# Edge to PC Downloads



## EDH Dave (11 mo ago)

My apologies if this has been addressed, I did quite a bit of reading and can't find an answer.

I've had a Premiere 4 for years, and have used the TiVo desktop to get shows onto our Windows PC's. Other than the "copyrighted" ones, this has been working fine. But then I had the brilliant idea to buy an Edge. I have had no luck with TiVo desktop, pyTivo, or kttmg. Both pyTivo and kttmg will download files that have a ton of what I understand is called "synch errors" - parts of the show have large segments of the screen covered in pixels. They are really unviewable. 

Now I've seen recommendations to use the Program Stream format rather than the default Transport Stream. I've done that, with even worse results - the resulting .tivo file seems to have time synch issues as well as video issues, sometimes is sound only. It does give me a warning to not try to download mpeg-4 channels, and I have no idea what format my Comcast channels are. I have tried HD and SD videos, both are giving me the same results.

Would someone be kind enough to tell me how to determine whether my channels are mpeg-4, and what specific pyTivo settings they use to get good video out? I don't need closed captions to work. At this point I've just tried the two program stream and transport stream options, and not and of the three checkboxes below (save metadata, etc), using pyTivo v1.6.27

On a tangent, we are potentially going to return this Edge, and in the process we copied all our recorded videos back to the Primiere 4 using tivo online. Those videos look fine, which makes me think there must be something that works, but TiVo doesn't seem to be too anxious to tell us what that interface is. I was able to download/save files off the edge just by giving the right url, but those files have the same synch problems.

Dave


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## ClearToLand (Jul 10, 2001)

EDH Dave said:


> My apologies if this has been addressed, *I did quite a bit of reading and can't find an answer*...


Welcome to TCF. For someone who '_joined_' a few hours ago, you appear to have at least done some '_homework_' / research before posting (not SOP for many 'Newbies'  ). You sound '_close_' though... 



EDH Dave said:


> ...I've had a Premiere 4 for years, and *have used the TiVo desktop to get shows onto our Windows PC's*. Other than the "copyrighted" ones, this has been working fine. But then I had the brilliant idea to buy an Edge. *I have had no luck with TiVo desktop, pyTivo, or kttmg. Both pyTivo and kttmg will download files that have a ton of what I understand is called "(TS) synch errors"* - parts of the show have large segments of the screen covered in pixels. They are really unviewable...


AFAIK, the 'certificate' for TiVi Desktop has expired. I haven't tried using my 'non Pro' free version since ~2016/17 but this is what I remember reading on the topic. When was the last time you successfully transferred a show (on Comcast) from your Premiere to your Windows PC?



EDH Dave said:


> ...*Now I've seen recommendations to use the Program Stream format rather than the default Transport Stream*. I've done that, with even worse results - the resulting .tivo file seems to have time synch issues as well as video issues, *sometimes is sound only*. It does give me a warning to not try to download mpeg-4 channels, and *I have no idea what format my Comcast channels are*. I have tried HD and SD videos, both are giving me the same results.
> 
> *Would someone be kind enough to tell me how to determine whether my channels are mpeg-4*,...


AFAIK, again IIRC, all Comcast channels are either 720p H.264 or IPTV (which requires their own STB). If you individually tune each of your 2 (or 4) tuners (Premiere) and (on TE3) go into HELP -> SYSTEM INFORMATION -> DIAGNOSTICS you'll find Tuner Stats. Scan the fields (because I don't remember the EXACT label), until you find *MPEG-2* or *H.264*. If the channel is H.264, you MUST use T)ransport S)tream Transfer Protocol to download the show. If you use P)rogram S)tream Transfer Protocol, you'll only get audio - no video.



EDH Dave said:


> ...and what specific pyTivo settings they use to get good video out? I don't need closed captions to work. At this point I've just tried the two program stream and transport stream options, and not and of the three checkboxes below (save metadata, etc), using pyTivo v1.6.27...


