# Tivo HDMI to PC desktop



## miller890 (Feb 15, 2002)

Has anyone tried taking the TiVo HDMI audio/video out and connect it to a PC? 

I have found a couple HDMI capture cards that are typically use for recording game play, but I am not sure if they will work. I am not looking to record, just display TiVo in a window on a Windows8 desktop.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I just stream it and I can watch it on one of my PC monitors. Or you can just connect the HDMI output to one of the other Monitor inputs and use the monitor PiP. And leave the PC out of the equation.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

The problem is HDCP: the copy protection mechanism that prevents trivially doing things like this.

Certain older capture cards could be used, but they are hard to find.

There are also some HDMI splitters that solve this problem for remarkably little money. (I use one that I got from a major on-line retailer for less than $30.)

However, I think the mods would frown on going into detail about this last one.


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## moedaman (Aug 21, 2012)

A Slingbox would work for you. They have component inputs, so HDCP wouldn't affect you and you can watch through your pc. Other than that Hauppauge has the HD PVR and HD PVR2 which can do this, but I'm not sure if it always records or it will allow you to just watch live tv.


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## eboydog (Mar 24, 2006)

miller890 said:


> Has anyone tried taking the TiVo HDMI audio/video out and connect it to a PC?
> 
> I have found a couple HDMI capture cards that are typically use for recording game play, but I am not sure if they will work. I am not looking to record, just display TiVo in a window on a Windows8 desktop.


If you have an hdcp compliant video card, its possible but it would require a special sound card which is capable of hdmi input/output, Asus makes one. Otherwise you can use a capture card but you will also need a hdmi splitter that removes hdcp.

If you want to just to display, a simple monitor that has hdmi input placed on your desk would be the simplest.


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## aridon (Aug 31, 2006)

Hauppauge has a component capture card that works.


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## eboydog (Mar 24, 2006)

aridon said:


> Hauppauge has a component capture card that works.


I have used the PVR2 model of their's, it's great for capturing 8 channel digital audio tracks as it has a Toslink input but the video quality it can capture at is less than desirable, with that model you need the a HDMI splitter if you use the HDMI output for video. The one I tried was USB 2 version, there is also a internal PCI card which I don't know if it provides higher quality video capture but given the restriction is built into the Hauppauge capture software they share, I doubt if it's better. The Hauppauge devices have TV viewing app that can be downloaded from their site if you use it for TV viewing function.


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## tallmomof2 (May 3, 2014)

I went through 3 HDPVRs and am now using a Colossus. I started recording HD in 2008 with SageTV. IMO, the Colossus is more reliable than the HDPVR. It still needs the occasional reset but not as often as the HDPVRs. The video capture is the same with the internal card as the USB device. I had better luck with audio on the internal card.


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## True Colors (Oct 19, 2006)

Connecting an HDMI cable to a computer isnt going to do you much good unless you can figure out a way to overcome HDCP protection.

To my knowledge, the closest that you can get to this type of thing would be connecting your component outputs from your Tivo to a Hauppauge Colossus card. This will allow you to get high definition streaming. It is not as good as a regular HDMI cable but its still pretty good.

I have this type of setup and it works great. My Tivo outputs to the computer through component cables and then my computer outputs to our flatscreen TV through an HDMI cable.

And just in case you ever do want to record things to your computer, this type of setup makes it extremely easy to do that.

TC


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

I have an HD-PVR that I used for my MCE machine until the machine basically up and quit on me. My new machine that replaced it uses a Collosus. Much better capture card - while the HD-PVR locks up about once a day, the Collosus only locks up once in a while, though when it does so, it generally comes in huge spurts then it settles down again.

I just use component outputs. 

It's also more reliable - HDMI+HDCP can be troublesome if the link gets reset for say, a resolution switch. So you can be in the middle of a capture and boom, it resets, and doesn't come up. Or it comes up and resets.

(Especially since my source device, a cable box, are well know for screwy HDCP responses).


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## rhroyse (Sep 10, 2007)

To address HDCP "issues":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F9LVXC/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am quite pleased with the results.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

I've been asked about my setup via PM, but I can't reply due to being a newbie. Nor can I post a direct link, but it can be found at most of the usual places.

