Streaming TiVo to Ipad? Will it happen.

I wish.

Tivo should also just make a TiVo Extender without cablecard to other TV within our own house.

MediaLivingRoom said:

Tivo should also just make a TiVo Extender without cablecard to other TV within our own house.

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I'm on board with that. Right now I have to transfer to DVD using my computer, huge PITA.

tombonneau said:

What are the odds of this actually happening? Are there any significant technical hurdles, or is it basically same thing as streaming to PCs?

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Someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there's a very big hurdle to overcome. The iPad's native video format is H.264 (mpeg4), and most (all?) shows recorded by the Tivo are mpeg2. I don't think either the Tivo or the iPad have enough horsepower to do on-the-fly transcoding of mpeg2 to H.264, to allow streaming (at least for HD).

Hopefully I'm wrong about this, because this would be a killer app. I've been considering getting a Sling box so I could watch my Tivo shows from bed, but I don't want to mess with IR blasters, and Sling doesn't support Tivo's network control interface.

I never saw the attraction of being able to stream to my iPad. Basically since it is in home only I wouldn't find it useful. At home I have larger higher quality screens than that on the iPad to view.

Now, when I am mobile, that is a completely different issue. I do use KMTTG and iTunes to move content to my iPad for watching on the train etc.

DeWitt said:

I never saw the attraction of being able to stream to my iPad. Basically since it is in home only I wouldn't find it useful. At home I have larger higher quality screens than that on the iPad to view.

Now, when I am mobile, that is a completely different issue. I do use KMTTG and iTunes to move content to my iPad for watching on the train etc.

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I agree with you. But does an iPad have any HiDef outputs you could use to connect to a big screen TV?

Right now I am using the monsoon vulkano to stream my TiVo to my iPad. So far I am ipressed with it. It only set me back 99 bucks. It's basically like a sling box but can record via a dvr feature. Anything I have recorded to the vulkano I can upload to the iPad with the vulkano iPad app and watch it on the go.

janry said:

I agree with you. But does an iPad have any HiDef outputs you could use to connect to a big screen TV?

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It appears it does (cables sold separately): http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

I wish to take that survey! Is there a place I can find it, or do you have to be invited?

janry said:

I agree with you. But does an iPad have any HiDef outputs you could use to connect to a big screen TV?

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I can use airplay to my Apple TV to play. I don't use this for everything, but when you find a video while surfing the web it is pretty neat to be able to wirelessly stream it to your TV/Audio system.

I have the newer Apple TV that was only 99 Dollars.

DeWitt said:

I can use airplay to my Apple TV to play. I don't use this for everything, but when you find a video while surfing the web it is pretty neat to be able to wirelessly stream it to your TV/Audio system.

I have the newer Apple TV that was only 99 Dollars.

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This cable is only $39, and provides an HDMI output for the iPad: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC953ZM/A
I think this would be the easiest setup if the sole purpose would be streaming from a TiVo in one room to the iPad attached to a TV in another.

tombonneau said:

So I'm sure some of you read this recent Engadget post.
What are the odds of this actually happening?

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EXTREMELY low. Besides, they would do MUCH MUCH better to simply add the ability to stream to/from to *any* device using something like DLNA instead of locking it to one proprietary product.

But, that would cut into their precious subscriptions, since they can hold people ransom with only TiVo to TiVo streaming.

So, as I said.... EXTREMELY low.

NotVeryWitty said:

Someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there's a very big hurdle to overcome. The iPad's native video format is H.264 (mpeg4), and most (all?) shows recorded by the Tivo are mpeg2. I don't think either the Tivo or the iPad have enough horsepower to do on-the-fly transcoding of mpeg2 to H.264, to allow streaming (at least for HD).

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You are correct but not for that exact reason. There is no such thing as a "video format". There is a video container and a video codec (and an audio codec). Mpeg4 is not a codec, it is a container that uses H.264 video and AAC audio. I would be surprised if the iPad couldn't play the mpeg2 codec. Although it might not like AC3.....

Transcoding from one codec to another is something that simply cannot occur on the TiVo (nor iPad).... it requires hundreds of times more CPU power than available (HD programs are truly massive). So streaming could only occur in the native codecs from the TiVo (although you can sometimes change the CONTAINER they are in without much CPU overhead). If the destination device can't handle it, it is the end of the game. In the case of the iPad, although it can probably play the mpeg2 video codec, there is probably no way it can handle/play it at 1080i resolution and typical HDTV bitrates. Plus it might barf on the AC3 audio codec.

Edit:
http://www.ifunia.com/ipad-column/ipad-supported-video-and-audio-formats.html

The iPad doesn't have a decoder for Mpeg2 codec nor AC3. So no, it could never support TiVo streaming. The end.

shaown said:

Or a Tivo Extender with cablecard support - but no monthly Tivo fee.

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No such thing. Cablecards are issued and managed by your cable company. They have nothing to do with devices not directly attached to cable.

Sling Media better hope not- they'd lose half their business overnight (assuming the streaming would be to any computer, not just Ipad).

crxssi said:

EXTREMELY low. Besides, they would do MUCH MUCH better to simply add the ability to stream to/from to *any* device using something like DLNA instead of locking it to one proprietary product.

But, that would cut into their precious subscriptions, since they can hold people ransom with only TiVo to TiVo streaming.

So, as I said.... EXTREMELY low.

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Yeah I'm not holding my breath based on Tivo's track record. I have more faith Sezmi will deliver a streaming DVR-to-iDevice functionality before Tivo.

tombonneau said:

Yeah I'm not holding my breath based on Tivo's track record. I have more faith Sezmi will deliver a streaming DVR-to-iDevice functionality before Tivo.

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Not sure what a Sezmi is, but see my other post- the iDevices have no mpeg2 decoder hardware, so streaming from a TiVo to an ipad can never happen.

Can it happen, easily.

Will it happen?

Probably not.

Unless, it was already in the pipeline.

With the way things are going.......

I suppose an independent person can do it.

Just integrate in TiVoDecode and stuff like that.

Not sure about MPEG-2 support, but I believe there have been several video players for the iPad that support MPEG-2, so standard def video at a minimum should be playable... your 1080i with Dolby Digital will probably have issues.

deandashl said:

Can it happen, easily.

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When the iPad has no mpeg2 or AC3 decoder hardware or software and neither box has dedicated transcoding ASICs, what part of it would be possible or "easy"?