private void upgradeRatings(BinaryFormat newFormat) throws IOException {
    Preconditions.checkArgument(
        newFormat.getRatingSize() > format.getRatingSize(), "new format is not wider than old");
    logger.info("upgrading {} ratings from {} to {}", index, format, newFormat);

    ByteBuffer oldBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(format.getRatingSize());
    ByteBuffer newBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newFormat.getRatingSize());
    MutableRating scratch = new MutableRating();

    long oldPos = BinaryHeader.HEADER_SIZE + index * format.getRatingSize();
    Preconditions.checkState(channel.position() == oldPos, "channel is at the wrong position");
    long newPos = BinaryHeader.HEADER_SIZE + index * newFormat.getRatingSize();
    channel.position(newPos);
    // loop backwards, coping each rating to later in the file
    for (int i = index - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
      oldPos -= format.getRatingSize();
      newPos -= newFormat.getRatingSize();

      // read the old rating
      BinaryUtils.readBuffer(channel, oldBuffer, oldPos);
      oldBuffer.flip();
      format.readRating(oldBuffer, scratch);
      oldBuffer.clear();

      // write the new rating
      newFormat.renderRating(scratch, newBuffer);
      newBuffer.flip();
      BinaryUtils.writeBuffer(channel, newBuffer, newPos);
      newBuffer.clear();
    }
    assert oldPos == BinaryHeader.HEADER_SIZE;
    assert newPos == BinaryHeader.HEADER_SIZE;
    format = newFormat;
    ratingBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(newFormat.getRatingSize());
  }