[omeganet]

Hello everyone, I am an old timer (one of the first people to add storage capacity to the series1 unit way back when), just returning to the Tivo fold. I was stuck in purgatory (DirecTivo) for a few years and when I moved I ditched DirecTV and got two Series3 HD units for my house.

One of the reasons I bought them and the wireless adapters was TivoToGo. I travel a bunch and have seen a lot of people on the airplanes using TivoToGo, and was excited to use it. It was disappointing to find out that it isn't supported on Series3 due to various non-technical issues.

With that being said, is there any reason to keep Tivo Desktop on my computer if I have Series3 units only? I use my AppleTV for podcasts and photo sharing, so that really isn't needed.

 

[minckster]

After I got my Apple TV, I removed TiVo Desktop altogether. All Desktop can do with a S3 is Photos and Music, which the ATV does much better, so I don't see much point. You'll still get the Yahoo apps, Podcaster, etc. - just no Photos and Music.

Off-topic: I hope the ATV "borrows" TiVo's short rewind at the end of fast forwarding.

 

[classicsat]

Not really.
I don't use TD at all, save for access to the decryption dll for Series 2 .tivo files.

 

[Justin Thyme]

I heavily use TivoDesktop for TTG, though there are other programs that can initiate transfers. For TivoBack, I use PyTivo.

This stuff works just fine with the S3, as I demonstrated a few months ago when I discoverred that the flags on my S3 were mistakenly set during installation to allow transfers. Tivo corrected the error pretty quickly, but I was able to run some tests before they fixed the glitch. From what I can tell, the functionality has be there from the get go, and this TTG blockage is from our pals at Cablelabs.

I successfully transfered Hidef MPEG2's back to the S3 and played them. Stunning visual quality. Much better resolution- than the S2 even with DVD quality video. Pictures here. So yeah- I would say that you are going to get a LOT of use out of TTG for the S3 when Tivo has released the first version of support for it.

My guess about what they will release is unlimitted TivoBack of MPEG2 files. TTG from and S3 will be allowed for analog channels and OTA recorded digital channels.

Anything more- probably not for the initial version. Possibly they will come out with support for some flavour of MPEG4. Possibly they will allow cable rebroadcast OTA local channels to be transfered as well since they have FCC legal cover to do that. Further out? Possibly they have a deal to support S3 digital transfers, but only on protected OS's that have past muster with cablelabs (egads there is only one)- meaning... Yeah- the Vista upgrade may have more tricks up its sleave than we know now.

But maybe all is not roses with the cable companies. If not, hopefully Tivo can leverage their relationship with Comcast and Cox to get Cablelabs to OK TivoGuard as an approved interchange mechanism. DTCP was approved for interchange, but only after fisticuffs at the FCC level. Maybe confrontation works better than quiet diplomacy- Jury's out on that one, but Tivo doesn't exactly have the muscle of Intel/MS/5C so maybe their way is the wisest move at this stage of the game. I think that strategy will probably be revised if the leadership of the FCC changes as is probably inevitable given current trends in politics.

 

[Icehawk]

I use it to stream music from my MP3 server.

 

[9300170]

of course, it is totally useless if you're running Vista. <grrrr>

 

[nhaigh]

I still use it for TTG with my S2's but my PS3 has taken over from TiVo for being my media server. Of course this is only because TiVo have let us all down do badly.

 

[ewilts]

of course, it is totally useless if you're running Vista. <grrrr>

Unless you want to make it work yourself - the instructions have been posted here. I'm displaying HD Photos on my S3 from my Vista desktop without any issues. It was a pain getting there, but it's working fine now.

.../Ed

 

[moyekj]

My guess about what they will release is unlimitted TivoBack of MPEG2 files. TTG from and S3 will be allowed for analog channels and OTA recorded digital channels.

I think TTG & MRV will be for all non-protected content (analog & digital SD & HD). i.e. including encrypted digital content with CCI bit not set. That is the best scenario of what Tivo can do without raising eyebrows from CableLabs.

 

[CharlesH]

I think TTG & MRV will be for all non-protected content (analog & digital SD & HD). i.e. including encrypted digital content with CCI bit not set. That is the best scenario of what Tivo can do without raising eyebrows from CableLabs.

