TTG on Tivo HD, video plays weird

[Zaphod]

I've tried searching for this but can't come up with anything. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it so I'm not sure what search terms to try.

I just got a TivoHD last week and just today got the 9.2 update, so I'm trying to use the Tivo Desktop to transfer from videos from the Tivo to my PC. They are just standard def programs. When I try to play them the do come up in Media Player (I have MP11) but the video is weird. I see like 3 copies of the video side-by-side, but kind of split in half. I've never seen anything like this before. I don't have any problems playing any other kind of video files (.avi, wmv, Divx, xvid, mpg).

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Dan203]

TiVo files are basically just standard mpg files. The TiVo DirectShow filter simply decrypts the video then present it to WMP as a standard MPEG program stream. From there it's up to whatever MPEG-2 decoder you have installed on your system to take over. TiVo files do have some unique properties such as long GOPs and odd resolutions, which some MPEG-2 decoders don't like. Sounds to me like you've got one of those installed on your PC. The easiest solution to this problem is to simply but TiVo Desktop Plus. It includes it's own MPEG-2 decoder which is 100% compatible with TiVo recordings, and which is always given priority for TiVo playback even if you happen to install another program with an MPEG-2 decoder. Other then that your only option is to try to hunt down the offending decoder and uninstall it.

If you're the geeky type and want to dig into the thick of it then get a program called GraphEdit, render a TiVo file and then look at the decoder being used. Then get yourself a DirectShow filter manager app and lower the merit on that filter until another one kicks in. If not then just buy the upgrade and save yourself the headache.

Dan

[greg_burns]

The easiest solution to this problem is to simply but TiVo Desktop Plus. It includes it's own MPEG-2 decoder which is 100% compatible with TiVo recordings, and which is always given priority for TiVo playback even if you happen to install another program with an MPEG-2 decoder.

Any idea what is going on over here?
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5673784&&#post5673784

He has Plus but playback still isn't working. First I've heard of some having a problem and having bought Plus. :confused:

[Laserfan]

The TiVo DirectShow filter simply decrypts the video then present it to WMP as a standard MPEG program stream. ...The easiest solution to this problem is to simply but TiVo Desktop Plus. It includes it's own MPEG-2 decoder which is 100% compatible with TiVo recordings, and which is always given priority for TiVo playback Dan203 there are problems with HD output from VRD in that it can't again be transferred-back to the Tivo w/o glitches. Do you know the relationship between the Tivo DirectShow filter and the MPEG-2 decoder that comes with TD+? I use the free TD and have problems w/VRD processed HD--if I buy TD+ is there a new/better filter that comes with it?

I've spent many hours trying to place edited HD .TiVo shows back onto the Tivo but these shows suffer skip-and-stutter problems. I can't figure out whether it's some sort of VRD output problem or if the Tivo .dll/decoder are at issue.

I suspect VRD because another user here has said Womble output does not glitch.

[Zaphod]

I got it working. It was indeed a codec issue. The codec I had worked fine with everything else but for some reason didn't like Tivo files. But I removed that one and installed a different one and it's okay now. Thanks!

[John Slider]

I'm planning on buying the TivoToGo Plus and I know it plays .avi files, but do you have the option of sizing the video to take up the entire screen? Also, do you get unlimited updates if you buy TivoToGo Plus?

[jmpage2]

TiVo files are basically just standard mpg files. The TiVo DirectShow filter simply decrypts the video then present it to WMP as a standard MPEG program stream. From there it's up to whatever MPEG-2 decoder you have installed on your system to take over. TiVo files do have some unique properties such as long GOPs and odd resolutions, which some MPEG-2 decoders don't like. Sounds to me like you've got one of those installed on your PC. The easiest solution to this problem is to simply but TiVo Desktop Plus. It includes it's own MPEG-2 decoder which is 100% compatible with TiVo recordings, and which is always given priority for TiVo playback even if you happen to install another program with an MPEG-2 decoder. Other then that your only option is to try to hunt down the offending decoder and uninstall it.

If you're the geeky type and want to dig into the thick of it then get a program called GraphEdit, render a TiVo file and then look at the decoder being used. Then get yourself a DirectShow filter manager app and lower the merit on that filter until another one kicks in. If not then just buy the upgrade and save yourself the headache.

