Converting TiVo files to anything else?

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Kookoo

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Topic # 55943 11-Jan-2010 02:30

I tried converting a .TIVO file using the DirectShow Dump app everyone on the net seems to be using. It worked like a charm, but encoded the audio in a way that only VLC can play it back. Every other player, including MPC doesn't recognise the audio stream at all, and plays video only. Anyone has any ideas why?

Also, I wonder why TiVo don't include this conversion option in their Desktop. After all, Freeview HD is free-to-air, so there is no copyright breach...

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Reply # 288841 11-Jan-2010 06:52

Most media players don't support the HE-AAC audio codec. Even Windows 7 Media Player won't natively handle this format.

Kookoo

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Reply # 288921 11-Jan-2010 11:14

True, but having installed K-Lite pack I expected it to be able to handle it. No luck though.

Do you know any other ways of converting .tivo into non-drm formats?

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wellygary

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Reply # 288932 11-Jan-2010 12:27

Kookoo: After all, Freeview HD is free-to-air, so there is no copyright breach...

Just because you are allowed to view it, doesn't mean you are given the rights to copy/transcode/reencode the programme.

Sure, they ain't gonna bust ya door down and raid you over it, but I think you will find that legally the copyright on Freeview HD will not extend to allowing you to record and move the file around, hence the lack of useable network ports on Myfreeview HD boxes.

Kookoo

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Reply # 288934 11-Jan-2010 12:43

wellygary: Just because you are allowed to view it, doesn't mean you are given the rights to copy/transcode/reencode the programme.

Sure, they ain't gonna bust ya door down and raid you over it, but I think you will find that legally the copyright on Freeview HD will not extend to allowing you to record and move the file around, hence the lack of useable network ports on Myfreeview HD boxes.

And yet there is nothing stopping you from recording any Freeview HD programmes on a standalone DVR using RCA, right? As far as I know, it is perfectly legal. Essentially, this is what I am trying to do, only instead of recording it directly to a DVD recorder, I am going through Tivo desktop.

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rscole86

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Reply # 288943 11-Jan-2010 13:07

It is legal, and that is what you have done, made your recording. What is against TiVos terms of service, is to watch it on another device that is not supported.

But if you were to ignore the restrictions that have been put in place for legal reasons, then you could try using VLC to transcode it into a more friendly format.

hellonearthisman

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Reply # 288961 11-Jan-2010 14:00

If it's playing on a computer there are tools that will let you record your screen.
ie http://taksi-desktop-video-recorder.software.informer.com/ http://screen-video-recorder.software.informer.com/ http://audio-and-video-recorder.software.informer.com/ http://avs-video-recorder.software.informer.com/

or http://tivo-desktop.en.softonic.com/

Kookoo

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Reply # 289090 11-Jan-2010 20:57

rscole86: It is legal, and that is what you have done, made your recording. What is against TiVos terms of service, is to watch it on another device that is not supported.

I have to disagree with you on this one. In fact, Tivo Desktop already includes transcoders for almost every mobile device imaginable, so why is DVD any different?. In my opinion, as long as the end result is the same, there should be no legal difference. What I mean is that achieving a DVD recording of the show by going through either of the three ways below is the same, and imho, legal:
a) Receive via Tivo -> play live on TV -> simultaneously record on a DVD recorder via RCA cables
b) Receive and record on Tivo -> play recorded on TV -> record playback on a DVD recorder via RCA cables
c) Receive and record on Tivo -> transfer with Tivo Desktop and play recorded on PC -> record playback on a DVD burner

rscole86: But if you were to ignore the restrictions that have been put in place for legal reasons, then you could try using VLC to transcode it into a more friendly format.

Thank you! I've completely forgotten that VLC is there for streaming and transcoding. It worked like a charm.

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Kookoo

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Reply # 289121 12-Jan-2010 00:21

Kookoo: It worked like a charm.

I take that back. H.264 is giving me real trouble. I've found a video/audio combination that VLC can transcode to and the WMP can playback successfully, but Corel VideoStudio fails to identify the audio stream there.
Then I tried VideoReDo which is supposed to be the preferred video suite for Tivo users, only to discover it doesn't support H.264.