Back in the Spring of 2017, when @Dan203 was working on *PyTiVo Desktop*, I was his BIGGEST FAN due to his decision to add code to *monitor* "*TS Sync Errors*" to *PyTiVo Desktop*. No other TiVo-to-PC transfer program / download method checks for them. Many folks said that this '_check_' wasn't necessary because "_they weren't getting any errors in kmttg, or PyTiVo OG, or xxx_". Well, if a program isn't written to CHECK for errors, it certainly isn't going to SHOW any errors. Duh... 

As for your new Edge vs your old Premiere - SEARCH the TCF Archives for "*TS Sync Errors*" and *my UserID* and you'll find PLENTY of discussion on the topic from 2017 - 2018. IIRC, around September 2018, I discovered that LIMITING THE BANDWIDTH on my '*Managed Switch*' decreased the number of TS Sync Errors on my Roamio Basic. @reneg was also '_troubleshooting_' this at the time and he has / had a Roamio and a Bolt, IIRC. The Bolt, with a 1000Mbps LAN port, had MANY more TS Sync Errors than the Roamio, with a 100Mbps port. He would let PyTiVo Desktop run with 100 Retries overnight and while he 'usually' eventually got a clean download, some did fail. He produced some nice Excel Tables documenting his results. When he got tired of the Bolt failing, he would transfer the shows to the Roamio and it would succeed with MUCH FEWER retries.



EDH Dave said:


> ...On a tangent, *we are potentially going to return this Edge*, and in the process we copied all our recorded videos back to the Primiere 4 using tivo online. Those videos look fine, which makes me think there must be something that works, but TiVo doesn't seem to be too anxious to tell us what that interface is. I was able to download/save files off the edge just by giving the right url, but those files have the same synch problems...


You can COPY H.264 shows TiVo-to-TiVo all day long without errors (usually) because it's the routine on the TiVo to '_prepare_' / re-package the file into a T)transport S)tream format that '_taxes_' the CPU in the TiVo Unit which then introduces the TS Sync Errors. Slow the Transfer Rate (I use a "*Managed Switch*"; @reneg uses a separate Windows Program), and you give the TiVo CPU more time to '_prepare_'; more time -> less errors. 

Good Luck!


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## EDH Dave (11 mo ago)

ClearToLand said:


> AFAIK, the 'certificate' for TiVi Desktop has expired. I haven't tried using my 'non Pro' free version since ~2016/17 but this is what I remember reading on the topic. When was the last time you successfully transferred a show (on Comcast) from your Premiere to your Windows PC?


I've gone through a couple iterations (years back) of renewing the certificate for TiVo Desktop. It's a matter of re-installing the software and re-entering the media access key, if I remember right, and you're good for X number of years. For what it's worth, my wife's current workflow for the last couple days is 1) record on Edge 2) Use TivoOnline to copy the recording to the Premiere, which is still turned on and on the network 3) Copy the file to her PC using TiVo Desktop. So we're using that all the time.


> Good Luck!


Thanks very much for the info, you've given me a few things to check and do here. It could be I need to get a new switch. This Edge goes through two 1Gb UN-managed switches to get to our desktops, and though performance in that file transfer hasn't typically been a problem one way or the other, this could be the first tech purchase I make with the goal of slowing things down.


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## EDH Dave (11 mo ago)

I thought I should check back in with a bit of a good result. After a fair number of hours fiddling and testing, I was thinking about @ClearToLand's question about when I last used TiVo Desktop. While it has been used all along (i.e. the answer to that is less than a day), I figured it couldn't hurt to remove or reinstall it. The install routine gave me some vague threats, so I decided to chose "Repair". Immediately after, the pyTivo downloads were working! That is, 99% good, and a periodic video sync blip, the same as I've always had even on the old Premiere 4. Fantastic!

That was yesterday. Got up this morning, booted the machine up, and no go on the videos again. Grr... So I re-ran the repair process for TiVo Desktop, and sure enough the pyTivo/Edge downloads are working again. Rebooted and they still work, and I've done a fair bit of poking at it today with no further failures. So I don't actually know why it failed from yesterday to today, but at least I know if it does fail again I have a routine that will likely fix it.

Thanks again @ClearToLand, and I hope I'm over an initial hurdle.
Dave


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