Converting Tivo MPEGs?

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brianlees
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Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

OK, I have searched the forums, but I haven't found the answer. I apologize in advance if it is there and I missed it.

I want to convert some Tivo recordings. I pulled them off my TivoHD various ways - with Tivo Desktop on a PC, TivoDecode Manager on a Mac, and others. Every time I try to select them as a source with Handbrake, I get no valid source. I'm fairly certain the Tivo "wrapper" is off, as it plays fine with VLC.

What am I missing? I know, vague question....but, I must be missing something so blatantly obvious that I will want to kill myself when someone slaps me silly with the answer.
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s55
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by s55 »

I've heard others try, and fail so I can only assume they use a format that HandBrake doesn't support.

If thats not the issue, then I'd need to see an activity log to make any further guesses.
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

Here's a log....doesn't look like it says much about the issue:
[21:37:06] hb_init: checking cpu count
[21:37:06] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[21:37:06] thread b01da000 started ("libhb")
[21:37:10] macgui: trying to open video_ts folder (parent directory chosen)
[21:37:10] hb_scan: path=/Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg, title_index=0
[21:37:10] thread b08ff000 started ("scan")
[21:37:10] scan: trying to open with libdvdread
GUI ERROR dialog: dvd: DVDOpen failed (/Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg)
[21:37:10] hb_stream_open: open /Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg failed
[21:37:10] scan: unrecognized file type
[21:37:10] thread b08ff000 exited ("scan")
[21:37:10] thread b08ff000 joined ("scan")
[21:37:10] libhb: scan thread found 0 valid title(s)
[08:27:35] macgui: trying to open video_ts folder (parent directory chosen)
[08:27:35] hb_scan: path=/Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg, title_index=0
[08:27:35] thread b08ff000 started ("scan")
[08:27:35] scan: trying to open with libdvdread
GUI ERROR dialog: dvd: DVDOpen failed (/Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg)
[08:27:35] hb_stream_open: open /Volumes/Data/Tivo Downloads/Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! - ''Gotta Dance; The Wubb Club'' (Recorded Apr 5, 2008, NOGGIN).mpg failed
[08:27:35] scan: unrecognized file type
[08:27:35] thread b08ff000 exited ("scan")
[08:27:35] thread b08ff000 joined ("scan")
[08:27:35] libhb: scan thread found 0 valid title(s)
nightstrm
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by nightstrm »

Yep, looks like Handbrake does not like how the MPEG2 file is structured.
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

That sucks. I would much prefer Handbrake over VisualHub. Hmm....maybe I'll add the request for development. But, I doubt you guys will want to pick it up since it is outside of the "core functionality" of Handbrake. But, one can hope. Maybe it is something easy? :D
nightstrm
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by nightstrm »

brianlees wrote:That sucks. I would much prefer Handbrake over VisualHub. Hmm....maybe I'll add the request for development. But, I doubt you guys will want to pick it up since it is outside of the "core functionality" of Handbrake. But, one can hope. Maybe it is something easy? :D
All it takes is a developer with interest! :D
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

Thanks. I posted the dev request. The real motivation for this - high-def Firefly episodes on UniversalHD! Want them on an AppleTV!
jbrjake
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by jbrjake »

brianlees wrote:Thanks. I posted the dev request. The real motivation for this - high-def Firefly episodes on UniversalHD! Want them on an AppleTV!
Err...but doesn't the TiVo reduce transcode that to a lower rez and bitrate? You might be better off just using the DVDs.

In any case, the quality on those UHD transfers kind of sucks even before transcoding. It's not exactly the quality of Serenity in HD. They're also full of mixed content, so be sure to use VFR.
cheezmo
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by cheezmo »

No, for HD (and digital cable channels), the Tivo HD records the original bitstream. There is no reencoding.

