TiVo to Go Released

SimCityHippy wrote to us with the news that TiVo has TiVo To Go. Right now, the To Go feature is supported only on Windows XP & Win2k; no word on whether the feature will be rolled out to OS X or WinME. It's also interesting to note that while they recommend Windows MP, VLC gets a nod as well.

I've had this forever

[Bruha]

If you know anything about Linux and drivers you can enable the features on your DirectTvio.

Sorry I always forget the regular SA Tivo's have this enabled but DirectTV wont turn these features on for people.
tivocommunity.com has plenty of links in the forums to enable features that are locked on DirectTivo's but they're not for the faint of heart.

Re:What other products have this capability?

[grung0r]

ReplayTV supports transfers over the network via DVarchive [dvarchive.org]. The old 5000 ReplayTV series can share over the network nativly.

Re:Copying Details?

[Wordsmith]

Hit a link. That "special codec" is mpeg-2, and this will work just fine if you have something like powerdvd installed.

Mac version on the way

[Audiophyle]

On the TiVoToGo FAQ:

Are TiVoToGo(TM) transfers available for Apple Macintosh computers? At this time TiVoToGo transfers are not available for Apple Macintosh computers. TiVo is working hard to enable TiVoToGo features available on TiVo Desktop for Mac. We are currently working on ways to enable playback on Apple Macintosh computers. We will let our customers know in our newsletter as soon as this feature is available.

no tivotogo for direct tv subscribers

[dingosatemybaby]

i just spent 30 minutes reading through all the material on tivo's website about this, drool dribbling down my face happily as I gleefully rub my hands together in evil scientist fashion...only to find in the end that Direct TV subscribers cant use this in the tivo units that come with the service. i saw a post by someone about linux drivers and enabling features but a quick perusal of that shows that for the average-non-linux-guru human, that is a SWAMP. ...must...control...fist..of...death

Re:Obligatory product bashing

[Umrick]

Having both a Tivo Series 2 and a Myth TV box...

Out of the box, Tivo is much nicer. After pulling hair and much fighting, MythTV is a heck of a lot nicer. There was a lot of pain to get there though, definately not for the faint of heart.

The main thing I learned in the process is don't overcomplicate. A PVR-250 is a fine card to use, the PVR-350 is just more features to pull out hair over.

TV Listings are a pain though. I have Direcway satellite as nothing else is available. The satellite receiver does some strange proxying. Because of that, my MythTV TV listings must be fetched via a ssh tunnel to a tinyproxy box at the office, otherwise it just fails.

If you have time, and patience, the MythTV solution is much more satisfying, otherwise Tivo is probably a better bet.

In our house, both are used. When Tivo finally dies though, it'll be replaced by MythTV.

Re:Obligatory product bashing

[enrico_suave]

tivo doesn't suck (and yes I have/use one).

But they are getting a little to cozy with the content providers and advertisers for my taste, hence why I also use a homebrew PVR [byopvr.com] so that the "man" can't tell me how long I can keep six feet under "taped" [boingboing.net] or whether or not I can backup Sopranos to DVD.

=P

with that said, I'm eager to see how well TivoToGo works as it does address one of my major annoyances with TiVo STB (vs homebrew PVR/Myth boxen) -- content portability.

e.

the fine print (from tivo.com)

[DiscoRaj]

*Note: Not all shows may be eligible for transfer from your TiVo box to your computer. Programming providers may restrict or limit the ability to record, display, view or transfer any particular program using a variety of copy protection mechanisms.

Re:file format? drm?

[Anonymous Coward]

The file format is a .tivo file extension. The new Tivo Desktop checks for a valid MPEG-2 decoder so I assume the video is still MPEG-2 but with some DRM protection as well.

Tivo provides you with a "Media Access Key" for decoding the video as well as requires a password for viewing the video on your laptop/PC.

Sonic will be providing the DVD burning functionality in the next few weeks which sounds like it will be just like the current Tivo/DVD-R combo devices on the market. You'll have a standard DVD playable in any device with the Tivo menu for navigation.

Re:To go?

[Duvs]

TivoToGo is a feature that allows Tivo subscribers to transfer recorded content from their Tivo devices (Series2 only) to their PC/laptop for viewing and/or burning to DVD. At this time the transfer is only one-way (Tivo -> PC), there is not current ability to archive to PC, then put back on the Tivo for viewing later.

Re:burning to dvd...

[LordKronos]

The difference, according to the studios, is that you can make a one-for-one copy of the original. With VHS recording, you got a copy that was a poor replication of the original, and would inevitably degrade. With Tivo to DVD recording, this degradation does not occur.


No, the degredation doesn't occur in the TiVo->DVD stage. It occurs in the original->broadcast and the broadcast->TiVo stages. And it's a HUGE difference. I TiVo'd the Deep Space Nine series last year, and then I missed an episode and borrowed the DVD from a friend. HUGE difference in quality.

Re:confused

[dazzla_2000]

I'd say non-Americans. It's an American phrase and even though I've been living in the US for a few years it caught me off guard.

Gee, I've been able to do all that for years...

[Anonymous Coward]

... using DVArchive and my ReplayTV, which is free with no DRM nastiness. I've got a whole catalog of stuff burned to DVD from there, too, with no re-encoding required.

Nice work, Tivo. You're only four years behind the rest of the world.

Re:file format? drm?

[The Only Druid]

The parent is right, but I can provide more info:

You're getting a direct copy of the file that was originally on the Tivo (mux'd into a single file, though). The file is encrypted based on a key in the actual tivo. This key is unique to each tivo. The 'media access key' essentially allows the PC to decrypt the video on the fly, just like the Tivo does.

