TiVo Questions - Any Help would be Appreciated

[Eyenovation]

I am interested in capturing TV shows that I frequently miss and am looking at options such as the TiVo. I have performed searches in this forum, but have not come up w/ much. Forgive me if this has been addressed before.

If anyone can clarify a few things.

1.) The TiVo captures the shows in MPEG2 format ?

2.) What is the overall quality like (I'm on digital cable)

3.) What's the easiest way to burn the shows to DVD for set top use?

4.) Is there a better option than TiVO w. the means to automatically record the shows? I know there are PC capture cards, but do they have the service that TiVo does?

5.) Can the files be imported to a computer for editing? (cutting out the commercials, etc.)

6.) Which TiVO should one get?

Thanks for any insight. Much appreciated.

[Dennis1968]

PC Capture Card with built on turners so far have a political limitation to about 600 megs per video file chunk. There are Add On TiVo like software as FreeVo, but i do not have further details. I am a Dazzle DVC II PCI person upgraded from a PowerVCR II v3.0 using a Hauppauge WinTV card.

I have relatives with digital cable and TiVo series 1 device. I saw pixilation on a 32 inch 4x3 TV utilising the SVideo. I could tell higher visual representation from Digital cable on a mono VHS VCR recorded at full speed (SP) played back through the RF cable than the TiVo with same Digital cable source played back through SVideo.

So far TiVo still only records 480x480 MPEG2 video (SVCD), but within the realm of TiVo, Pioneer DVR-810H-S DVD Recorder/Player With TiVo allows you to record the transport streams directly from the hard drive onto a DVD without having to hack and convert into your PC. This Recorder DOES NOT allow you to edit the commercial out before burning. You would still have to rip,edit and ReMASTER just as you were begining from stracth.

The DVHS VCRs are an option to allow you to capture at full resolution at a minimum of 4 megs per second using the the external inputs verses the analog tuner. If you use the timeshifting analog tuner you are limited to ONLY using an inferior SVHS or VHS tape. The DVHS tapes are the best option for a hybrid world. You get the timeshifting capablity of an non-PC EXTERNAL device with 21 hours using a DF-480 DVHS with the option of an Hack to extract the transport streams via firewire into your PC.

In order to edit out the unwanted materials and create a Desired DVD-Video, both devices require ADDITIONAL editing and Authorizing steps. If you are concerned about resolution the DVHS is superior to any TiVo. If you want a simple get in get out non hassle approach, the TiVo is OK.

Clearly a DVHS VCR is not a across the board consumer product. It will not win with the average consumer. The current home recording market share battle is strictly between the SVHS VCR, desk top DVD recorders, and TiVo.

There is an HDTV compliant TiVo like hard drive recorder but it needs the bugs worked out.

http://www.techtv.com/news/products/story/0,24195,3458307,00.html

A JVC DVHS with LS3 mode goes for about $500 while the Pioneer DVD recording TiVo is about $900.

http://www.techtv.com/holiday/story/0,23008,3576483,00.html

[spiderman2k1]

Could get a Tivo with a DVD burner in it.

[ipgpe13]

I recently got a ReplayTV, not a TiVo. The main reason I got the ReplayTV is that is has a built in ether net connection which lets you network the ReplayTV to other Replays and to pcs. ReplayTV is also able to download the program information and updates from the ethernet connection if you have broadband. This is alot better than the usual modem downloads in the middle of the night.

I have my pc and my gf's mac (and a PS2) networked to our broadband through a router (wired and wireless). When I got the Replay I just plugged another cable into the router, and ran the Replay set up, it linked itself right up.

To download the mpg2s from the Replay, there is a free ware program called DVArchive. Once you Download it and run it, it finds all ReplayTVs on the network and gives you an explorer like interface from which you can download shows directly from the ReplayTV. It takes about an hour for an hour show in high quality to download, depending on your network traffic etc. My GF downloads wirelessly so it take a little more time on her Mac.

After the mpg2 is dled, it is a little tough to work with in most editors. I have found that running the mpg2 through rtvedit (freeware program made for ReplayTV files), makes an mpg2 file that can be edited and used in TMPGEnc DVD Author and in TMPGEnc Plus for VCD and SVCDs.
Processing through rtvedit takes about 15-20 mins for an hour show. You can also edit in this program in rtvedit through a non-visual, command in dos prompt written interface (a little tough).


