iTunes Purge? And TV App help

[seanrt]

I know there have been multiple discussions of people having purchased items disappear, sometimes reappearing. I have a question somewhat based around this. I run my library from iTunes using home sharing. All my purchases over the last 10 years have always been accessible.
This week I was rebuilding my library and all of my shows that are no longer sold on the store are no longer accessible, they show up in all the right places (purchased section of iTunes, iOS devices and AppleTV - TV app and the TV Shows app). One series was in the middle of downloading when they disappeared. I got 2 episodes and then poof the rest not accessible.
The weird thing is through the TV app on Apple TV (which I always thought played from iCloud) I can play the 2 episodes downloaded in my iTunes, but no access to the rest of the show. It seems strange all of those shows would disappear same day and time. They were from various license holders. Some Hanna-Barbera, Filmation Archie and Sabrina, some Krofft shows like HR Pufnstuff and Sigmund. The TV app also seems to now be showing my other locally watched episodes in the Up Next area of the TV app as if played through the cloud and not my local library.

 

[570934]

Unfortunately if you don't download purchases this can happen. I had a couple of film removed by the studio, according to Apple, form my purchases. I now download everything to a large external raid device.its the only way to keep your purchases of course.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

That's unusual. I've lost just one film and two music videos. When they are taken away, they simply do not show up in your iTunes library so very very strange if they are still there on show.

I download to keep around 10 films that are my favourites and that is it (I bought the 256GB on the iPhone X for this reason for my travels). It's simply not possible for many of my friends to do that long term as many do not own computers having replaced Windows desktops with iPads or simply doing everything on an iPhone

I much prefer to play my iTunes films from Apple's iCloud servers as I have found from day one over the last five years, Apple HomeSharing to be very unreliable at playing iTunes downloaded films - sometimes they play fine other times they'll stop and buffer many times AND then one or two films in particular two French films bought in iTunes will NOT play at all using HomeSharing - they pause every other second!!!!! (And i've tried not just on the ATV's over the years but on iPhone X, SE & 4S).

If I had to rely on Apple HomeSharing to play film I would instantly get rid of my Apple TV and would simply not buy from iTunes - and that's coming from one of the biggest fans of Apple TV!

PS I wouldn't want to have to download TV box sets - what a waste of storage and time! Thank Goodness for Netflix I guess for people who like TV.