TiVO-to-Go to DVD with Sonic MyDVD 6.1

[joepic]

I know lots of folks are not big fans of this software but maybe it has a place with this new addition?
I am not sure when it was released.

MyDVD Studio Deluxe Suite 6.1
http://www.sonic.com/products/Consumer/MyDVD/StudioDeluxeSte/quicklook.aspx

"Create, share and preserve digital media on DVD and CD. Make movie or slideshow DVDs, burn audio CDs and backup data with an easy-to-use streamlined process. Rip your CD collection and browse by artist, album and genre and make custom mix CDs in minutes. Protect and restore your videos, music, photos and critical data by effortlessly backing up media to a CD or DVD. Burn your favorite shows that you’ve recorded with TiVo®** directly to DVD. "

[Denvers Dawgs]

It's been out for awhile. Software is poorly designed for use with TIVO files. It crashes/freezes and takes for ever to actually burn to a dvd (that is if it doesn't shut itself down when working on the editing, or creation of menus.) Also Sonic support is no existent. I had a query up for about 3months, and then they told me my problem was resolved, without actully resolving the problem or even responding to my post?

DO NOT BUY THIS SOFTWARE!!!!

[painkiller]

Ditto.

There are other better alternatives for this purpose.

[Denvers Dawgs]

I did notice mydvd 8 just came out. Also with tivo support......I'll wait and hear from others who will spend their $$ and then decide if once again sonic is crap......my guess is, it is...

[rkr1958]

I have a Humax DT-800 w/DVD-RW drive. So my unit was one of the last to get the TIVO-to-go update in early December. I download and installed TIVO desktop 2.2 then and transferred one file. It took 2 to 3 hours to transfer a one hour show. On MS media player would play it. No other program I had could play it or do anything with it (e.g., WinDVD, TDA, etc.). Since I had a writer in my TIVO unit I deleted the file and didn't mess with TIVO-to-go until this week.

I write the shows I want to keep to a DVD-RW, rip that to my PC, and use TDA to cut out the commericals and author. There was one particular show that I kept getting a "internal error" write failure on. I tried 3 different types of DVD-RW media and tried to write it at least 5 or 6 times to no avail.

Anyway, I transferred this show last night using TIVO-to-go. This morning I tried to play in media player and I got video but no audio. Great ... I did some checking and decide it must be a missing audio codec. But during my checking of this I came across Direct Show Dump Utility (freeware). I thought I'd give it a try and like magic it converted the DRM TIVO transfer to a usable MPEG2 file with audio. Another concern, that turned out to be unfounded, was the that I'd read reports of non-standard resolutions for TIVO-to-go transfers. However, the usable MPEG2 was 720 x 480 with ac3 audio ... just like the shows I write to DVD-RW and rip to by PC.

I'll see if this method holds up but TIVO-to-go transfers at night. Use the Direct Show Dump Utility to convert the transfer to a usable MPEG2 file. TDA to cut out commericals and author. One of the things I most like about this method is that I don't have use Sonic MyDVD. It burns me that TIVO tries to force users to use this sub-par (in my opinion) piece of *software*.

Anyway, I'd thought I'd just pass my experience along with this. Bottom line, if you use TIVO-to-go then Direct Show Dump is a must.

[Denvers Dawgs]

with going the direct showdump way, your final product will not be in dvd format standard (720x480) the output file is 480x480. How did you get yours to be 720x480? What record quality do you record at?

Here is my process.

1. Download from tivo
2. Convert with Dirctshow Dump
3. DVDpatcher to change 1st header only horizontal to 720
4. Author with TMPGEnc
5. DVDpatcher to change 1st VOB horizontal back to 480
6. Burn with copytodvd.

After this process, the dvd plays fine in my pc using windvd, but when I put it into my toshiba standalone dvdplayer, the video is not centered? The begining of the show starts about 3/4 of the way on the screen and the show wraps back around so that on the left hand side of the screen is the rest of the show.

Example: show should look like ABCD, but actually looks like DABC on the screen. How you get this example.

I found out later that the output is SVCD so the reason it plays like this is becasue on eof my dvd players doesn't like SVCD. The dvds do play on other players though.

[rkr1958]

with going the direct showdump way, your final product will not be in dvd format standard (720x480) the output file is 480x480. How did you get yours to be 720x480? What record quality do you record at?

My come out at 720 x 480 with ac3 audio. I record at High Quality (for recordings scheduled ahead of time) or Best Quality (for shows recorded after they start). I've done two transfers, one High Quality and one Best Quality. I've run them both through Direct Show Dump and both have come out as 720 x 480. I've been able to open both directly with TDA. I'm running TIVO Desktop 2.2.

I'd read several posts about transfers coming across as 480 x 480. I saw one of your posts on another site (some TIVO discussion board I came across searching on this) discussing this very fact and your method of transfer and conversion that you list above. I expected my transfers to be that resolution but I was pleasantly surprised that their 720 x 480. I can not tell any difference in the audio or video between these and TIVO captures that I write to from my player to DVD and then rip to my computer.

[Denvers Dawgs]

well that sucks for me. haha. I've tried everything to get TiVo'd shows to dvd and have the play fine. I usually record at the 2nd highest recording quality. I'll try the highest and see if that gives me the 720x480. Cross your fingers.....well at least I am......

[mamapajama]

Could the difference in resolutions be the result of having a DVD burner unit vs. a standard non DVD burner unit?

[Denvers Dawgs]

possibly, I just have a series 2 tivo, no Hard drive or burner.