Don't know about other areas, but around here (San Francisco Bay area), Comcast sets CCI=0x02 on all premium channels (Encore, Showtime, Cinemax, HBO), so they would pretty much be out.

 

[moyekj]

Don't know about other areas, but around here (San Francisco Bay area), Comcast sets CCI=0x02 on all premium channels (Encore, Showtime, Cinemax, HBO), so they would pretty much be out.

I think that's pretty standard from many accounts I have seen and jives with my local headend as well. In my case it doesn't bother me as I don't subscribe to premium channels and most of my recordings are from network HD channels along with SciFi, USA and a few other cable channels all having CCI=0x0. About the only one I record from occasionally with CCI=0x02 is Discovery HD. I get more than my fill of movies from Netflix so don't see a need for premium channels or VOD for that matter. So if indeed Tivo will support TTG/MRV for all none copy-protected programming that would be a wonderful start IMO.

 

[Justin Thyme]

Don't know about other areas, but around here (San Francisco Bay area), Comcast sets CCI=0x02 on all premium channels (Encore, Showtime, Cinemax, HBO), so they would pretty much be out.

bkdtv mentioned on avsforum that on FIOS, all digital channels with the exception of locals and ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX had copy once bit set. I have heard chatter that this is common on other cable networks as well.

It's not the end of civilization as we know it. If an SD versions of the premium show is acceptable, then the flags can be bypassed.

Here's how.

Pipe SVideo through a GoDVD box then to a modulator like a Monster Cable ConnectAll 200. Play the premium show from the S3, and record Channel 3 OTA channel at the same time.

Voila- an OTA show free of copy flags ready for S3 TTG. Use the same procedure to send to a dvd recorder and you can sneakernet the protected show from an S3 to a PC today.

 

[DocNo]

buy.com has the slingbox pro for $150.

 

[Adam1115]

of course, it is totally useless if you're running Vista. <grrrr>

You might want to be more specific? I have TiVo Desktop on my Vista PC, streaming MP3's, photo's, etc.

 

[Mike Malter]

buy.com has the slingbox pro for $150.

Can you transfer previously recorded programs to another computer, CD or DVD?

Thanks.

 

[DocNo]

Can you transfer previously recorded programs to another computer, CD or DVD?

Nope, it lets you stream to another computer. Or to a cell phone.

Thank Cable Labs for the inability to archive from an S3. Cable companies and content providers have been trying to figure out how to close off "fair use" for years, and with cable card they have succeeded

edit: Don't forget this thread that's in the stickies at the top of this forum.

 

[Dajad]

I still use it for TTG with my S2's but my PS3 has taken over from TiVo for being my media server. Of course this is only because TiVo have let us all down do badly.

Hey nhaigh (or anyone else in the know), can you link to any blog posts or other how-tos on the net for using the PS3 as a media server. My PS3 seems rather gimped. It pretty much just sits there collecting dust. Given that I have Vista and my TiVo.net and TiVo Desktop experiences have been less than stellar (I still have to try PyTiVo), I'd be really interested for links to online references to setting up the PS3 to access media on my Vista PC through my home network. I've seen no such sites to date.

...Dale

 

[Justin Thyme]

Hey Dale when you try pyTivo, just to warn you in advance- big directories take a long time to load for the first time. The second time you go into the folder- it is no wait at all. If you keep your server on like I do, it isn't an issue. I have taken to subdividing my folders EG in SCI FI, I have Enterprise and Twilight zone, then by letters- A-K folder L-R folder etc.

Maybe PyTivo guys will fix this. I haven't investigated whether they may already have optimized it or discussed it.

 

[berfy]

You might want to be more specific? I have TiVo Desktop on my Vista PC, streaming MP3's, photo's, etc.

How?

I tried loading TTG on my Vista Notebook and Vista refused to install it.

How do you get around that?

 

[Adam1115]

How?

I tried loading TTG on my Vista Notebook and Vista refused to install it.

How do you get around that?

When I installed it, it just installed. Now that I think about it... it's 2.3.