Can't view .tivo files from S3 on PC

[flyersfan]

This is driving me mad. We added an S3 to go along with 2 S2 boxes in 2006. All 3 TiVos share the same MAK. Any .tivo file from either S2 box will render just fine. However, .tivo files from the S3 only result in audio - no video.

The problem is only on my wife's computer. I have removed/reinstalled Tivo Desktop 2.5.1, WMP11, and confirmed all codecs are in place. In fact, according to graphedit, the render path is identical to one on a PC where everything works fine.

I'm at my wits end on this one. If I strip the S3 files and make them a plain .mpg, they play fine. This is not a great solution since it's my wife's PC. Any thoughts?

[richsadams]

It's almost certainly a codec issue on your wife's computer. Try installing this codec pack. It has a compatible MPEG-2 codec in it.

http://www.cole2k.net/?display=Codec-Pack-Standard

Codecs can get corrupted or overridden particularly if other A/V programs are loaded on the same computer (NERO, etc.) and even WMP updates can foul things up. :mad:

In addition, TiVo Desktop v2.6 is on the way (ETA March (http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/hands-on-with-hd-video-podcasts-on-an-hd-tivo/)). Let's hope it lives up to the hype and that it doesn't break something else. I never know who to blame for these things...TiVo or Bill Gates. :rolleyes:

JIC, the TiVo files play fine on my PC w/WMP 11. Here are the performance settings (including advanced) that I'm using:

http://i27.tinypic.com/4hf52q.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/a59ldu.jpg

[flyersfan]

Well I've already tried the CCCP codec pack which I trust above all others. Didn't help. She's tired of watching me sit there twiddling away so I'll give the Cole2k pack a try later.

The closest I came to a resolution so far was goofing around in graphedit. There are two 'Video Renderer' directshow entries. If I attach the decoder to the one with a lower merit, it renders properly in graphedit. So, thinking I had the problem licked, I removed the entry with the higher merit and rebooted (both point to quartz.dll with different CLSIDs) . Now things are worse... the files which worked originally no longer have the proper aspect ratio and the S3 files STILL don't play in WMP. Sigh. :(

It shouldn't be possible for things to get so convoluted. Stupid Windows.

[richsadams]

Well I've already tried the CCCP codec pack which I trust above all others. Didn't help. She's tired of watching me sit there twiddling away so I'll give the Cole2k pack a try later.

The closest I came to a resolution so far was goofing around in graphedit. There are two 'Video Renderer' directshow entries. If I attach the decoder to the one with a lower merit, it renders properly in graphedit. So, thinking I had the problem licked, I removed the entry with the higher merit and rebooted (both point to quartz.dll with different CLSIDs) . Now things are worse... the files which worked originally no longer have the proper aspect ratio and the S3 files STILL don't play in WMP. Sigh. :(

It shouldn't be possible for things to get so convoluted. Stupid Windows.Let us know how it goes. Also, if you search this forum with the word "codec" and/or "WMP" or "Windows Media Player" you'll find all sorts of similar posts. A lot were resolved by using the codec pack, but others needed some additional TLC.

The good news is that it can be conquered. Best of luck! :up:

[flyersfan]

Well I can at least update with what did NOT work.

I uninstalled the CCCP codec pack and installed Cole2k. I also updated DirectX just to be safe and reregistered quartz.dll (one of the items I broke earlier). Didn't help but at least the S2 .tivo files play normally again.

Interestingly, if I check the 'use video mixing renderer' option in WMP11, I can't play ANY .tivo files, including the ones that work fine otherwise. It says it's downloading a codec and does nothing. So playing with the Video Acceleration settings actually took me further from a resolution.

Next step, when my wife lets me touch her PC again, is completely remove and scrub Nero 6 from the system. I misspoke in my original post... the .mpg files were actually playing correctly in Nero Showtime. The converted .mpgs won't work in WMP11 though.

[richsadams]

Next step, when my wife lets me touch her PC again, is completely remove and scrub Nero 6 from the system. I misspoke in my original post... the .mpg files were actually playing correctly in Nero Showtime. The converted .mpgs won't work in WMP11 though.Hmmm...everything still points to a codec issue if the .mpeg's won't play in WMP. I've had a number of issues w/Nero (V7.0 Ultimate) messing things up before. IIRC I uninstalled Nero, then WMP, then TiVo Desktop and ended up reinstalling WMP, then Nero then TDT and things worked normally. But I've installed and uninstalled things so many times...it may have been the luck of the draw. Setting a system restore point during each installation has also saved me some time when things didn't go as planned.

In any case, keep us posted!

[flyersfan]

Yay! It's fixed but I'm not sure which step finally resolved it. I think Nero might've been to blame. After removing it and rebooting, I was able to turn on the 'video mixing renderer' in WMP11. Now it's playing all the files properly. And after I reregistered an MPEG-2 Splitter, mpg2splt.ax, .mpg files are working in WMP11 as well.

According to graphedit, the video decoder is now from Intervideo which came with the cole2k package. I'll reinstall Nero at some point but she rarely burns discs so it's no biggie.

For fun (FUN?!), I tried using the Cyberlink decoder in the cole2k pack. It wouldn't play the HD .tivo files properly.

The best part, after all this effort, is her PC doesn't have the horsepower to display 1080i video very well. :eek::mad::o

[richsadams]

Yay! It's fixed but I'm not sure which step finally resolved it. I think Nero might've been to blame. After removing it and rebooting, I was able to turn on the 'video mixing renderer' in WMP11. Now it's playing all the files properly. And after I reregistered an MPEG-2 Splitter, mpg2splt.ax, .mpg files are working in WMP11 as well.

According to graphedit, the video decoder is now from Intervideo which came with the cole2k package. I'll reinstall Nero at some point but she rarely burns discs so it's no biggie.

For fun (FUN?!), I tried using the Cyberlink decoder in the cole2k pack. It wouldn't play the HD .tivo files properly.

The best part, after all this effort, is her PC doesn't have the horsepower to display 1080i video very well. :eek::mad::oGlad to hear things are working now...as is the wife I'll bet. ;)

I like Nero for doing a number of things, but IMHO it's gotten to be a real hog trying to be all things to all people. It works for me now, but I don't think I'll ever upgrade again and if it gives me any more problems...buh bye. There are plenty of other choices out there these days.

That codec package seems to cure a lot of the issues people have with TiVo Desktop and WMP. Good to know the problem has be rectified whatever the case. :up: