# Bolt to TIVO desktop pixelation



## Pixel (Jan 10, 2003)

I just did a quick search and didn't see any reference to a problem I'm experiencing.

I have TIVO desktop on my PC. I've used it quite successfully to transfer shows from various TIVOs including a TIVO HD most recently. All transferred programs look good.

BUT! All shows transferred from the Bolt have frequent problems with the picture breaking up/pixelating. This is definitely not good.

Nothing about my home network has changed. I record OTA to the Bolt, my network connection is via Ethernet cable through a switch to my PC.

All programs recorded on the Bolt look great when played back to my TV. But it's what they look like after being transferred to the PC that's the problem. The frequent pixelation happens regardless of which program I use to play them. Windows Media player, VideoReDo or Roxio.

Any ideas as to what the problem may be? Any settings that need to be changed?

I had liked the speed at which files where transferred, but I'd be happy to go back to the old slow speed if it would mean a better transfer.


----------



## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

Pixel said:


> I have TIVO desktop on my PC. I've used it quite successfully to transfer shows from various TIVOs including a TIVO HD most recently. All transferred programs look good.
> 
> BUT! All shows transferred from the Bolt have frequent problems with the picture breaking up/pixelating. This is definitely not good.
> 
> ...


If the shows look and sound fine when played on the Bolt, that would make this appear to be a problem occurring during the process of data capture on the PC. The Bolt can probably send data faster than older TiVo models, and if TiVo Desktop can't write it to disk quickly enough, that could cause data loss. OTOH, any common read routine can surely read data much faster than it can be played in real time, so the routine must have some way of throttling the data flow at the request of whatever is receiving the data. Maybe that flow-control mechanism is failing somehow. Maybe TiVo didn't provide enough slack in their buffers to allow for latency in the network used for flow control.

Or maybe the Bolt uses a different read routine for transfers than it uses for playback. (That would seem inelegant, but the code could have been written by a separate team or whatever.) Certainly it makes sense that a thread performing a transfer would run (and invoke any read routine) at a much lower priority than a thread performing real-time playback. But again, any transfer operation should surely be asynchronous, with sender and receiver stopping and starting flow as necessary even for idle periods of many milliseconds. So again, it sounds like some flow-control mechanism is somehow inadequate.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Try KMTTG and see if you have the same issue.


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

Here's something easy to try. You are using TiVo Desktop, right?
Go to File->Preferences->File Tab. Under File Transfer Speed, do you have the box checked to Use the fastest method available? If you do, try unchecking that and transferring and playing the file again.

This switches from using a transport stream to program stream format. Only new Tivos can use the faster TS format. Not sure which ones. It is possible your TiVoHD was using PS while your Bolt is using the faster TS.

It isn't a problem with the network or file corruption. Possibly your PC can't decode TS format MPEG-2 fast enough to keep up, but it can decode PS format without a problem. Just guessing.

[edit] I just did a quick test. I transferred the same program from my Roamio to my PC via TS and PS. The TS format transfer was ~50% faster, but the file was 4% larger.


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

aaronwt said:


> Try KMTTG and see if you have the same issue.


On a default install, does kmttg use PS or TS format for file transfers, if the remote TiVo supports it? I honestly can't remember, it has been ages since I've done a clean install.


----------



## Pixel (Jan 10, 2003)

justen_m said:


> Here's something easy to try. You are using TiVo Desktop, right?
> Go to File->Preferences->File Tab. Under File Transfer Speed, do you have the box checked to Use the fastest method available? If you do, try unchecking that and transferring and playing the file again.
> 
> This switches from using a transport stream to program stream format. Only new Tivos can use the faster TS format. Not sure which ones. It is possible your TiVoHD was using PS while your Bolt is using the faster TS.
> ...


The file transfer speed option you mention isn't in my copy of Tivo Desktop.

I had seen a thread on this forum mentioning a setting with the registry to change, so I went there too to look. Again, that setting isn't in there either.

FWIW, that setting is/should be in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TiVo\Desktop and is "UseFastestTransferMethod = 1" The advise is to change that 1 to a 0

Apparently, for me, there is no option anywhere to tell the Desktop to use some other transport stream. The only option I seem to have to change is to increase the file buffer size.

FWIW, the PC I'm using is a 6 month old Alienware laptop. It'd seem to have the chops to do just about anything I want to.


----------



## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

What version of Desktop are you using? It sounds like it's 2.7 or even earlier.


----------



## Pixel (Jan 10, 2003)

ggieseke said:


> What version of Desktop are you using? It sounds like it's 2.7 or even earlier.


The one I have installed is ver2.8 (358513) I've had it for a LLLOOONNNNGGG time. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if there's a slightly newer version available somewhere.

Should I spend the coin on Desktop Plus?


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Pixel said:


> The one I have installed is ver2.8 (358513) I've had it for a LLLOOONNNNGGG time. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if there's a slightly newer version available somewhere.
> 
> Should I spend the coin on Desktop Plus?


Latest non-Plus version is 2.8.3 (412370). Plus is no longer sold.

I have the option for "fastest method". If you want to slow it down, change the destination to a USB memory device. Under Server Properties I can change the buffer size and Activity level.


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

I don't think anyone on this board recommends buying TD+. I don't. Upgrading to free 2.8.3 might be worthwhile. Anyway...

