TiVo Community Forum banner
  • TiVoCommunity.com Ambassador Program Now Open! >>> Click Here

Tivo plugin for Plex

140K views 276 replies 68 participants last post by  windracer 
#1 ·
I don't know how many of you are Plex fans but I love the media server. There was a Tivo plugin developed that allowed us to watch all our Tivo recordings without downloading, within the Plex environment. I don't understand the specifics of how it worked but the plugin is broken and the author seems to have abandoned it. I have a copy of the latest, that still does not work although it can see the recordings in each Tivo, just not begin to play them.

Is there anybody talented enough and willing to step up and fix this? I believe it is currently Mac only but it would be great to see cross development. Plex has media servers for Mac, PC, Linux and DLNA. Clients for mac, Windows, GoogleTV, Roku, Samsung, LG, Android, IOS, and more.

The Plugins go in the Server application, currently 3 Mac, PC, Linux.

Any takers? https://github.com/plexinc-plugins/TiVo.bundle
 
#2 ·
It's busted for the same reason as everything else, the expired cookies being sent out by the TiVo.

[Browsing source...] Well, this is interesting. It's in Python, and there's code in there to download from the TiVo in essentially the way pyTivo does it, but it's commented out, in favor of a call to curl. I dunno why everybody thinks curl is the way to go for this... Anyway, that means that you can adapt the curl workaround that's been posted in other threads.
 
#5 ·
The only thing I could find so far in looking is to use java instead of curl. At least that was for a kmttg thread I was following. I am no coder but I can surely cut and paste.
Is there someplace else I should look?
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9527463#post9527463

although obviously that's not quite right, either. You'll have to figure out the right location for the curl.conf file. Or, you can modify the command line used to call curl (in TiVo.bundle/Contents/Code/__init__.py).
 
#6 ·
I found where the curl config file was and added the lines necessary but I still get the same strange behavior. The access key for the mbr tivo causes Plex to just spin the magic wheel and go nowhere. The two tivos that i have not given the access key, show their recordings in a following page but Plex cannot play the recordings. Plex says "cannot read the input stream" which means it doesn't know what to do with a .tivo file, I would think. Somewhere it would need to transcode but I'm not sure Plex's transcoder know about .tivo files.
 
#8 ·
No, your suggestion actually worked, sorta. I have 3 tivo's, the plugin asks for a MAK initially, before going to any recordings. After changing the date back, as you suggested, I added 1 MAC of the 3. The next screen brought me to the list of Tivos.
If I choose the one with the MAK, next sceeen doesnt load. If I go to the other two, my shows show up in the next screen. When clicking on the show to play it, it NOW works and I can watch the show, where before the date change I got the "can't play stream message".
So, yes, my Mac suffers from the expired cookie problem but also the Plex plugin seems to have an error in configuration. I also tried with no MAK key and a fictitious key, neither one allows me access to the next page.
 
#9 ·
So I understand, why does plex need the cookie? What exactly does it do with it?

Or, you can modify the command line used to call curl (in TiVo.bundle/Contents/Code/__init__.py).
Do you think this is the curl line in question? If so, how do you suggest it be modified.

Code:
curlp = Popen(["/usr/bin/curl", url, "--digest", "-s", "-u", "tivo:"+Prefs.Get("MAC"), "-c", "/tmp/cookies.txt"], stdout=PIPE)
Above mcbrine linked to it says to add cookie = "sid=abc" to the config file. I don't see a config file in plex so is there a way to add something to the curl config file?

Code:
/usr/bin/curl-config
PS to add...

For those of us with hacked Tivo's, is there anyway to change the date in Tivoapp?

Code:
Set-Cookie: sid=%s; path=/; expires="Saturday, 16-Feb-2013 00:00:00 GMT";
 
#10 ·
Has there been any progress on this? I recently got into Plex/Roku and dread having to convert the many ".TiVo" files created and saved (used Tivo Desktop with the fix) to something Plex can interpret.

