(Mac) TiVo folder not on startup disc?

[JoeTaxpayer]

I am trying to locate my TiVo recording folder on a secondary drive on my Mac.
I have 2 MDD G4s and on the Panther OS I have no issue. On the Leopard machine, going to the system pref and the TiVo Transfer pref to choose the folder, it still comes up empty. The leopard Mac will only let me use the startup drive to run the TiVo folder. Not the end of the world, but I'm curious what my issue is. Anyone run in to this?

[bedelman]

You mention "TiVo Transfer" -- does that mean you're using Toast or Popcorn from Roxio? Or since you mention the System Preference window, are you referring to the TiVo Desktop preference pane from TiVo instead?

Just trying to figure out which software you're using?

[JoeTaxpayer]

You mention "TiVo Transfer" -- does that mean you're using Toast or Popcorn from Roxio? Or since you mention the System Preference window, are you referring to the TiVo Desktop preference pane from TiVo instead?

Just trying to figure out which software you're using?

Both. I'm relatively new with Tivo, and MRV, thought they did different things. TiVo preference is needed for the TiVo to look back to see the computer's files, no?
Seems I need to use both depending exactly what I'm trying to do.

It works. I can see both Macs, I just can't change target folder location on the Leopard machine and have the TiVo see its content.

[bedelman]

Hi -- there is no preference pane named "TiVo preference". Let's try a different approach...

The window in which you're trying to change the path -- what is the title of the window up at the top? Does it show "Preferences", "TiVo Desktop", or something else?

[JoeTaxpayer]

In my system preferences is "TiVo Desktop" but the way I see the actual application, the list of shows I have on the Mac is "TiVo Transfer"
Both require a TiVo recording folder location, and I've set both to look at the same folder.
Sorry for my confusing the names for each.

[bedelman]

The computer I have that has an external drive currently on it isn't running Leopard -- it's running Tiger. When I go into choose the folder, I can select the external drive and then use the disclosure triangle to expand a folder on that drive to go into folders within folders. Alternatively, I can use the alternate view for the file dialog (the "paned" view) to go to the sub-folders.

The path name that will show on the preference window will be something like "/volumes/external_drive/folder/folder2"

I won't be able to try it with Leopard until I'm home and can move some drives around

[JoeTaxpayer]

I won't be able to try it with Leopard until I'm home and can move some drives around

Much appreciated. The Panther machine has no issue.

It happens my Leopard Mac has a 120GB startup drive but a 1TB ext, so I thought it a great idea to just use the ext drive to keep the main drive clean.

[bedelman]

If nothing else, you might be able to use something like PlistEdit Pro (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/development_tools/plisteditpro.html) and open the property list file and modify the path directly.

For the TiVo Desktop preference pane the property list file is named com.tivo.desktop.plist and it's located in the ~/Library/Preferences folder. There's a property key named VideoDirectory that holds the pathname. Make sure to make a backup copy first before you edit it just in case.

[JoeTaxpayer]

Bob - an update. The Leopard can see the other internal drives, just not the USB ext one. Each change of drive requires a restart, and then I can see it, but the TiVo is unable to see the ext drive when it's selected.

So I just dumped the stuff I was storing on an internal to the USB drive, and will use that as a TiVo drive. So in the end I think it's not about Leopard, but about using an ext drive?

[bedelman]

On my machine running Tiger, it looks to be working with an external firewire drive. I also have some external USB drives I could try -- but there's a firewire drive connected to it right now.

Did you try altering the path in the plist file?

[JoeTaxpayer]

Did you try altering the path in the plist file?

The path was right. Nothing to change. I saw it thru the software you linked as well as text edit.

I may test an ext firewire later just as an experiment. Thanks again.

[bedelman]

The path was right. Nothing to change. I saw it thru the software you linked as well as text edit.

I guess I didn't understand whether the issue is getting the path to go into the setting -- or getting it to work and display recordings with the path pointing to an external drive.

I'm getting the feeling that it's the latter of the two -- and if it is, I wonder if the "ignore ownership on this volume" checkbox is checked or not for the external drive (get Info on it to see this) as well as how it's formatted.

[JoeTaxpayer]

Formatted as Mac OS Ext Journaled
Ignore Ownership checked

[bedelman]

So, it's the latter of the two alternative I mentioned above -- correct?

In other words, the path goes in and is stored -- but it doesn't seem to work (i.e. the recording don't appear)?

[JoeTaxpayer]

So, it's the latter of the two alternative I mentioned above -- correct?

In other words, the path goes in and is stored -- but it doesn't seem to work (i.e. the recording don't appear)?

Path is right. Neither computer can let the TiVo see the USB drive.
For an experiment, I just fired up an older FW drive that I don't use. It can't be seen by TiVo either.