Dan

Dan,

I've confirmed on two different computers that the default mpeg2 demuxer that is provided and configured with installation of Tivo Desktop software causes some playback problems in Windows Media Player 11. Each PC was using a different mpeg layer 2 codec, one machine was using the MainConcept decoder provided with Tivo Desktop Plus installation, the other PC was using the very well regarded Cinepack mpeg2 codec. Both machines exhibited the exact same problem... during playback of .tivo programs from certain channels the time calculation for the length of the program was wrong in WMP11 and you could not use the progress bar in WMP11 to skip beyond that point, etc.

Replacing the MainConcept demuxer directshow filter that Tivo provides and configures for playback with the one from Microsoft resolves the issue.

[mackie]

Hi. I have weird playback issues with .tivo files downloaded from my TivO Series3.

The video shows up but the sound is distorted and the playback slow. What mpeg2 decoders can I use without buying TiVo Desktop plus?

[Dan203]

Dan203 there are problems with HD output from VRD in that it can't again be transferred-back to the Tivo w/o glitches. Do you know the relationship between the Tivo DirectShow filter and the MPEG-2 decoder that comes with TD+? I use the free TD and have problems w/VRD processed HD--if I buy TD+ is there a new/better filter that comes with it?

I've spent many hours trying to place edited HD .TiVo shows back onto the Tivo but these shows suffer skip-and-stutter problems. I can't figure out whether it's some sort of VRD output problem or if the Tivo .dll/decoder are at issue.

I suspect VRD because another user here has said Womble output does not glitch.

We're looking into. We've confirmed that it's a multiplexing problem, but we're not sure exactly what we're doing that's causing the S3 TiVos to glitch. As soon as we figure out what's going on we will release an update to take care of it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Dan

[Dan203]

Any idea what is going on over here?
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5673784&&#post5673784

He has Plus but playback still isn't working. First I've heard of some having a problem and having bought Plus. :confused:

Most likely a VMR problem. Some video cards just don't like the VMR9 output filter. You can force them to revert to older versions of the filter by changing a setting in WMP.

Although, based on the post above, it sounds like the MainConcept demuxer might also have an issue. If that's the case you should be able to lower the merit on the demuxer using a filter manager, or simply uninstall it, forcing DirectShow to use another one instead. (most likely the MS one)

Dan

[HDTiVo]

We're looking into. We've confirmed that it's a multiplexing problem, but we're not sure exactly what we're doing that's causing the S3 TiVos to glitch. As soon as we figure out what's going on we will release an update to take care of it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Dan

I want to point out a series of posts which I think relate to the same problem, but with SD content.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showpost.php?p=5687533&postcount=166

That ultimately ends with

More info:

Running the video through VRTVSv545 to a DVD folder produced a .vob I change to .mpg which ran on the S3 with less trouble, ie. fewer, more minor glitches. I had set the output of VR to allow non-spec DVD and not change the resolution or bitrate, .ie no transcoding. (S3 Medium: 480x480 @~3.5mbps;MP2 48KHz@192K)

Taking that vob folder and running it through DVDShrink @75% gave me an output that is playing without a hitch on the S3. Again, both play fine on THDs.

The final irony is that in the past DVDShrink output didn't play well on S2s and I always used the old VR+ to remux it.

I just thought it might help to know the DVD side (vob) of the VRTVS output works better and that Shrink does the final trick.

[Dan203]

Yeah I think the multiplexing required for S3 units is little different all around. We're working on trying to figure out what that difference is.

Dan

[HDTiVo]

Yeah I think the multiplexing required for S3 units is little different all around. We're working on trying to figure out what that difference is.

Dan

So far I've only found S3 glitches with videos originally recorded by the S3. Other things, like ripped DVDs reprocessed into MPEGs seem to play OK on the S3. Have you found other sources to be troublesome with the S3 too?

[Dan203]

Can't say I've really tried. All of our complaints have been about editing S3/TiVoHD files then sending them back to a S3/TiVoHD, so that's where we've been focusing our effort. Thanks for the heads up on that. It may provide a vital clue to the issue.

Dan