Downloading MP4 Vids to S3

[kas25]

I have been taking my home movies which are in VOB files and converting them to Mpeg 4 files using handbrake. Many have been able to download to my S3 but a few get hung up. For example, I chose the file on my S3 and hit tranfer. The blue light comes on and it starts to transfer but after about 10 minutes, the light goes off and either none or 2 minutes of a 60 minute video has transferred. Has anyone seen this? I am picking the Apple TV presets in Handbrake which I don't think would pose a problem.

[Martin Tupper]

I have no experience with Handbrake, but when I want to put a VOB file on my S3, I just rename the file with an MPG extension. Then my TiVo will happily accept it.

[demon]

The TiVo software doesn't yet handle MPEG-4 AVC, and it certainly won't handle the MPEG-4 standard container format (MOOV, aka QuickTime). Unless you have TiVo Desktop Plus or pyTiVo (in which case it'd be getting converted back to MPEG-2 *anyway*), the TiVo will just not play that.

[kas25]

The TiVo software doesn't yet handle MPEG-4 AVC, and it certainly won't handle the MPEG-4 standard container format (MOOV, aka QuickTime). Unless you have TiVo Desktop Plus or pyTiVo (in which case it'd be getting converted back to MPEG-2 *anyway*), the TiVo will just not play that.

I do have Desktop plus so I think that is the step I skipped. I will try to have it convert. I'm still not sure why the one file was able to transfer a minutes worth though? Thanks.

[ilh]

The TiVo software doesn't yet handle MPEG-4 AVC, and it certainly won't handle the MPEG-4 standard container format (MOOV, aka QuickTime). Unless you have TiVo Desktop Plus or pyTiVo (in which case it'd be getting converted back to MPEG-2 *anyway*), the TiVo will just not play that.

I'm confused. TiVo Desktop (free) 2.5.1 says this:
Supported video formats include:
Windows Media Video (.wmv)
QuickTime Movie (.mov)
MPEG-4/H.264 (.mp4, .m4v, .mp4v)
MPEG-2 (.mpg, .mpeg, .mpe, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpv2)
DivX or Xvid (.avi, .divx)

I thought H.264 is AVC?

Having said that, when I drag Handbrake-converted video (.m4v with iPhone settings since I had some laying around) into My TiVo Recordings folder, my TiVo HD never even sees them, and I don't get any feedback as to why not.

[classicsat]

You need TiVo Desktop Plus to convert, and serve other than MPEG2 and .tivo files. For some reason TiVos documentation does not indicate that.

[nhaigh]

I thought TTCB (http://tivosupport2.instancy.com/LaunchContent.aspx?CID=4012d160-79c3-4238-96c8-a27b323d1413) was still not enabled/working for the S3's and if it works it is by chance. This is why I still use TiVo.NET for this. It also means I don't have to worry about the encodng.

[kas25]

You need TiVo Desktop Plus to convert, and serve other than MPEG2 and .tivo files. For some reason TiVos documentation does not indicate that.
My S3 sees the files but gets tripped up after starting to transfer. Where do I see the convert function in Desktop? Thanks.

[windracer]

I thought TTCB (http://tivosupport2.instancy.com/LaunchContent.aspx?CID=4012d160-79c3-4238-96c8-a27b323d1413) was still not enabled/working for the S3's and if it works it is by chance.
Not true ... TTG was turned on for the S3 and THD boxes back in November. TiVo.Net (and pyTiVo) wouldn't work if it wasn't turned on. ;)

Can't believe they still haven't updated that web page, though.

[Case]

Does anybody have experience with sucessfully transfering/playing MPEG-4 files on a Series 3? Please share your workflow.

My MPEG-2's work fine of course but none of the otherso called "supported" formats show when I put them into the My Tivo Recordings folder.

1. Do I need to buy QuickTime Pro to properly render a .mp4 that Tivo will recognize?
2. On Tivo Desktop, why is the "Convert for..." selection under the Actions menu ghosted/non-functional even though I've entered the Plus key and selected a file from my list of videos in the Now Playing window below?

I am Windows XP and using Sony Vegas Pro 8 video editing software to render a MPEG-4 (I've tried both the MainConcept MPEG-4 AVC/ACC codec and the Sony AVC codec).

Thanks all.

[Case]

Just found this thread, appears that "supported formats" means formats that can be converted into .tivo or mpeg2 files rather than formats that Tivo can be play natively.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=371710&highlight=mp4

Please share any work-arounds or simple hacks, thanks.

[windracer]

2. On Tivo Desktop, why is the "Convert for..." selection under the Actions menu ghosted/non-functional even though I've entered the Plus key and selected a file from my list of videos in the Now Playing window below?
"Convert for" only works on .tivo files.

If you're looking to send other formats back to your TiVo other than the ones TiVo Desktop Plus supports, check out pyTiVo.

[kas25]

"Convert for" only works on .tivo files.

If you're looking to send other formats back to your TiVo other than the ones TiVo Desktop Plus supports, check out pyTiVo.
I'm having trouble finding this. I assume this is a MPEG4 to MPEG2 converter? Any other programs? Thanks.

[windracer]

pyTiVo uses ffmpeg so it'll convert any format ffmpeg supports (which is just about everything) into a TiVo-compatible MPEG-2.

Here's the main thread:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=328459

but that's pretty huge. The main site is:

http://pytivo.armooo.net/

Which is in my sig. ;)

[kas25]

pyTiVo uses ffmpeg so it'll convert any format ffmpeg supports (which is just about everything) into a TiVo-compatible MPEG-2.

Here's the main thread:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=328459

but that's pretty huge. The main site is:

http://pytivo.armooo.net/

Which is in my sig. ;)
I can't load the page of your link. I tried it on my IMac and my PC.

[phox_mulder]

I can't load the page of your link. I tried it on my IMac and my PC.

armooo.net seems to be having issues today.


phox

[windracer]

I can't load the page of your link. I tried it on my IMac and my PC.
Yeah, every now and then that site has issues ... this week seems to be one of those times.

I just tried now and it's working again.