TiVo Home Networking Package Has Stopped Working Recently

Forums › TiVo › TiVo Home Networking Package Has Stopped Working Recently

soycd17

15 posts

Geek

#233686 27-Apr-2018 19:51

I have two unmodified TiVos, which I was keeping to view recordings that I have stored on my PC. The HNP was working fine for transferring recordings from my PC to both TiVos until the storm that other week, when I had a power cut. Now, both TiVos can see my PC fine, but both state that it has no TiVo recordings. I know this is a fib! After the power cut, both TiVos restarted normally and can play recordings they already contain; I did not do anything to them such as Guided Setup because I know that causes problems after cessation of the TiVo mother ship. Both still seem to retain the MAK. Is anyone else having this problem, and any advice? TIA

Spong

1005 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2003798 27-Apr-2018 21:24

Ok. The one thing you haven't mentioned is the method you're using to shift recordings around, so I'll assume you're using the Tivo Desktop software.

As you'll be aware, the Tivo to Tivo transfer function of the HNP stopped working some time after 31/10/17 when the official mothership was decommissioned. It's believed by the developers that there are some digital keys or tickets that all Tivos with the HNP have, that were normally refreshed from time to time, but since the official mothership closed down, this process has ended, and hence the keys have expired.

If you're using the Tivo Desktop, you may find that you can no longer retrieve recordings or movies etc from your PC as of about 2x weeks ago. Others, including myself have noticed this, and we believe another key has expired. However a friend who uses PyTivo claims they can still transfer from PC to Tivo, so this option is well worth exploring. I'm intending to try this also. Meanwhile, transferring recordings from Tivo to PC still works fine with Tivo Desktop or kmttg, the Java based 3rd party app. The developers have said they are working on a fix, but no news yet, and it could be a long time coming, if at all.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

soycd17

15 posts

Geek

#2003942 28-Apr-2018 10:17

Thanks so much Spong. Yes, I am using the TiVo Desktop Plus software. Good to know that it is not just a problem I have encountered. Wish I had transferred more while I had the chance; guess I got lulled into a false sense of security with the HNP working so well up to now...I shall certainly look into PyTiVo...

Spong

1005 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2004218 28-Apr-2018 18:45

I've installed pyTivo today and results are very encouraging. Setup is a little involved but thankfully there are good instructions here: https://pytivo.sourceforge.io/wiki/index.php/Windows_Install

Be sure to install python 2.7 and not the later version offered.

You'll need your MAK key (available on the Account & System Information page) and I found I needed to manually add the tivo_username and tivo_password settings before anything worked (they didn't even show on the config page). Bearing in mind the Tivo service is no longer active, I was dubious whether this would even work, and it maybe that you can enter anything into these fields once created.

I can now pull recordings from Tivo to PC but more importantly I can pull recordings and other media across from PC to my Tivos, which had stopped working with The Tivo Desktop recently.

If anyone's interested, I'll zip a pre-configured version with all support files etc, and make it available in my Dropbox.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

soycd17

15 posts

Geek

#2004439 29-Apr-2018 10:37

Spong:

I've installed pyTivo today and results are very encouraging. Setup is a little involved but thankfully there are good instructions here: https://pytivo.sourceforge.io/wiki/index.php/Windows_Install

Be sure to install python 2.7 and not the later version offered.

You'll need your MAK key (available on the Account & System Information page) and I found I needed to manually add the tivo_username and tivo_password settings before anything worked (they didn't even show on the config page). Bearing in mind the Tivo service is no longer active, I was dubious whether this would even work, and it maybe that you can enter anything into these fields once created.

I can now pull recordings from Tivo to PC but more importantly I can pull recordings and other media across from PC to my Tivos, which had stopped working with The Tivo Desktop recently.

If anyone's interested, I'll zip a pre-configured version with all support files etc, and make it available in my Dropbox.

I am happy to hear that this worked; I had just begun to check out PyTiVo. I was also wondering whether it would work without the TiVo service...I have checked all of your links, and am a little daunted by the details. I'm afraid that I have never used Python or anything similar...

Spong

1005 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2004612 29-Apr-2018 17:00

It works really well if you're prepared to put the effort in. I think I'll be using it a lot now. It does a lot more than kmttg and of course Tivo Desktop Plus has lost much of its functionality. Installing Python is just a matter of downloading vers 2.7 from the link and running the installer, just like you would do if downloading and installing java for end users.

Once you do that, if you want to go to the next step, PM me and I'll zip up my pytivo folder structure, which you simply place into a folder named c:\pyTivo then you simply double click pyTivo.py within that folder to start the server. Make a shortcut to that file for future use when you want to start it. You can also set it up to run as a service, but that's not necessary. You then go to your chosen web browser and go to http://localhost:9032 and chose the "Settings" link. When there, in Global Server settings, enter your MAK key, and I think that almost anything will do in the Tivo-Password and Tivo_ username fields, now that the official service has gone. Something needs to be there before you can send or receive files from the Tivo however, or even see the Tivos or files. You don't need to manually edit the pyTivo.conf file as the settings here look after that. You'll need to go to the MyMovies section and enter the path on your PC to where your video files are to be saved or retrieved from, eg. c:\my videos. You may need to enter a firewall exception for UDP Port 5353 for everything to work but you can just disable your Windows firewall then if it stops when re-enabling it later, you'll know it's necessary to configure this exception. I had some difficulty transferring usable files from Tivo to PC initially until I substituted newer versions of some converters, as I think pyTivo never knew about the MP4 used by NZ TV.

Certainly I had to mess with this to get it working, but it was well worth it.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

soycd17

15 posts

Geek

#2005843 1-May-2018 11:47

Spong:

It works really well if you're prepared to put the effort in. I think I'll be using it a lot now. It does a lot more than kmttg and of course Tivo Desktop Plus has lost much of its functionality. Installing Python is just a matter of downloading vers 2.7 from the link and running the installer, just like you would do if downloading and installing java for end users.

Once you do that, if you want to go to the next step, PM me and I'll zip up my pytivo folder structure, which you simply place into a folder named c:\pyTivo then you simply double click pyTivo.py within that folder to start the server. Make a shortcut to that file for future use when you want to start it. You can also set it up to run as a service, but that's not necessary. You then go to your chosen web browser and go to http://localhost:9032 and chose the "Settings" link. When there, in Global Server settings, enter your MAK key, and I think that almost anything will do in the Tivo-Password and Tivo_ username fields, now that the official service has gone. Something needs to be there before you can send or receive files from the Tivo however, or even see the Tivos or files. You don't need to manually edit the pyTivo.conf file as the settings here look after that. You'll need to go to the MyMovies section and enter the path on your PC to where your video files are to be saved or retrieved from, eg. c:\my videos. You may need to enter a firewall exception for UDP Port 5353 for everything to work but you can just disable your Windows firewall then if it stops when re-enabling it later, you'll know it's necessary to configure this exception. I had some difficulty transferring usable files from Tivo to PC initially until I substituted newer versions of some converters, as I think pyTivo never knew about the MP4 used by NZ TV.

Certainly I had to mess with this to get it working, but it was well worth it.

This worked brilliantly, and the pyTiVo software was easy to set up with your instructions and zipped file. My TiVo recordings now transfer quite quickly from my PC to my TiVos, much quicker than the original TiVo Desktop HNP software. Thanks so much!!