empty now playing list

[jdunne]

Running Tivo Desktop PC 2.5.1 plus

I am unable to get any videos on my PC to show up in the now playing list. I have copied several different formats to the My Tivo Recordings directory.

AVI, MP4, MV4. all are standard formats...

After I copy them to the dir, Tivo Desktop now playing list remains emptry.. I have tried restarting server, rebooting....

What exactly is supposed to happen? does it take a while (TDT transcodes the files, before they show up?)

Any experience on this issue?

[steve614]

In order to get the shows on your PC to show up on the Tivos Now Playing List, they have to be either a *.Tivo file, or a compatible mpeg file.

Here is a program (http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/TiVo/) that will convert shows on your PC to a compatible format for the Tivo.

ETA: I noticed you're probably using the pay version of Tivo Desktop which should convert some formats .:o
I know nothing about the pay version.

[CuriousMark]

Running Tivo Desktop PC 2.5.1 plus

I am unable to get any videos on my PC to show up in the now playing list. I have copied several different formats to the My Tivo Recordings directory.

AVI, MP4, MV4. all are standard formats...

After I copy them to the dir, Tivo Desktop now playing list remains emptry.. I have tried restarting server, rebooting....

What exactly is supposed to happen? does it take a while (TDT transcodes the files, before they show up?)

Any experience on this issue?
If the AVI files contain DivX or Xvid, they will show up, if they contain anything else, they will not. The MP4 file should show up. Is it playable in Quicktime? I don't know about the MV4, did you mean M4V?

Start by transfering a *.tivo file to the computer and see if it shows up. If it doesn't, then something is broken that needs fixing. If it does, then make sure you entered your Plus key into TiVo Desktop correctly.

TiVo Desktop Plus will shows files it knows how to transcode. It will transcode them to TiVo Native format MPEG-2 on the fly as it transfers them to the Tivo.

[jdunne]

Thanks, however I don't think that is it...

I should have said I have even tried .tivo format too. the I used TDT to copy a recording from one of our 3 tivos to the My tivo recording dir... So it too is sitting there along with avis, and mp4...

None of the videos are DRM.

But when I start TDT, it shows nothing in the now playing list..... grrr...

I am tempted install/uninstall... But why would that change anything? this is a very new install already and there is nothing custom or strange about how I run tdt. I use picture viewer successfully all the time. Its just the video from PC to TIVO that seems to be not working.

I am wondering where I can look to see what TDT looks for, or saves as a xml or other files to list files available in the now playing list...

I should say that TDT video now playing list worked one time.... I copied a video the the my tivo recording dir. I went to bed and in the AM I realized that the PC had a video available in the now playing list... But since then I am unable to repeat success...

Maybe I need 2.6 since that seems to be more targeted at what I want to do, show all my videos on my PC in TIVO......

[CuriousMark]

I should have said I have even tried .tivo format too. the I used TDT to copy a recording from one of our 3 tivos to the My tivo recording dir... So it too is sitting there along with avis, and mp4...
OK, something is broken

But when I start TDT, it shows nothing in the now playing list..... grrr...
So, you do a get programs from a TiVo, it transfers, but doesn't show up on the PC's now playing list. Or does it show up when you transfer, but then doesn't show the next time you open Tivo Desktop, this isn't very clear to me from your post which of those is occurring. You should see the contents of the My TiVo Recordings folder when you open TiVo Desktop. If that isn't working, it is unlikely that you will see them from the TiVo either.

I am tempted install/uninstall... But why would that change anything? this is a very new install already and there is nothing custom or strange about how I run tdt. I use picture viewer successfully all the time. Its just the video from PC to TIVO that seems to be not working.
When installing Tivo Desktop, it must be installed in an account with admin privileges (I am talking XP here). It must also be RUN from the account where it was installed. It is important that your security software be paused or turned off during the installation. A/V and other security sfotware can silently break the installation and give you weird behavior when you later try to run the program.

I should say that TDT video now playing list worked one time.... I copied a video the the my tivo recording dir. I went to bed and in the AM I realized that the PC had a video available in the now playing list... But since then I am unable to repeat success...
As seen from the TiVo or from TiVo Desktop on the PC? This is confusing as written.

Maybe I need 2.6 since that seems to be more targeted at what I want to do, show all my videos on my PC in TIVO......
Is 2.6 out yet?
[Edit] No it isn't. I use 2.5.1 for the kinds of things you are doing quite successfully on an HP Media Center running XP Once you get yours fixed it should work fine too.

[Solver]

Try this,

Run, C:\Program Files\TiVo\Desktop\Logfinder.exe
Turn on all logging
Restart system
Run TiVo Desktop
Check "Now Playing" on your TiVo
Check TiVoDesktop.log and TiVoServer.log

Report first set of errors on both logs.

[ljskivail]

I am hving the same problem...sort of...I was running TDT2.4, I just upgraded to TDT2.5.2 and it can't find any now playing. The files are definately there, I checked them in My Computer. Also, TDT is having trouble finding My Tivo. I have Un-inst/re-inst

HELP

[mrjam2jab]

all of a sudden i am having this issue too. I have been transferring btwn tivos and PC for quite some time....yesterday. Today tivo shows no recordings in PC's Now Playing list. this tivo sees all the other players in the game...2 other tivos and one other PC...and transfers fine..Its just this one PC with nothing in the list.

Edit: Ok....it seems that even the the tivos see all of the PCs/laptop..they dont see any of the videos stored on those computers. and transfers only work btwn tivos. TD 2.6 sees the tivos but transfers arent working...transfers start...but after a few minutes cancel out...

Edit II: I just transferred a show from Tivo B to Laptop (TD2.6)...transferred fine if not a little slow. Went to tivo B and went to NP of Laptop..."No Recordings"!!!! Im looking at TD on Laptop and i see 3 .tivo shows listed..????????

[Stuckeyboss]

I also encountered this issue starting yesterday.

Anyone having any luck diagnosing it?

I'm suspicious of Microsoft's most recent monthly patches personally.

[Rob Mac K]

I've just noticed this problem today, too. I get a message I've never seen before when I try to access my PC's from the Now Playing list: "The (My PC's name) PC's Now Playing List could not be displayed because it is unavailable. Press LEFT to return to the Now Playing List."

What the hell??? Everything worked just fine the other day...

[Stuckeyboss]

Looks like this isssue is due to TiVo's certificate expiring.

Check out TiVoPony's post regarding Desktop 2.6.1:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=390214

Or here's a link directly to the TiVo support article:

http://tivosupport2.instancy.com/LaunchContent.aspx?CID=5CCB08F8-DEC4-4051-8F5B-AF1D09BBEA9E

If you don't want to upgrade to 2.6.1 (I didn't), you can follow the Windows 2000 directions on XP and just update the certificate. After I applied the update, everything worked as expected.

[drbeat]

Yes, this fix works for me too! See my rant on the related thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6176276&posted=1#post6176276

Perhaps it would be possible to pin this to the home page as it's likely more and more people will be affected by the cert expiration date having passed.

~dr. beat

[mrjam2jab]

upgrading software worked for me. The "Check for Updates" worked from within the software...so why cant it automatically tell me new updates are available like so many other programs...or is that just MS stuff that does that? And why do i have to un-install before installing new? ... why cant the software do that as a rule..like so many others?...

[rambler]

The PC could see both my tivo's and pull files from tivo to PC, but the tivo's both said they couldn't find files on PC.....I was going nuts, good thing I came here this morning.

Of course I wasted an hour rebooting everything before I found out Tivo Incorporated was the one who F'd it up!! I'm up and running now.