household to responsibly use the "Transfer and Delete" option I called for, then don't authorized that someone's TiVo for any transfers.


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

bicker said:


> And if you don't trust someone in your household to responsibly use the "Transfer and Delete" option I called for, then don't authorized that someone's TiVo for any transfers.


I'd rather have an advanced settings screen with an option to "enable remote deletions".

A lot of our suggestions make sense to us but not to tivo. Not enough benefit to justify the cost to program and support.

Imagine the support phone calls, I didn't do anything different. Why did tivo delete the show after transferring?

The tivo interface works well with customers who don't read the manual and who aren't smart. There are support issues if tivo deviates from that philosophy.

I wish tivo would change the way it selects programs to purge from the RDF. Under many circumstances a deleted show will get purged shortly after it's deleted. My opinion would be different if the show would remain in the RDF longer.


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