Its worth noting that one of the first things you do when your hack your Series 2 Tivo is to disable this encryption (the community has a variety of methods for this, including hex-patching the actual TivoApp) to make this key zero.

A couple of weeks??

[pikapp767]

According to http://www.tivoblog.com/ [tivoblog.com] this update could take several weeks to be deployed. Hopefully it doesn't take that long.

Bah software rollout!!!!!

[da1duc]

From Tivo:

Please note: Due to the large number of customers who are eligible for this software release, it will take several weeks for you to receive the software after you put in your request. Your patience is appreciated. You can check that you have received the update by confirming that your DVR is reporting software version "7.1x" in your System Information screen. You will also receive a message on your TiVo box once the new software has been installed. For more information about using the TiVoToGo feature, visit www.tivo.com/togo and our Customer Support site. Thank you for using the TiVo Service! TiVo Customer Support

This should have been something they were rolling out a long time ago. Wish they had a way for us to find out when this was going to happen. I was just about to do my New Year's clean up on my Tivo. Duc

Re:Obligatory product bashing

[iamacat]

Yes, but how do you justify paying $13/month for just a program guide which is free on tv.yahoo.com or your cable provider's site? Or keeping a landline for TiVo to use when you probably already have broadband and a cell phone? Also don't you sometimes want to send a VCD of your favourite episode to a friend?

If MythTV is too complicated to setup, just get the cheapest Windows PC and use whatever PVR program comes with the TV tuner. Might want to throw in a wireless keyboard+trackpad.

Re:Obligatory product bashing

[wizbit]

Same situation here - Series 2 TiVo and a nice orphaned Windows PC-turned-MythTV box give me some experience with both.

I find myself hardly using the TiVo these days. I've moved all the "season pass" show schedules over to the Myth box. Originally got going with Myth because it would let me play my assortment of DivX movie files and let me record/watch tv simultaneously with a second tuner card, and the level of control linux/myth give me is keeping me on it.

One oddity - the best way to share video in multiple rooms with myth seems to be to NFS a huge volume with your recorded video. I remember Tivo's multi-room viewing gave you a combined list of programs and, when requesting one from another Tivo unit, simply downloaded the program to the one requesting the video and played it when ready. It'd be nice if I had each frontend contribute storage to the other frontends without having to build a huge storage machine and worry about it frying one night and losing all my saved programs.

Anyway.

I agree that the 350 is more needless hair-pulling for most, but if you're setting up separate backend/frontend boxen, a 350 is a nice one-card solution for watching TV on a cheap-o linux machine. Then again, so is a motherboard with on-board TV-out and ethernet.

My main concern right now (and one of the reasons I've not dumped another grand into building a nicer backend machine and some frontends around the house) is Myth is currently only useful for analog cable. The HDTV cards out there can only receive OTA signals (unencrypted) and the future of cable TV seems to be cable company-provided receivers w/ PVR capability that aren't easily controlled from a PC. Sure, there's some work being done for the firewire ports on some of the newer receivers, and you can usually get an IRblaster going or something to control the unit, but, bye-bye multiple recordings to my backend, and so on.

Myth could use some polish (I still like the satisfying little beeps and blurps when I use the Tivo) but I'm surprised at how much it does already. KnoppMyth [mysettopbox.tv] is making strides to lower the learning curve for new setups. DVD burning still takes some hard work, but it's getting easier, and MythDVD has built-in background ripping/transcoding. Cool add-ons like MythPhone and mfe are fun to play with and could become more useful soon. And the Hauppauge cards are just wonderful - kudos and much thanks to Chris Kennedy and the IvyTV community for supporting this hardware so diligently. I'll be a Myth user for a long time if I can get an acceptable HD solution working with it.

Re:as longas we're stcuck with stingy ISP

[Anonymous Coward]

The video files are supposed to be encrypted with a key specific to your account and viewing requires a Media Access Key [tivo.com] number and password. I guess you could try to capture the output of the MPEG2 codec after the TiVo Desktop decrypts the video. Or read back the DVD the Sonic software can write for you.

Re:Binary Size Means Everything

[cbackas]

The Mac version is a shim that exports your existing iTunes playlists and iPhoto Albums, while advertising the computer to the TiVo (over Renvezvous/ZeroConf) Since it merely uses existing subsystems on the Mac, it doesn't have much to do. On Windows, they have to provide a much more extensive UI for file selection etc.

Re:A couple of weeks??

[Anonymous Coward]

If you dig around on the TiVoToGo FAQ (I won't directly link) you'll find a page where you can request an earlier automated update to the "7.1x" software.

By the way, does anyone have any idea if there are any other interesting changes in 7.1x? Presumably 5.x's large disk support will be included. The menus seem to have changed a bit. TiVo used to have release notes for some older software updates but I don't see anything like that now.

Re:WMP Requirement?

[dn15]

But notice under the requirements section (as was mentioned in the article summary) it supports VLC for playback. And I doubt VLC has support for whatever DRM system they'd potentially use.

Or are you talking about something else that I overlooked?...

Congratulations Tivo! Only took 4 years to copy

[skintigh2]

what ReplayTV does for free.

How Tivo makes news:
1) ReplayTV releases feature for free using free, built-in hardware
2) Many years pass
3) Tivo copies feature and charges extra for the hardware and adds a monthly fee
4) News!

Re:Congratulations Tivo! Only took 4 years to copy

[bwoodring]

I don't know about how long ReplayTV has had this feature, but I do know that TiVO isn't charging extra for hardware or software to use TiVoToGo. It's a free feature that comes with normal service.