There's an 18 page thread at videohelp.com forums that goes into more details about this stuff.

TiVo -> CVID BG-550 splitter -> Avermedia HD digital/analog capture card. The software is just the Avermedia supplied stuff. Usually capture as mpeg2. Some short stuff I do uncompressed when I want to process without going thru an extra uncompress/compress cycle.

The splitter feeds the primary and secondary TVs (the latter with a loooong run which the splitter really helps) as well as the PC (which is also a ways off). HDMI cables from Monoprice, of course. I use IR extenders to control the TiVo remotely.

(The price seems to have gone up. But the 2-port version is still cheap.)


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## dbtom (Feb 14, 2002)

As mentioned earlier, the simplest way to do this by far is with a Slingbox. I use a Slingbox 350 mainly for the same thing and it works great. It only cost around $125. I use Windows 8 but use it through the browser and not the Windows 8 app. The app costs an extra $15 and I am cheap.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

dbtom said:


> As mentioned earlier, the simplest way to do this by far is with a Slingbox. I use a Slingbox 350 mainly for the same thing and it works great. It only cost around $125. I use Windows 8 but use it through the browser and not the Windows 8 app. The app costs an extra $15 and I am cheap.


The 350 doesn't have HDMI in/out. You are going analog that way. And if you're going analog capture, there's a lot of cheaper, direct alternatives.

The 500 (twice as costly) does have HDMI, but then you're still stuck with the issue of HDCP. And so a few more $s on top of that.

Neither alone does what the OP requires. I don't see where "simple" comes into play with Slingboxes and TiVo HDMI outputs.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

ftg said:


> I've been asked about my setup via PM, but I can't reply due to being a newbie. Nor can I post a direct link, but it can be found at most of the usual places.
> 
> There's an 18 page thread at videohelp.com forums that goes into more details about this stuff.
> 
> ...


Got a link to the capture card?


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

cherry ghost said:


> Got a link to the capture card?


I use the Avermedia C027. Let's see if I can do a link now:

Link.

It is now an older model. Has extra stuff you don't need if all you're doing is HDMI capture. I was using it to do analog capture of old tapes as well. (Analog dongle not shown in picture.) No tuner.

Any decent capture card with HDMI input will do. The key component is one of the splitters listed above.

As with all such products, check reviews if there is a better/updated version of the software than comes in the box. Also check Windows 8 or WMC compatibility if that is important to you. (This one is "yes" for Windows 8, "no" for WMC.)


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

rhroyse said:


> To address HDCP "issues":
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004F9LVXC/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> I am quite pleased with the results.


 Are you saying using that splitter somehow disables HDCP? If so it may be worth grabbing one for future proofing reasons.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

It should do the opposite. It should make sure HDCP stays active. I used one with my TiVo Mini, Slingbox350, and XBOne to help avoid HDCP issues.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

I'm not sure of the actual mechanism. Mine just allows me to connect my TiVo to my PC without getting an error message. (As well as acting as a splitter and allowing a long HDMI run which sometimes causes a problem for HDCP timing.)


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## dbtom (Feb 14, 2002)

ftg said:


> The 350 doesn't have HDMI in/out. You are going analog that way. And if you're going analog capture, there's a lot of cheaper, direct alternatives.
> 
> The 500 (twice as costly) does have HDMI, but then you're still stuck with the issue of HDCP. And so a few more $s on top of that.
> 
> Neither alone does what the OP requires. I don't see where "simple" comes into play with Slingboxes and TiVo HDMI outputs.


It is true that the 350 is analog, but I don't see the point of jumping through all these hoops just to use HDMI / digital.

Yes, there are cheaper analog capture cards (I have those too), but the slingbox is a far simpler and more flexible solution. Worth the small premium in my opinion.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

dbtom said:


> It is true that the 350 is analog, but I don't see the point of jumping through all these hoops just to use HDMI / digital.
> 
> Yes, there are cheaper analog capture cards (I have those too), but the slingbox is a far simpler and more flexible solution. Worth the small premium in my opinion.


Hoops? Let's see, in order to record an inferior signal you need a TiVo, a PC and a Slingbox. Oh, and you have to control all 3 at the same time to do a capture.

