Look for a shared visibility change
Freesat explicitly links channel hiding to the Recordings section: hiding a channel also hides recordings made from it. If several programmes from one broadcaster vanish while other recordings remain visible, that is a useful pattern to check. It does not prove this setting caused the issue, but it offers a specific reversible explanation before treating the disk as empty.
Inspect the actual hidden-channel list
The provider’s route is Settings, Freesat Channels, then Hide Channels and Edit Hidden Channels, entering the PIN when prompted. An X marks hidden channels. Check the intended service rather than changing several parental-control options at once. Similar names, regional versions or an HD variant can make a casual glance at the list misleading.
Restore visibility if the household permits it
To unhide a channel, Freesat says to remove its X and save the change with Back. Respect the household’s existing viewing controls and use the authorised PIN process. Then compare the guide and recording list again. This operation is about visibility; it should not be described as recovering deleted files or repairing a failed storage device.
Keep the remaining symptom precise
If the channel returns but a recording does not, report those as separate results with the exact programme and device model. Avoid formatting storage merely because a filter or hiding rule might be active. Equally, do not promise that unhiding restores every missing item: a programme could also have been deleted or never recorded. The useful test is whether the documented visibility setting explains the observed pair of changes.
Questions, answered
Can hiding a channel affect the recording library?
Yes. Freesat says recordings from that channel are hidden too.
Does unhiding mean deleted video files have been recovered?
No. It changes visibility and does not establish that deleted files were restored.