Processing the .MPEG files with VideoRedo Plus (not a bad idea to trim the start/end and commercials) produces files that Handbrake handles just fine.
nightstrm
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by nightstrm »

You can pull the HD recordings off of a Tivo Series 3 now? Makes me wish I hadn't sold mine a couple months ago. :x
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

nightstrm - yes, it is quite easy to pull off recordings...on a PC. On a Mac, it is a bit harder. The open source apps, while heading in the right direction, aren't updated very often and also run into some bugs. I have had several downloads stall.

cheezmo - I was hoping to do this all on a Mac...and for less money. However, the further down this path I go the more I realize that Tivo thinks Macs suck and that Apple doesn't exist anymore. Yeah, I know you can do it with Roxio Toast, but that is a HUGE cop-out on their part and everyone knows it. Hell, the CEO of Tivo (if I remember correctly) is a huge Mac fan....a lot of good that did me.

I think I may be stuck using a PC to do this. Ugh. However, again I make the same offer I did in the Ponies forum - I will upload a file for devs if requested.
dynaflash
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by dynaflash »

brianlees wrote:I think I may be stuck using a PC to do this. Ugh. However, again I make the same offer I did in the Ponies forum - I will upload a file for devs if requested.
Hmm, are these packages with mpeg 2 streams in them like eyetv packages ? Would be interested to see one.
bburtin
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by bburtin »

I think I may be stuck using a PC to do this.
You're not stuck using a PC. Have you tried pointing your web browser via https://<tivo-ip>? :) Download the .TiVo file from their clunky UI with your web browser, then use TiVo File Decoder (http://tivodecode.sourceforge.net/) to convert to MPEG2. Once HandBrake is able to read the resulting MPEG2 file, we'll be golden.
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

Although not at home at the moment, I swore I did that before and it didn't work. I have used the TivoDecoder - part of several third-party Tivo apps on the Mac. Handbrake doesn't like the MPEG2 files that result. Have you had success? I'm pulling these off a TivoHD.
jimbob9999
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by jimbob9999 »

Just bumping this issue. Has anyone had any luck in getting Handbrake to recognise TivoHD files (after the DRM has been stripped via TivoDecoder or suchlike of course)? I know I can use Toast to transcode, but I'd like a little more flexibility....

Thanks!

Jimbob
van
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by van »

Tivo support got added in r1439. That was after the 0.9.2 release but it's included in the development snapshot.
brianlees
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by brianlees »

I just wet my pants. Excellent! Thanks!
bufordclyde
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by bufordclyde »

I think there is a problem and you should clean up your mess. I can't get Handbrake to recognize my .tivo files. I have some shows that I recorded a while back that I would like to convert to be able to watch n my 360. Please help!!!!
rhester
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by rhester »

I am assuming for the purpose of argument that you have already decrypted these recordings, yes?

Rodney
bufordclyde
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by bufordclyde »

you have a solution for decrypting the .tivo files? i have searched high and low for one. please share :D
rhester
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by rhester »

We don't offer TiVo support here. There was a tool I used way back on the original TiVo on Windows, but I don't know of anything for the Mac.

Moved to Tiki Bar as this has nothing to do with HandBrake.

Rodney
bufordclyde
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by bufordclyde »

not sure what you mean by the tiki bar mention.

i have several .tivo files i need to decrypt and make into avi's. does anyone know how to do that?
bufordclyde
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by bufordclyde »

van wrote:Tivo support got added in r1439. That was after the 0.9.2 release but it's included in the development snapshot.
When is this to be released?
TedJ
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by TedJ »

The snapshot is available now. No ETA on the next stable release.

http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7230
sujovian
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Re: Converting Tivo MPEGs?

Post by sujovian »

On the Mac there is a very easy to use dashboard widget that connects to your tivo and downloads, decrypts and re-wrapps on the fly, delivering a decrypted .mpg file on your desktop.

http://www.dashboardwidgets.com/showcas ... hp?wid=281

The problem I've been having with Handbrake, is that when I open the resulting file into handbrake and convert it to the apple universal format setting some errors occur and the file is not playable in Quicktime or iTunes, but is playable in VLC. What is handbrake interpreting wrong with these files that's causing the resulting qt wrapper to be damaged?
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