Since Windows Media can read the files, it seems that it would be easy for Plex to handle them.
 
#11 ·
Has there been any progress on this? I recently got into Plex/Roku and dread having to convert the many ".TiVo" files created and saved (used Tivo Desktop with the fix) to something Plex can interpret.

Since Windows Media can read the files, it seems that it would be easy for Plex to handle them.
No, not really. I have been the last to post on the Plex forum on this, no-one has stepped up with the required knowledge to fix it. I, have noticed with my experiments, that the plugin indeed suffers from the cookie/date problem that plague so many other tivo apps. If you move the date of your computer back prior to Feb 16th I think, then you can get the Plex plugin to see and play the tivo recordings. Also, I have 3 tivos and the one I give the plugin the tivo media access key does not work at all but the other two, everything show up and works. So, even if they fix the issue with the time, it still has a problem working exactly right but it is so close.
 
#12 ·
[QUPTE]
Above mcbrine linked to it says to add cookie = "sid=abc" to the config file. I don't see a config file in plex so is there a way to add something to the curl config file?

[/QUOTE]

The config file for curl for the tivo plugin is found under Library/Application support/Plex Media Server/plug-in Support/Data/com.plexapp.plugins.tivo.

It has this in it for me:

# Netscape HTTP Cookie File
# http://curl.haxx.se/rfc/cookie_spec.html
# This file was generated by libcurl! Edit at your own risk.

192.168.1.5 FALSE / FALSE 1360972800 sid B63AD0EE114BF095

I have tried removing this and adding the fixes many have talked about but cannot get things to work out, as well as many different combinations.

Many of my tries would not allow the plugin to load at all.
 
#15 ·
Not necessarily.

Tivo is sending out a new sw version with the cookie problem fixed, 11.0m

I have it on both my TivoHD units.

Note, if you have a hacked Tivo, if you let it install, you will lose your hacks.

If you DO have a hacked Tivo, you are probably disabling the update with the 'NOTHANKS' tivoapp patch or your system has been rebooting every night to try to install the update.
 
#18 ·
yes, I have a Premiere and it just started working all on its own which probably means that Tivo fixed the problem. Make sure you put in you MAC from your Tivo in the plugins preferences. This plugin only seems to work with the regular Plex client and not the "Plex Home Theater" client that those with a Plex Pass use. The Plex developers did something to break this plugin in that release and since this is "abandoned ware" unless someone else picks it up it will stay broke.
 
#19 ·
yes, I have a Premiere and it just started working all on its own which probably means that Tivo fixed the problem. Make sure you put in you MAC from your Tivo in the plugins preferences. This plugin only seems to work with the regular Plex client and not the "Plex Home Theater" client that those with a Plex Pass use. The Plex developers did something to break this plugin in that release and since this is "abandoned ware" unless someone else picks it up it will stay broke.
Do you have the instructions how to install this? Where are the plugins preferences? I haven't seen them.
 
#21 ·
yes, I have a Premiere and it just started working all on its own which probably means that Tivo fixed the problem. Make sure you put in you MAC from your Tivo in the plugins preferences. This plugin only seems to work with the regular Plex client and not the "Plex Home Theater" client that those with a Plex Pass use. The Plex developers did something to break this plugin in that release and since this is "abandoned ware" unless someone else picks it up it will stay broke.
I am a Plexpass member, but I think I just have the regular version installed. But nowhere do I see a spot to enter a MAK. I found an XML file that I tried changing the MAK on, but that didn't work either. From what I have read, I should be able to see my TiVo, regardless of whether or not I have a MAK. The MAK is just required to download and decrypt the TiVo files.

I wanted to ask the same thing. I found a couple of plug-ins months ago but neither showed up in the list of installable channels.
This is what mine looks like. I don't think it looks right, but I can't find screenshots elsewhere.





 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top