# Tivo desktop copy protected



## Jetspeedz (Dec 20, 2014)

I purchased Tivo desktop to be able to transfer some shows from my Roamio to my laptop when i travel. Looks like most of my shows on ESPN are copy protected. 

Question: Is there any way at all to extract these shows? I read some posts about older models with eprom and software hack but have not seen anything on the new Roamio series dvr. My guess would be no way around the CCI bit and I'm screwed but If anyone know it is this community. 

Thanks


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Very strange. I just recorded 5 minutes of ESPN HD and copied it to my PC with Desktop. Nothing indicates any copy protection. I have seen copy protection months ago when getting CNET podcasts downloaded, so I know it works. Perhaps it's your feed?


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

What cable provider do you have and where are you located? Some cable providers set just about everything so it can't be transferred outside of the networks which they are not supposed to block.

Scott


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Jetspeedz said:


> I purchased Tivo desktop to be able to transfer some shows from my Roamio to my laptop when i travel. Looks like most of my shows on ESPN are copy protected.
> 
> Question: Is there any way at all to extract these shows? I read some posts about older models with eprom and software hack but have not seen anything on the new Roamio series dvr. My guess would be no way around the CCI bit and I'm screwed but If anyone know it is this community.
> 
> Thanks


I believe extraction discussion is forbidden in these forums. So any talk of using the component feeds in conjunction with game capture hardware would not be allowed, as would be any discussion of the HDMI splitters that bypass HDCP.


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## zerdian1 (Apr 19, 2015)

I have not been able to find TiVo Desktop on TiVo website.

Does TiVo DeskTop work on MAC OS X 10.10?

I contacted TiVo today and they said there is no way to view TiVo shows on my Mac. just small screen iOS devices.

TiVo DeskTop if it works seems to contradict this.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

zerdian1 said:


> I have not been able to find TiVo Desktop on TiVo website.
> 
> Does TiVo DeskTop work on MAC OS X 10.10?
> 
> ...


Look here: https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/desktop-plus but I don't think a MAC can play the programs. I would look for an alternative.

Google "TiVo Desktop MAC" and read a few posts.


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

ej42137 said:


> I believe extraction discussion is forbidden in these forums. So any talk of using the component feeds in conjunction with game capture hardware would not be allowed, as would be any discussion of HDMI switches that bypass HDCP.


hahaha....very clever!


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## TIVO_GUY_HERE (Jul 10, 2000)

I have TW, and my premieres only allow me to transfer the network channels, so I keep a series 2 tivo in my spare room, and that allows me to transfer all my channels.


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## Jetspeedz (Dec 20, 2014)

HerronScott said:


> What cable provider do you have and where are you located? Some cable providers set just about everything so it can't be transferred outside of the networks which they are not supposed to block.
> 
> Scott


TWC, not all shows just some of them were CC'd



ej42137 said:


> I believe extraction discussion is forbidden in these forums. So any talk of using the component feeds in conjunction with game capture hardware would not be allowed, as would be any discussion of HDMI switches that bypass HDCP.


I realize there is way to add external equipment but I'm curious if there is a way to bypass this using just the tivo equipment.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

zerdian1 said:


> I have not been able to find TiVo Desktop on TiVo website.
> 
> Does TiVo DeskTop work on MAC OS X 10.10?
> 
> ...


Tivo has never had their *own* Mac product to download shows.

The official product is Toast.. But I believe (1) it uses the same underlying method (i.e. it's no more reliable) as I'm about to mention, and (2) it FORCES you to re-encode your show (e.g. for ipod/iPad, etc., which takes a LONG time)..

You can use the free Java program kmttg. It has a somewhat hokey lowest-common-denominator UI, but it works well, and the author responds to bugs/enhancement requests.

Then you can download the raw programs (and decode them -- which doesn't change video/audio quality).. You can then usually play them in Quicktime Player, or if necessary, something like VLC for the few ones that don't play.. (But I actually think almost all videos will actually play in QT Player on recent OS X versions.)


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

VLC recently changed something and now will not do AC3 audio on my iPad.

Tivo Desktop for Mac is outdated. Suggest you use PyTivo.

However if they are copy protected, there is no way to transfer to a PC/Mac. Using the latest Tivo software 20.4.6+ and stream can transfer to a tablet/phone but it will delete the show from the Tivo.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Jetspeedz said:


> TWC, not all shows just some of them were CC'd
> 
> I realize there is way to add external equipment but I'm curious if there is a way to bypass this using just the tivo equipment.


Where I live TWC copy-protects everything except broadcast feeds and one channel that seems to have been overlooked by mistake.

As far as I know, the answer to your question is in the negative.


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## Jetspeedz (Dec 20, 2014)

thanks for the confirmation


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

zerdian1 said:


> I have not been able to find TiVo Desktop on TiVo website.
> 
> Does TiVo DeskTop work on MAC OS X 10.10?
> 
> ...


Have you considered using an Android Emulator and the TiVo Android app on your Mac?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

ThAbtO said:


> VLC recently changed something and now will not do AC3 audio on my iPad.


Do you have a backup of the old app? I kept the old app on purpose because of this issue.

Please complain at videolan.org about this issue.. I would pay a few bucks for the new version with AC3, because I know they fixed a few bugs that I reported in the old VLC..


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

mattack said:


> Do you have a backup of the old app? I kept the old app on purpose because of this issue.
> 
> Please complain at videolan.org about this issue.. I would pay a few bucks for the new version with AC3, because I know they fixed a few bugs that I reported in the old VLC..