And I really don't want to go with screen capture, because that's not a way to make DVD-quality video, unless I am missing something.

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bodysoda

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Reply # 289479 13-Jan-2010 00:01

I believe Roxio toast 10 Platium allows you to copy legally .tivo files to the DVD.
http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/default.html (even though this is an expensive).
Hope this helps.

Kookoo

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Reply # 289480 13-Jan-2010 00:07

bodysoda: I believe Roxio toast 10 Platium allows you to copy legally .tivo files to the DVD.
http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/default.html (even though this is an expensive).
Hope this helps.

It does (and can probably handle H.264, although I am not sure), but it's for Mac, and I am running Win7.

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jtbthatsme

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Reply # 289484 13-Jan-2010 01:29

Hi I have to disagree here free to air does not mean free for you to burn and keep indefinitely. Law states you can record it for viewing at a date and time more reasonable it's not intended for you to permanantly keep. If you read your t&c's on most anything you have access rights only not altering and or rebroadcasting rights ever seen the piracy adverts??? In NZ we can make back ups of music but not video however on a grander scale even the music rights have to be agreeable by the copyright holder.

On the tivo front good luck on finding something that works. I can guarantee there's bound to be many options out there. DRM is a nightmare but is bypassed easy enough.

Kookoo

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Reply # 290120 14-Jan-2010 21:44

Interesting legal debate there. One outcome is that I am not certain anymore that I am within my legal rights, even though I believe that morally I am doing nothing wrong.

Anyway, the solution was (in case anyone is still interested):
Step 1: From Tivo to PC using Tivo Desktop
Step 2: From Tivo file to MPEG using DirectShow Dump
Step 3: From unplayable MPEG to a standard MPG with VLC transcoding (from H.264 to H.264, from AC3 to AC3) - you keep the same coding, but VLC makes it recognisable by ConvertXtoDVD
Step 4: From MPG to DVD using ConvertXtoDVD
Step 5 (optional): If you want to edit it further, import the DVD into Corel VideoStudio x2.

All that so that I could get the guys on the team copies of the documentary about us that was aired on Sunday morning on Channel One. If I knew it was going to be this hard, I'd have got up early Sunday morning (11 am) to watch it live.

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bodysoda

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Reply # 290132 14-Jan-2010 22:42

May be this may help
http://www.dvd-ripping.biz/tivo-to-dvd.html

rscole86

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Reply # 290134 14-Jan-2010 22:55

Kookoo: Interesting legal debate there. One outcome is that I am not certain anymore that I am within my legal rights, even though I believe that morally I am doing nothing wrong.

Maybe this pdf will hlelp you decide.

Kookoo

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Reply # 290162 15-Jan-2010 00:22

rscole86: Maybe this pdf will hlelp you decide.

Great link, thanks rscole86. Assuming the Copyright Council's interpretation is correct, I can definitely see what is right and what is wrong with the current legislation. Based on their interpretation, my actions are probably illegal. I can see the logic behind it - at some stage, the producer of the doco might want to produce and sell DVD's of his show, and the primary target market in this case would be the people who appear in the programmes (because no one else would be interested

), and by giving my mates copies of the recorded show I am infringing his copyright and affecting his potential financial gain. Fair nuf. However, another point strikes me as a ridiculous.
The Copyright Act allows you to record from radio, TV or the Internet for your personal use or the personal use of a member of your household, or both, solely for the purpose of viewing or listening to the recording at a more convenient time.
Which means that from legal perspective, neither can I invite my teammates home to watch the pre-recorded show, because they are not members of my household. Now, that is just plain stupid.

bodysoda: May be this may help
http://www.dvd-ripping.biz/tivo-to-dvd.html

Thanks, I've seen this before. As most online instructions, this one uses DirectShow Dump as the key step, and unfortunately, DSD struggles somewhat with files recorded by the local version of Tivo, requiring the VLC transcoding step after dumping.

Hello, Ground!

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