Vs. A TiVo, a PC with a HDMI input port (which you might have already) and a cheap little "splitter". Only the TiVo and PC need to be controlled to do a capture.

And the _digital_ HDMI capture card doesn't have to be all that fancy. You can save money if you drop analog and ATSC inputs. Mine doesn't have coax inputs. (I have a card with a tuner, but it's sitting in a box, no longer used.)

So the tradeoff is a splitter and digital capture card instead of a Slingbox which together are around the same or cheaper. And controlling 2 devices instead of 3. Plus you get a digital copy. Seems like a no-brainer.

A Slingbox is a nice thing to have for some people. But there's no reason to go analog nowadays and the digital one is much more expensive and still needs the splitter in this case.


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

ftg said:


> A Slingbox is a nice thing to have for some people. But there's no reason to go analog nowadays and the digital one is much more expensive and still needs the splitter in this case.


 I'm still curious how you are bypassing HDCP for HDMI captures? Else basically you are restricted to capturing unencrypted cable channels only which are the same set of channels you can capture OTA.


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## rhroyse (Sep 10, 2007)

moyekj said:


> Are you saying using that splitter somehow disables HDCP? If so it may be worth grabbing one for future proofing reasons.


I am saying that after I installed that splitter, I no longer had any issues with using only an HDMI connection to my slingbox. So...


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## rhroyse (Sep 10, 2007)

aaronwt said:


> It should do the opposite. It should make sure HDCP stays active. I used one with my TiVo Mini, Slingbox350, and XBOne to help avoid HDCP issues.


Your response confuses me. Why would you use the splitter I linked to preserve the HDCP chain? It is a splitter "with benefits".


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## dbtom (Feb 14, 2002)

ftg said:


> Hoops? Let's see, in order to record an inferior signal you need a TiVo, a PC and a Slingbox. Oh, and you have to control all 3 at the same time to do a capture.
> 
> Vs. A TiVo, a PC with a HDMI input port (which you might have already) and a cheap little "splitter". Only the TiVo and PC need to be controlled to do a capture.
> 
> ...


I was responding to the original posters' message. He said:

"I have found a couple HDMI capture cards that are typically use for recording game play, but I am not sure if they will work. I am not looking to record, just display TiVo in a window on a Windows8 desktop."

Seems that 1) he had no equipment and 2) he was not looking to record. Regardless, the HDMI signal is generally indistinguishable from its analog counterpart and you don't need to deal with HDCP. I've never been able to get through the HDCP issues with HDMI. Maybe you've had better luck...


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

rhroyse said:


> I am saying that after I installed that splitter, I no longer had any issues with using only an HDMI connection to my slingbox. So...


 Interesting, thanks for confirming!


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

moyekj said:


> Are you saying using that splitter somehow disables HDCP? If so it may be worth grabbing one for future proofing reasons.


Not knowing how HDCP works, this is pure speculation:

Is it possible that what is happening is that since one output of the splitter is going to a legitimate destination that is presumably doing all of the necessary handshaking, the source doesn't even know that the splitter and a second destination exists?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

rhroyse said:


> Your response confuses me. Why would you use the splitter I linked to preserve the HDCP chain? It is a splitter "with benefits".


I use several HDMI splitters. HDCP is still active on them as reported by my DUO video processor.


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## ftg (Apr 20, 2014)

aaronwt said:


> I use several HDMI splitters. HDCP is still active on them as reported by my DUO video processor.


There are plain splitters and there are special ones. The first one I used (got from Monoprice) was just a splitter. Couldn't use it to connect to my PC. The one I mentioned above does something extra. I can do full HDMI viewing/capturing on a PC now of anything my TiVo can play.

You just have to know which ones to buy.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

ftg said:


> There are plain splitters and there are special ones. The first one I used (got from Monoprice) was just a splitter. Couldn't use it to connect to my PC. The one I mentioned above does something extra. I can do full HDMI viewing/capturing on a PC now of anything my TiVo can play.
> 
> You just have to know which ones to buy.


I know you don't use the 2-port, but do you know if it also does something extra?