I think it had to do with some licensing stuff. I do not have a backup either.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Yes, Dolby has demanded VideoLAN pay for the Dolby Digital licensing in order to support AC3.

Supposedly if you set your timezone differently it worked or something, but I don't know if that's an older version.


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## zerdian1 (Apr 19, 2015)

I tied to load TiVo Desktop for Mac.
no luck. I tried from cnet. copy wanted an older version of Java.
I tried from softonic and no luck there.
I could not find a version of pytivo for my Mac Book Pro OS X 10.10.

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF SOME SOFTWARE THAT WORKS ON MAC OSX 10.10 THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO COPY VIDEOS AND SEND VIDEOS TO MY TIVO AND WATCH THE VIDEOS ON MY MBP WHEN TRAVELING.

I can already do this on my iPhone and mini iPad, but when I am spending weeks way from home the screens are very small.
I have a mirroring set up from my MBP to my HDTV in Brazil to watch videos on my MCP on my HDTV. My oder version of video out does not contain audio so I have to use the audio from my computer or headset.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

For PyTivo, use the WMCBrine version. It will work on any machine with java installed, you will need python (hence the Py) installed first.

https://www.python.org/downloads/mac-osx/

Download version 2.6.x or under as higher versions does not seem to work with PyTivo.
After Python and PyTivo is installed, just use your browser to http://localhost:9032
That is the PyTivo interface.

http://download.cnet.com/TiVo-Desktop/3000-2141_4-36866.html
Tivo Desktop/Mac, but its not updated any more.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

ThAbtO said:


> I think it had to do with some licensing stuff. I do not have a backup either.


Yes, it's licensing.. but again, if you're willing to *pay*, tell the VLC guys that. They may do a commercial version that has AC3 support back in.

(I know there is at least one other pay app that did license AC3, but I don't know if (1) you can use any random recording with it, and (2) it has the other features VLC has that I've already gotten used to..)


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

ThAbtO said:


> For PyTivo, use the WMCBrine version. It will work on any machine with java installed, you will need python (hence the Py) installed first.


Python yes, Java no. KMTTG is a Java program, though, if you're interested in that.



> _https://www.python.org/downloads/mac-osx/_


Macs already come with a suitable version of Python installed, as indeed do most distros of Linux. It's mainly Windows users who'll have to worry about installing it.



> _Download version 2.6.x or under as higher versions does not seem to work with PyTivo._


This is incorrect. You do have to stick to the 2.x series (3.x is basically a different language), but if you're installing a new version, you can and should use the latest, 2.7.9. There was an incompatibility with 2.7.9 when it first came out, but it was quickly fixed.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wmcbrine said:


> Python yes, Java no. KMTTG is a Java program, though, if you're interested in that.
> 
> Macs already come with a suitable version of Python installed, as indeed do most distros of Linux. It's mainly Windows users who'll have to worry about installing it.
> 
> This is incorrect. You do have to stick to the 2.x series (3.x is basically a different language), but if you're installing a new version, you can and should use the latest, 2.7.9. There was an incompatibility with 2.7.9 when it first came out, but it was quickly fixed.


Thank you for your continuing information and efforts. :up:


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## mackworth (Jul 31, 2006)

Take a look at cTiVo https://github.com/dscottbuch/ctivo. It will let you move all your (non-copy protected) shows off your TiVo very easily to your Mac. You can then use PyTiVo to make them available back to your TiVo.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

mackworth said:


> Take a look at cTiVo https://github.com/dscottbuch/ctivo. It will let you move all your (non-copy protected) shows off your TiVo very easily to your Mac. You can then use PyTiVo to make them available back to your TiVo.


Is that better than kmttg?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

mackworth said:


> Take a look at cTiVo https://github.com/dscottbuch/ctivo. It will let you move all your (non-copy protected) shows off your TiVo very easily to your Mac. You can then use PyTiVo to make them available back to your TiVo.


It seems cTivo is out of date and cannot handle today's HD recordings and would render them picture framed (Bars on all 4 sides.)

PyTivo handles them better and does both directions (to and from Tivo.)


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

Broken link should read instead
https://github.com/dscottbuch/cTiVo

Black bars sound like non-optimal metadata or settings from a transcode, but I haven't personally tried myself.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

kmttg downloads the raw recordings (and can optionally transcode with other apps)..


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

ThAbtO said:


> PyTivo handles them better and does both directions (to and from Tivo.)


pyTivo can't download shows from a TiVo (at least by itself)?

Please ignore as wrong!

Scott


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

HerronScott said:


> pyTivo can't download shows from a TiVo (at least by itself)?


Yes, it can. For a long time now. Just set the tivo_mak and the togo_path. (No comment on whether it's better; I haven't tried cTiVo.)


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

wmcbrine said:


> Yes, it can. For a long time now. Just set the tivo_mak and the togo_path. (No comment on whether it's better; I haven't tried cTiVo.)


Well I stand corrected and apologize! I'm not sure how I missed that development. I knew you could push but totally missed that you could download as well! Or maybe I did see it and forgot as I had everything configured already and just successfully downloaded a show to my WHS server.

You need to add that to the Features list on the SourceForge site! 

Scott


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## mackworth (Jul 31, 2006)

ThAbtO said:


> It seems cTivo is out of date and cannot handle today's HD recordings and would render them picture framed (Bars on all 4 sides.)


Not true. Maybe you're thinking of its predecessor iTiVo?


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