What's "Protected Programming"

[DXer720]

Saturday, I just upgraded to an 8300HD.  When I tried to record "Days of Our Lives" on Monday on Ch 504 or 4 @ 1:00 PM, the guide had "Protected Programming" in that 1-hour timeslot. It's also there for Tuesday's aring as well.    I happened to come home about 1:55 & noticed that "Days" was on, but still labeled as "Protected Programming".  The program did not record.

Why is "Days of Our Lives protected?  If I can watch that program live, how come I can't record it?  I'm wondering if other programs may become protected.

[tbarney]

The same thing happened on Dish Network today. I only know because the wife was complaining about not having her episode of "Days" on the DVR.  The same thing is in the program guilde for Tuesday afternoon, but it looks like Wednesday is back to labeling that timeslot as Days.

I'm not sure what caused it, but she sure is glad that SOAP Net shows today's episode of Days later in the day so that is when she'll get it.

Looks like this has happened in Milwaukee before. URL

Who knows, maybe there is some top secret commercial by a local candidate and they didn't want you to be able to record it... it is election day so that is all I can come up with.

[mrschimpf]

The same title came up on my Charter MOXI, and I decided to record it just to see if indeed it was protected. It recorded just fine.

I think it just has something to do with new fall scheduling kinks and bad guide data. One of my Motorola boxes still shows "Montel" at 2pm on 4 (which has now plugged "Better" there), but on the MOXI, it comes on at 1pm on WMLW (yes, it's cancelled and now only in reruns, but still on the air. How did Montel get away with this shell game?). For the next three weeks I expect daytime programming recording to be an exercise in frustration.