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

ftg said:


> There are plain splitters and there are special ones. The first one I used (got from Monoprice) was just a splitter. Couldn't use it to connect to my PC. The one I mentioned above does something extra. I can do full HDMI viewing/capturing on a PC now of anything my TiVo can play.
> 
> You just have to know which ones to buy.


 Thanks. Now that I read the comments at Amazon I see a bunch of reviews mentioning this splitter overcomes the HDCP issue somehow which is probably what makes it so popular.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

What I think is happening is the ones that overcome hdcp are telling the source device (via the handshake) that they're an end of chain device, such as a TV display, so it allows the video signal to display. The ones that don't defeat hdcp are telling the source that they're just a pass-thru device (which is actually correct for switchers) and that they need to keep going to find the correct hdcp handshake, via the display, etc.


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

HarperVision said:


> What I think is happening is the ones that overcome hdcp are telling the source device (via the handshake) that they're an end of chain device, such as a TV display, so it allows the video signal to display. The ones that don't defeat hdcp are telling the source that they're just a pass-thru device (which is actually correct for switchers) and that they need to keep going to find the correct hdcp handshake, via the display, etc.


Some of the "splitters" will only pass the HDCP handshakes through one port, and ignore/isolate the other. So, if you have a HDMI device that plays well with another, and a "problem child", that doesn't, it just gets left out of it all, provided it's on the right port.

There are multiple combinations of how things handle HDCP. My monoprice 4-port splitters identify as just repeaters. There are just repeaters, that simply extend the distance before the signal degrades, and don't offer any switching or splitting.

The danger that any device not adhering to the HDMI-HDCP rules faces, is having their IDs blacklisted, which can render them useless on anything made since the blacklisting, or that has had the IDs added via a firmware revision. This is why some of the better products allow for multiple IDs to be selected (usually via dip-switches), should the user find the ID not recognized, or blacklisted by, what they are using it for.

The way these "special" devices I keep hearing all the intentionally-vague references to, tend to work, is by being one kind of product, but identifying as another when handshaking, not handshaking, or simply identifying as only a pass-through repeating device (regardless of what else it does). As you say, it may even identify as an "endpoint" device (which isn't playing by the rules, at all).

Unfortunately, there can be undesired side-effects when a device tries to cloak its true nature. Those that are marketed specifically for getting around HDCP issues, are often the least likely to work for it, and the company marketing them may not stand behind the products, or will simply vanish, overnight (only to pop up under a new brand name). It's pretty foolish to advertise a product as a circumvention device. It paints a target on the product, the maker, and the places selling it.

While slightly off-topic, I just feel it's somewhat ridiculous, that people should have to try and find such a device, just to make their TiVo (or any legit product) work with their (legit) TV. While it's nice that people recommend the devices, trying to help, it shouldn't be something we need to do.

When it comes to capturing game play, the video degradation discussion points to the way the industry wants it: Sure, you can strip the HDCP out,* so long as the quality suffers enough. *

So, even though it seems silly with all the cloak-and-dagger whispering going on, it's not a bad practice.

Plus, the TCF rules do prohibit discussion on means of circumventing such protection mechanisms.

If people really wish to trade recommendations, and get into details, it's best to keep it via PM, email, or other private channel. If searching, read the product reviews (more so than the product description), making sure to check them on more than one site (make sure the reviews aren't "cooked" in favor of a product, or written by whoever is selling it).


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Well, to be honest, a lot of the splitters that "work" are often made by chinese no-names. And "work" is in quotations because who knows what's inside them - you can buy 10 of them seemingly identical on the outside and find out all 10 have different insides based on whatever they had around when they were built, chucked into a bin and then packaged together.

So reports of them being iffy are to be expected because you don't know what's inside - you and a buddy can buy one each and one will work, the other not.

The other thing is well, the HDCP keys have been leaked, so a lot of devices may "unofficially" support HDCP because of it - there will be no mention of this on the packaging that HDCP is supported (for obvious reasons), but testing them can show they do work. There's a few on Amazon like this for example.

Then again, heed the warning above that just because someone had good luck with one, unless it's a major brand, YMMV because yours depends on whatever they had tossed into the box that day.


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