Stream/Send video from computer to S3?

[paul355]

Just noticed something in Sound and Vision (Feb/Mar 07) that said the Series 3 can play video files from your computer, or internet (through computer?). (?!)

I thought, Hmmmm.... I have a Series 3 and don't know any way to do that. I can get photos and MP3's from my Mac via Tivo Desktop, but I'm not aware of anything that can send video to the TiVo.

But I'd love to be able to do this - sort of make my S3 into an rudimentary Apple TV.

There's currently no way to do this, correct? On either Mac or Windows?

Paul

[cgould]

Won't work until TivoToComeBack (other-direction for TivoToGo), is enabled in the S3.
Blame CableLabs piracy paranoia crap. (fact that we're copying TO the #$*&% CCard device notwithstanding..)

I too would LOVE for this to work, for your exact reason below-
I need a media extender/replay device, like Apple iTV. And it would greatly enhance the value proposition/justification of the S3 (given that such devices cost $200-300).
Not to mention enhancing the importance/visibility of the Tivo in the "digital living room" revolution- eg, enabling downloaded HD movie services (via PC, if not via broadband/direct tivo download), etc...

[paul355]

My thought stream exactly.

Although I can see a possible DRM issue on content going TO the TiVo, and that's in sending DRM protected content, i.e. iTunes purchased video.

As it is, while I can play MP3s from my Mac on the TiVo, this doesn't work with any AAC files, whether or not they are from the iTunes Store and encoded with FairPlay.

But it would be GREAT to be able to buy videos on iTunes and view them through the TiVo.

Paul

[moyekj]

Even with TivoToComeback the current Tivo implementation doesn't sound ideal as it means you have to transcode whatever your video is into a Tivo-compatible mpeg2 file. We know that the S3 has an mpeg4 decoder in addition to mpeg2 so ideally for mpeg4 sources transcoding should not be necessary. Also, if streaming music can be done via HMO (Tivo Desktop or Galleon) I don't understand why streaming video (assuming source video is already in correct form) could not be done already as well?? I don't understand the Tivo fascination for having to copy things physically to the unit before being able to play them back (MRV, TTCB). For seamless streaming there needs to be a good chunk of buffering the stream to the hard drive so that networking glitches won't interrupt things, but it's not complicated to implement and ReplayTV has done that for years... In fact the mechanics are very similar to what is already being done seeing as with MRV for example you can start watching the recording before it has been fully transferred. Really the only difference is that now you are buffering a small amount at a time instead of saving the whole recording to disk.

[MichaelK]

Just noticed something in Sound and Vision (Feb/Mar 07) that said the Series 3 can play video files from your computer, or internet (through computer?). (?!)
...

can you scan and attach it or at least quote exactly what it says? I'm curious how they worded it.

[paul355]

Michael-

Here's a scan of the article, It was a listing in the Editor's Choice Awards 2006 section.

Paul

[MichaelK]

thanks veryu much for takign the time.

it just looks like the usual poor journalism that exists in this day and age where the author confused several different bits othe technology puzzle and makes them into one (in this case the feature set of the S2 with the hardware of the s3).

No quotes from tivo or anything.

Surprised from a publication that would seem to know not to do that.