Transfer from Tivo to PC

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kapitikarl

159 posts

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#53767 13-Dec-2009 21:35

So it is like this, my gf wants to see if I can record a Tivo recording to my pc and then onto a dvd. I say "sure"! Then I start the transfer of a two hour episode of Glee to my pc. (Disclaimer: this is true, I do not like Glee. I hate Glee this is a true story). The transfer takes 2 hours - jeeze that long? But my main source of anguish is the sheer size of the file once it has transferred - 11GB. 11GB??????. The file on my PC is now an 11gb "tivo file". Is this normal? Is there some way of sending the recording to my PC as a nice 2gb (max) avi file. And more importantly, my gf is a tellie addict, at this rate we will burn our available HDD (and probably my 1TB+ of pc HDD) in a matter of months.

Any of you wise souls have any suggestions, any explanations, any hacks etc.??

sbiddle

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#282034 13-Dec-2009 21:53

Shows off Freeview|HD range from approxmiately 2GB - 6GB per hour depending on whether they are from a SD or HD channel. I'm guessing your recording was from TV3.

There is no way to make Tivo "convert" the file, it simply records the entire Transport Stream from the channel you are recording.

To record the file onto DVD you first need to transcode it into MPEG2, Freeview|HD transmits in H.264/MPEG4. I believe Handbrake is still about the only application that will handle this correctly and depending on your CPU speed could take anywhere from 2 - 10+ hours to transcode.

NonprayingMantis

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#282559 15-Dec-2009 09:33

Glee is in HD. I;m guessing it was the season opener or finale. Americna shows often have xtra long episodes for those. If it was 2 hours, then 11GB is probably not that bad.

If you want it in SD so the file is smaller, then record it from the C4 catchup on fridays.

kapitikarl

159 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 11

#282787 15-Dec-2009 16:51

Very clever workaround. I still think there should be something on the tivo which would allow you to select the recording quality.

Wilstar

71 posts

Master Geek

#284100 19-Dec-2009 22:46

Digital is just that, either on or off, it's not converting the file to mpeg 2 like analog tuners do, so there is very little that can be done during the recording stage in the way of adjusting quality, you can however re-encode them on your PC, stripping out 5.1 sound and giving video a lower bitrate and get rid of the ads to get an acceptable file size. Sorry if this downs make sense, I'm tired!

bodysoda

95 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#286173 30-Dec-2009 22:28

Unfortunately this is its going to be I believe. This is due to the they say the Tivo model has been build. WHen you record a program on tivo, this will be .tivo (drm protected).