Mpeg 4 Available

[kas25]

Now that we can stream HD to the tivo, what are the odds that Tivo accepts Mpeg 4 files.

[PaulS]

Now that we can stream HD to the tivo, what are the odds that Tivo accepts Mpeg 4 files.

As far as I know, HME apps such as tivostream and HME/VLC are able to stream H.264 and VC-1 to Series3 and TiVoHD units, and that's about it. No HMO apps, such as pyTivo, are currently able to transfer any flavor of MPEG-4 natively to any sort of TiVo device.

[wmcbrine]

To add to what PaulS said, it might not be apparent from the YouTube app (the only official streaming video until now), but we've been able to stream HD since shortly after 9.4 appeared. And HD transfers (though not MPEG4) have been possible since well before that.

[kas25]

To add to what PaulS said, it might not be apparent from the YouTube app (the only official streaming video until now), but we've been able to stream HD since shortly after 9.4 appeared. And HD transfers (though not MPEG4) have been possible since well before that.

I guess my question is whether Tivo will officially support it like Apple TV supports it. Thanks.

[Dan203]

As of right now the system TiVo uses to store video for local playback only accepts MPEG-2 video, so anything you want to transfer and store on the TiVo itself has to be transcoded. However TiVo has recently announced that a new DirecTiVo is coming out sometime next year, and since a good portion of the channels on DirecTV are MPEG-4 that means TiVo will have to modify their system to accept MPEG-4. Once they do that the change should trickle down and eventually allow us to transfer MPEG-4 video to our S3/HD TiVos. Unfortunately the DirecTiVo deal doesn't have a specific time frame so it could be a while before that happens. Until then we'll have to live with streaming.

Dan

[moyekj]

As of right now the system TiVo uses to store video for local playback only accepts MPEG-2 video, so anything you want to transfer and store on the TiVo itself has to be transcoded. However TiVo has recently announced that a new DirecTiVo is coming out sometime next year, and since a good portion of the channels on DirecTV are MPEG-4 that means TiVo will have to modify their system to accept MPEG-4. Once they do that the change should trickle down and eventually allow us to transfer MPEG-4 video to our S3/HD TiVos. Unfortunately the DirecTiVo deal doesn't have a specific time frame so it could be a while before that happens. Until then we'll have to live with streaming.

Dan Then they really have to lift the 1.1GB maximum buffer restriction which is currently in place with streaming option (doesn't matter if it's mpeg2 or mpeg4, once the buffer reaches ~ 1.1GB Tivo closes down the stream). For official Tivo use for streaming the short YouTube videos that size buffer is plenty big enough (which is probably why it's not bigger), but for general purpose video streaming obviously it's not.
Dan, I don't know if you have good contacts within Tivo, but if you do we really need some way of getting Tivo's attention about this problem/restriction. I've tried the PM route to TivoPony but that didn't get me anywhere. Even better, as wmcbrine has pointed out, it would be nice to get some kind of HME documentation about video streaming.
I don't see Tivo intentionally wanting to withhold such information and discourage development of HME video streaming apps so I really think it's just a matter of getting hold of the right person.

[wmcbrine]

It seems that the Netflix service is using some new, "bufferless" variant of streaming. (Notice what it does when you press instant replay.) That would probably serve if we knew how to use it.

[Dan203]

Then they really have to lift the 1.1GB maximum buffer restriction which is currently in place with streaming option (doesn't matter if it's mpeg2 or mpeg4, once the buffer reaches ~ 1.1GB Tivo closes down the stream).

There is no way to flush the buffer or make it work in a circular fashion where bytes at the beginning are replaced with new bytes when the buffer is full?

It seems that the Netflix service is using some new, "bufferless" variant of streaming. (Notice what it does when you press instant replay.) That would probably serve if we knew how to use it.

I'm sure someone will figure out the protocol soon enough.

Dan

[moyekj]

There is no way to flush the buffer or make it work in a circular fashion where bytes at the beginning are replaced with new bytes when the buffer is full? We have no access to the Tivo buffer at all with HME. The only way to possibly workaround the issue is to stop a stream before 1GB is sent over then re-start where you left off. That's doable with mpeg2 streams but not mpeg4 streams...

I'm sure someone will figure out the protocol soon enough. Maybe some network sniffing may reveal something but I doubt it as all the good stuff is generally encrypted.