How to get Tivo files into your video Ipod

[AprilWhine]

Here is a quick and easy method to move your Tivo files into your video Ipod. Works with other video files too.

1. First, to get your Tivo files on your computer, you must have your Tivo on your home network and Tivo-to-go installed on your computer.

2. Once you are able to play recorded shows on your computer, you're ready to convert them.

3. To clean up the dottivo files and change to dotmpeg, run the files through a utility called Direct Show Dump. It's freeware, available here.

4. To convert from dotmpeg to dotmp4, viewable by iTunes, run the files through Videora, another freeware utility available here. If you are loading regular dotavi or dotmpeg files, start with this step.

5. Now rename the file to remove anything that is not an alphanumeric. For some reason, iTunes doesn't like symbols in the file names.

6. Add to the iTunes library.

7. Sync your Ipod and watch your shows!

So this will be applicable to MINIs and not just Ipod, be sure and subscribe to the podcast on Motoringfile. And it's useful for passenger entertainment too.

[Ministi2005]

Very good post! Excellent job.

[bimini]

i wish UK tivos were that easy to get vid off

[AprilWhine]

UK only has series one, right? I think Tivo to go only works with the series two boxes.

[bimini]

yeh, series 1...we've been neglected over here...still a great product mind, even though its several years old i havent found another PVR that's as easy to use.

[randap]

Quote: Originally Posted by bimini

i wish UK tivos were that easy to get vid off

They are.....here's how...

1) You need a networked Series 1 TiVo (I have the cachecard linked to my WiFi router)
2) You need then to install TyServer (here)on your TiVo, dead easy to install, just drag and drop via binary FTP (I use SmartFTP). You need to be running an FTP server (such as MFS-FTP) on your TiVo.
3) Install TyEditor (here) on your PC (Mac version available). This pulls the .ty file direct from your TiVo onto your PC, and allows you to edit it. TyEditor can also convert the file to DVD (.mp4) format.
4) Once the file has been downloaded and converted (takes a long time), you can then convert to iPod file using any of the conversion tools (iPSP, Videora etc), and sync via iTunes.

The only problem is that it takes a long time to download and convert the file from a TiVo stream. There's a nifty tool (TyExtract - here) that can automatically download files to your PC using Windows Scheduler to run a batch file, downloading shows based on certain preferences (such as title etc.). I'm going to try this tonight. Converting the file still takes time tho'.

Remember that the file will take a lot of room on your PC as a raw TiVo stream. 1hr took 3.4Gb for me, but that was a Mode 0 stream. I'm guessing Mode 1 and others would be smaller, but it's prompting me to get a new hard drive just to extract shows.

P.S. TiVo is by far the best PVR. Sky+ is not even close (apart from the twin tuners). UK support has long gone, but the US, they are blest......

P.P.S. Thanks to AprilWhine for prompting me to try this....the supplied link was primarily for Series 2 (not TiVoToGo for Series 1), but it pointed me in the right direction!!! Portable American Chopper - life's good

[AprilWhine]

Now we need to see if we can share.

[bimini]

randap...thanks!...i've been trying to piece the process together for ages...bookmarked!