My GF and I record and download shows everyday to my windows XP PC and her OS 10 Jaguar Mac with very few problems. I have made various vcds and dvds of the Replay Files with minimal effort once I got all the little tricks down.

In my opinon, if you are going to use dvr recorded programs on a pc, ReplayTV is the way to go. The only way TiVo can do the same is if you "hack" into the TiVo and install an ethernet card into it.

[andkiich]

Answering the questions one by one:

1) Yes, it records in MPEG2 format.

2) My TIVo recordings look identical to what was broadcast on DirecTV.

3) Easiest way? For me, the same procedure I would capture a VHS tape with, but without the need for a TBC or color corrector.

4) It depends. There are other items like Replay TV and the RCA Scenium with the GUIDE Plus service. The only reason I did not do the direct to PC option, is because I do not have a coaxial line in the PC area other than broadband, and it's just easier for me to cap off the TIVO, than to have the PC on all the time and hoping that it is getting what I want.

5) Yes, I do it all the time. If by importing you mean dumping them off the TIVO as a file and not capturing them, then "no". Technically there is a way, but that gets into hacking the TIVO and doing other things that would be considered WAREZ. If you mean capturing from the box like you would a VCR, then yes, and TIVO even provides a feature where you can dump straight to a VCR. If I am capturing straight to MPEG2, then I use ATI MMC, if to AVI then Ulead VideoStudio. The ATI MMC allows you to pause while recording, and if I capture to AVI, I use TMPGEN Plus to encode the parts that I want and them merge all the smaller bits into one larger file.

6) I got one of the combo boxes. It was only $50 more and I liked the fact that the receiver and the TIVO were integrated. Just seems like it makes life a whole lot easier.


I know that the series 2 TIVO boxes can be linked to an network by attaching a wireless NIC via the USB connection on the back, so you can do a lot of the same stuff that was posted previously about the ReplayTV with the TIVO.

[Celeste]

1) Tivo Series 1 standalone captures shows and record them; the satellite units (DirecTv) use the pre-encoded digital signal from the satellite. (i.e. the satellite co. digitally encodes the shows prior to uplink to the satellite. The tivo unit in this case uses that high quality compression instead of re-recording it.)

2) if you get the satellite tivo, see 1 above and note that they also have digital audio out that supports 5.1 surround. However, my own standalone unit (one of the very first, think old and very well used) when transfered to my pc and then saved to vcd or dvd, video quality is just okay. But, normally I don't care if my saved episodes of "house rules" aren't of the highest quality.

3) the new pioneer tivo/dvd writer claims to transfer shows from the tivo to dvd faster than real time. However, you get commercials.

4) IMHO tivo can't be beat for everyday television viewing/recording, etc. remember that old song: 57 channels and nothing's on? not anymore.

5) yes, but you have to either use regular video/audio outs and connect them directly to your pc's in's, get a replaytv (I think replay will transfer), open your tivo and install a tivo network card (they have a wireless network option now); get the tivo w/ the dvd writer; of note: there is more work networking your directv tivo due to some built in security.

6) if I had all the $$ in the world, I'd get the new pioneer tivo / dvd writer *drool*

normally, I'm not a big 'product pusher', but I really dig my tivo.

-Celeste

[spiffy]

Hi,

I already own a DirecTivo, and not really interested in open and hacking it.

1. What would be the best way to capture the shows to archive them onto DVD? Will either an All-In-Wonder (8500DV) or Canopus ADVC-100 serve my purpose? I'm hoping to just plug the "out to VCR" cables directly into the card or capture unit and port the videos into my PC.

2. Any ideas how much image qualities I am going to lose since it's going to be digital-to-analog and back to digital?

Thanks in advance...

Spiffy

[spiderman2k1]

"spiffy" get the Dazzle 2 capture card go to www.dazzlegeek.com its a message board for Dazzle 2 I have ATI AIW and the Dazzle 2 is better plus there are two timer you can use if your not home to record. ATI AIW is better for remastering VHS tape's. Just make a post to see if your mother board will work with Dazzle 2 some old AMD mother board do not work with Dazzle 2.

[andkiich]

Spiffy,

I use an AIW to grab stuff from the Tivo all teh time. I do not notice any difference at all from what I play off the Tivo and what I watch on the final DVDs.