Here is a simple thing to try. *Nothing to install or modify*. Just a test. Entirely eliminate TiVo Desktop from the equation by downloading programs directly from your TiVo's web page. Fire up any browser. In the address bar, enter

https://<ipv4addr_of_your_tivo>
username: tivo
password: <media_access_key>

Your Now Playing list will come up. On the right hand side, you can download the mpeg-ps or mpeg-ts version of any show. Try this. Download the same show in both formats. Do both work? Does one work? Do neither work?

Note that it must be https, not just http. The secure connection will bring up the login prompt and let you access your NP.


----------



## Pixel (Jan 10, 2003)

justen_m said:


> I don't think anyone on this board recommends buying TD+. I don't. Upgrading to free 2.8.3 might be worthwhile. Anyway...
> 
> Here is a simple thing to try. *Nothing to install or modify*. Just a test. Entirely eliminate TiVo Desktop from the equation by downloading programs directly from your TiVo's web page. Fire up any browser. In the address bar, enter
> 
> ...


The TS versions are pixelated, the PS versions are perfect.


----------



## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

Pixel said:


> The TS versions are pixelated, the PS versions are perfect.


Root cause sounds like your mpeg2 codec can't handle mpeg2 transport streams.

Workarounds... (shouldn't be necessary, see below)
1) Use the web page to transfer PS format. Ewww.
2) Use v2.8.3 of Tivo Desktop, or kmttg, and disable TS format. Not ideal, but not bad. Slightly slower transfers, but still much faster than the TiVoHD. Simple workaround.

But, really, you should be able to play TS data without a workaround. Did your computer come with Windows 8.1 or 10? WMP doesn't include dvd capabilities natively. What did you install to let you play DVDs? Or did your PC come with DVD software?

Can you play mp4 video? If you can, then it sounds like maybe a mapping issue where TS data is getting piped to the wrong decoder. (Can that even happen? I'm not a Windows guy, so I'm just speculating). Can you uninstall and reinstall your DVD software? Maybe that would help.

I'm at the end of my knowledge here. On my Win10 system, I installed the K-Lite Codec Pack (free) to allow WMP to play .TiVo files, and DVDs, etc. I suppose you could just try installing that. I dowloaded mine from majorgeeks.com It's their top download.


----------



## Pixel (Jan 10, 2003)

justen_m said:


> Root cause sounds like your mpeg2 codec can't handle mpeg2 transport streams.
> 
> Workarounds... (shouldn't be necessary, see below)
> 1) Use the web page to transfer PS format. Ewww.
> ...


First, I did the web page connection which does work but it's labor intensive. I cannot thank the poster who explained how to do that enough. That's how I learned that the PS version works.

Second, I downloaded TiVo Desktop 2.8.3 which has the options that another poster mentioned. That one works too now. The transfer is slower, but not significantly (to me) considering how long a TiVo HD transfer took.

I bought this Alienware laptop with Windows 7. There is no DVD player connected or wanted. I do have a Bluray player connected. But I haven't played any Bluray video. I've been using it to burn files to bluray disks as backups. Or to install programs I have on disks.

I suppose we could have a discussion about OSs since I'm using Win7. I'm planning on staying with it. It's been rock stable for me. In light of Microsoft's frequent problems with OSs, I'm not seeing reason to abandon a known working OS for one (to me) that's unknown.

I *did* put Win10 on a spare laptop and immediately lost network connectivity to it in terms of file sharing. When all my computers had 7 on them, I setup file sharing on all and could, from each one, look into the others and move files around at will. With 10 on one of the, that computer is essentially invisible now. I'm going to return that computer to 7.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Something else must be going on. I have over eight systems on Windows 10, with at least one upgraded from win7. All my systems can see each other and share files.


----------



## fido (Feb 14, 2009)

justen_m said:


> Root cause sounds like your mpeg2 codec can't handle mpeg2 transport streams.
> 
> Workarounds... (shouldn't be necessary, see below)
> 1) Use the web page to transfer PS format. Ewww.
> ...


In Option 2), you mention using TiVo and disabling TS format. Please explain how to disable TS format.


----------



## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

fido said:


> In Option 2), you mention using TiVo and disabling TS format. Please explain how to disable TS format.


In TiVo Desktop, click File - Preferences. Uncheck the "Use the fastest method..." option.


----------



## fido (Feb 14, 2009)

ggieseke said:


> In TiVo Desktop, click File - Preferences. Uncheck the "Use the fastest method..." option.


I don't see the option to uncheck the "Use the fastest method.." I'm using TiVo Desktop Plus Version 2.8 (358513).


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

It's on the same screen that allows changing the destination folder. Perhaps your version doesn't support the function. The latest is 2.8.3 for the free and Plus versions.

Latest non-Plus version is 2.8.3 (412370). Plus is no longer sold.


----------



## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

fido said:


> I don't see the option to uncheck the "Use the fastest method.." I'm using TiVo Desktop Plus Version 2.8 (358513).


I have a slightly later version (2.8.3) and it's under File->Preferences->Files tab


----------



## fido (Feb 14, 2009)

JoeKustra said:


> It's on the same screen that allows changing the destination folder. Perhaps your version doesn't support the function. The latest is 2.8.3 for the free and Plus versions.
> 
> Latest non-Plus version is 2.8.3 (412370). Plus is no longer sold.


It now works perfect. I found the latest version on line and it upgraded the earlier version. Just had to reinter the media access key and it even kept Plus. Thanks again to all the great members in this forum!!!


----------

