[aircrewguy]

from engadget's website

Orb Networks opened up their API a few days ago, they must have figured out that loosening up and letting developers (and the rest of us) create third-party plug-ins for their placeshifting app is an easy way to add value and make their product even more attractive to customers (Sony, are you listening?). Anyway, one of the best we’ve seen yet is a TiVoToGo add-on called TiVoAnywhere that’ll let you remotely access shows recorded on your TiVo (as well as schedule recordings) from any Orb-compatible device (which used to include just PCs and smartphones that had Windows Media Player, but they’ve recently expanded compatibility to add support for RealPlayer and a few other players).

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/tivoanywhere/

 

[Todd]

I just saw this too. Sounds cool. Has anyone used Orb before? Also, does it automatically convert TiVo recordings in TiVoToGo to lower bandwidth for sending over the Internet? I'm a little confused over how this works.

 

[tivoforum]

does it automatically convert TiVo recordings in TiVoToGo to lower bandwidth for sending over the Internet?

http://www.orb.com/what_is_orb/orb_benefits/
Automatic bandwidth detection
When you connect from a mobile device or remote PC, Orb detects your connection speed and the upstream bandwidth available from your home PC. Orb streams content at the highest quality available to you, providing the best possible experience the device and bandwidth can support.

 

[Justin Thyme]

The head scratcher to me is the programming the tivo remotely part. I suppose he could support the remote scheduling by transmitting the information to TivoCentral on Tivo.com. That would be a little frail- everytime the Tivo UI changed, it could break (kind of like the Ebay bidding programs that are always reving due to ebay formatting changes).

As far as transfering out of .Tivo format- that is straightforward to program. I don't know how sanctioned it is, but hey- more power to him. I hope he doesn't get hit with any legal problems with it.

 

[VinceA]

From the reading I did yesterday you can only program remotely if you've got TiVoWeb installed. So, no remote programming for those that haven't hacked their TiVos.

 

[Justin Thyme]

Thanks Vince. It sure would be nice if Tivo would provide this kind of direct programability- I'd really like it if it had the minimal functionality of conflict warnings and knowing my channels. Tivo.com TivoCentral doesn't do that (yet)- sure it would be nasty to store so many details about the state on each person's Tivo, but if tivo allowed you do download this info to your PDA or laptop or PC then that would work. If they are concerned about security, they could encrypt it.

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Thanks Vince. It sure would be nice if Tivo would provide this kind of direct programability- I'd really like it if it had the minimal functionality of conflict warnings and knowing my channels. Tivo.com TivoCentral doesn't do that (yet)- sure it would be nasty to store so many details about the state on each person's Tivo, but if tivo allowed you do download this info to your PDA or laptop or PC then that would work. If they are concerned about security, they could encrypt it.

or just eventually add it in to the web interface they have unofficially started on the TiVo itself and not make online scheduling into a nasty stateful app.

 

[HDTiVo]

or just eventually add it in to the web interface they have unofficially started on the TiVo itself and not make online scheduling into a nasty stateful app.

That's the right approach.

 

[markandjenn]

Tivo.com TivoCentral doesn't do that (yet)- sure it would be nasty to store so many details about the state on each person's Tivo...

They probably wouldn't even need to store it, couldn't they just query your TiVo when you access TiVo Central?

 

[azitnay]

Querying a TiVo isn't quite that simple -- most people have their TiVos on internal IP blocks such as 192.168.x.x, and thus TiVo cannot make a direct connection to them. Instead, TCO must rely on your TiVo contacting home base several times an hour to check for remote scheduling requests (at least, that's how it currently works).

Drew

 

[Justin Thyme]

Well, they can do it however they like as far as I'm concerned, but if they store all that user identifiable data on the server side, then there will be a lot of issues with folks concerned about privacy.

 

[tivoforum]

Do you know if the latest firmware 7.2 works with the Orb add-on?

 

[jpdst22]

Well I have 7.2 (not a beta user just one of the lucky random people chosen) and I haven't been able to stream shows from my tivo with orb. When I try, it'll either timeout or I'll get an "invalid media" message from windows media player. Then when I look at the pc running the orb server I see a pop up window accessing for a password to play the file (like you normally get when you try to play a show that was downloaded to your pc from the tivo). Now since I didn't install orb and tivo add-on until after I already had 7.2 I'm not sure if I'm just not doing something right or if it's related to 7.2. Can someone that doesn't have 7.2 tell me if it's normally to get these pop ups? Does anybody else have any ideas?

thanks...

 

[tivoforum]

I think you just need to install TiVo Desktop 2.1 on your home PC. That version doesn't ask for the MAK everytime you access a tivo file, but you configure it once and for all.
http://tivo.com/4.9.4.1.asp

 

[jpdst22]

Well like I said I wasn't sure what was the problem, but it looks like the 2.1 desktop fixed my problem. I just updated that and now it's working so yeah it does still work with 7.2.

 

[jdesai]

I have had pretty good luck at getting this working from a pda/smartphone - including ability to ask the tivo to record a show (could have done it thru Tivo website and smartphone), ask Orb/TivoAnywhere to transfer show to home pc and then ask Orb to play the recording. Only thing is that Orb software running on my desktop does not seem to be very stable. The Orb software keeps locking up my home PC in a way that network interface becomes unusable until I reboot. I have a Series 2 Tivo branded Tivo, running XP at home and using a friend's smartphone (no support for my Treo yet :-( )

 

[2farrell]

Well I have 7.2 (not a beta user just one of the lucky random people chosen) and I haven't been able to stream shows from my tivo with orb. When I try, it'll either timeout or I'll get an "invalid media" message from windows media player. Then when I look at the pc running the orb server I see a pop up window accessing for a password to play the file (like you normally get when you try to play a show that was downloaded to your pc from the tivo). Now since I didn't install orb and tivo add-on until after I already had 7.2 I'm not sure if I'm just not doing something right or if it's related to 7.2. Can someone that doesn't have 7.2 tell me if it's normally to get these pop ups? Does anybody else have any ideas?

thanks...

I've got 2.2 installed and getting the same message. Did you wait until the transfer finished or were you able to watch while the file was being transfered from the TIVO to the Server?

 

[pharaohmd]

OK so maybe I am missing something but where do I download the addon to Orb?

 

[jdesai]

OK so maybe I am missing something but where do I download the addon to Orb?

Are you asking 'from where to download?'

If so, it is in the first post of this thread:

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/tivoanywhere/

If you are asking 'to where to download...'.

You download TivoAnywehre.exe from above location on the PC that is running your Orb software (and presumably running TivoDesktop and HME apps such as Galleon) and run it - it will then install itself as a Orb Add-on. After this, you have to login to my.orb.com and choose the Add-on tab and configure the TivoAnywhere add-on. Hope this helps.

 

[tivoforum]

There's a new version available.
http://www.tivoanywhere.com