.tivo to DVD, I don't want to lose any quality. Which method is best?

[topho]

OK. I've got a bunch of SNL that I want to archive. They are all .tivo.

What is the best method to do this? I do not want to lost any quality. Would I be losing quality if I used VideoReDo , DirectShowDump, or GraphEdit (Never had any luck.) If there are any better method please enlighten me.

The nice thing about VideoReDo is can easily edit out commercials before going to mpeg.

Would I lose quality after VideoReDo?

If I went to mpeg, what is the best app to use to edit out commercials in the mpeg format. There are so many apps out there I have no idea what is best.

If I wanted to use a high quality mpeg encoder, where would that fit into the picture?


When I have my mpeg files, will they burn directly to DVD with the right app, or will I have to reencode again?

Basically I need the method that would guarantee me the very best quality with .tivo to DVD.

I can check out some Dvd authoring tuts, but which method is the BEST to get me ready for that tut.

Thanks.


PS. There are 1000's of video apps. What are the bone fide standards in mpeg? Thanks.

[Baldrick]

You wont lose quality using Videoredo.

You might have to reencode when you make a dvd, it depends on the mpeg settings. If you want a dvd compliant dvd it must be: www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech . You can identify the resolution and framerate in your mpegs with mediainfo. You could also just burn the mpeg files on a dvd and it will work on most so called DivX DVD Players.

And welcome to our forum.

[topho]

How about DirectShowDump?

I was going to use DirectShowDump, Edit with an mpeg editor, then use DvD Styler. However doing my editing and conversion in one app would create less room for desync, right?

I'll try just using ReDO.

[rkr1958]

How about DirectShowDump?

I was going to use DirectShowDump, Edit with an mpeg editor, then use DvD Styler. However doing my editing and conversion in one app would create less room for desync, right?

I'll try just using ReDO.

DirectShowDump removes the corruption (err ... DRM) from the TVIO-to-go transfers, which allows you to use the editing and authoring programs of your choice. This is a must unless you want to use the crappy Sonic MyDVD to edit and author. By the way, I STRONGLY recommend that you don't waste your money on that piece of crap.

I just got through editing and authoring a series that I captured with my TIVO. My TIVO-to-go transfers come over at 720 x 480 resolution. So all I do is use DirectShowDump to cleanup the DRM from my transfers and TMPGEnc DVDAuthor to edit out the commercials and then author.

My resulting DVDs have (to-date) always been insync and have always played well.

One disclaimer though, so TIVO boxes capture at 480x480 resolution which requires you to go through more steps.

[painkiller]

rkrl1958 said

I just got through editing and authoring a series that I captured with my TIVO. My TIVO-to-go transfers come over at 720 x 480 resolution.

I'd love to know how you managed that resolution.
Even the High Quality setting, and S-Video connection out of my Series 2 Tivos only give me a max of 544x480. (And this was the highest res that a Tivo engineer told me I could get.)

[rkr1958]

rkrl1958 said

I just got through editing and authoring a series that I captured with my TIVO. My TIVO-to-go transfers come over at 720 x 480 resolution.

I'd love to know how you managed that resolution.
Even the High Quality setting, and S-Video connection out of my Series 2 Tivos only give me a max of 544x480. (And this was the highest res that a Tivo engineer told me I could get.)

Pure dumb luck. I bought my TIVO series-2 2.5 years ago. I got a Humax DRT800 because it had a DVD-R(W) drive. I wanted the drive in order to use my TIVO series 2 as a DVD player and for transferring my TIVO caps to my PC (this was before TIVO-to-go.). To the best of my understanding I get 720x480 CAP resolution by default because of the DVD-R(W) drive. Therefore, when I use TIVO-to-go the CAPs transfer over at the 720x480 resolution. It does take 3 or so hours for me to transfer 1-hour of CAP. No biggy though, I just transfer overnight.

[topho]

Thanks guys for the options. If anyone else has any other methods/options/opinions, please shoot.

[topho]

Anybody else's methods? Anybody use something besides TMPEG DVD AUTHOR.

[rkr1958]

reference if your transfers come over at 480 x 480 resolution.

MYdvd is garbage. I have tried 20 or so times to get it to work. It worked the very first time I used it, trial version, and that was it. Bought the 6.1 version never worked. Try using directshowdump, then any authoring program of your choice (TDA is mine), then burn to dvd. This method isn't fool proof though, as tivos files are 480x480 which is not a dvd standard format. Some dvd players play these outputs fine(not my Toshiba or older Samsung, but my friends newer Sony does). If your dvd player doesn't play these videos correctly try using TMPGEnc Encoder after directshowdump, to make the tivo mpegs into dvd compliant mpegs. Then author and burn.

Here is my Process

1. Download from tivo (with TiVoToGo)
2. Convert with Dirctshow Dump(to unlock mpeg from tivoDRM)
3. DVDpatcher to change 1st header only horizontal to 720(so video will work in TMPGEnc)
4. Author with TMPGEnc DVD Author
5. Use DVDpatcher to change 1st VOB horizontal back to 480
6. Burn with copytodvd.



I really hope that all this upset that the TiVo subscribers are showing, about the lousy software company TiVo Partnered with, they smarten up and either fix there encoding or find another partner. $60 for a program that they recommend that does not work is not good for their PR.

Also, don't bother contacting Sonic. I have had a post at their sonic online help area there for 2months with out a reply. I have add to it every week, and still nothing. Also, stay away from ROXIO products as well, as Sonic has bought them.

[topho]

Mine are coming over at 480*480.

Sometimes I think my sound is out of sync, and somtimes I don't. If I follow those directions, I won't have sound problems will I? The tivo or transfer process wouldn't introduce problems would it? Are there tools to test for audio sync correctness or is it eye/ear coordination strictly.

Also, at what steps can using my computer while doing something else introduce errors into the video in general. I know that while burning is a big one, but I don't know about the others.

[rkr1958]

Mine are coming over at 480*480.

Sometimes I think my sound is out of sync, and somtimes I don't. If I follow those directions, I won't have sound problems will I? The tivo or transfer process wouldn't introduce problems would it? Are there tools to test for audio sync correctness or is it eye/ear coordination strictly.

Also, at what steps can using my computer while doing something else introduce errors into the video in general. I know that while burning is a big one, but I don't know about the others.

The only that I know of to test for a/v sync is ear/eye. I've done numerous TIVO transfers via tivo-to-go, cleanup with directshowdump, edit out commercials and author with TDA, burn and play and to date I've never experience any audio/video sync issues.

Also, I've used my computer during the tivo-to-go transfers a high percentage of the time and again without problem.