# Cannot play .TIVO files on Windows 10



## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

I have Windows 10.

I cannot play .TIVO transferred files.
They open as audio only in Windows Media Player. No video.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Windows 10 does not come with an MPEG2 codec. Did your PC come with any DVD software as I can play them with PowerDVD (with TiVo Desktop installed)?

Scott


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

You need to install a DVD player codec. I use K-Lite_Codec_Pack_Mega
Google it, download and install. http://www.codecguide.com/download_k-lite_codec_pack_mega.htm


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

I have found that Nortons thinks this file is a risk and deletes it after downloading. I sent an email to Nortons about it and they said that it is a mistake and will fix it in the next update. Til then you can use the recover button to restore the file.


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## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

I haven't installed 3rd party codecs in a long time. They used to cause problems with working programs and file associations. 

Is this the only option? 

I could play .Tivo files in Windows Media Player until I uninstalled QuickTime because it's a security risk.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

MaxWin100 said:


> Is this the only option?


You need to install software the will allow you, e.g., to play DVDs. That will install an mpeg-2 codec that WMP can access to play .Tivo files, IIRC. The link I provided above has a codec that works. Or, you can buy the one from Microsoft in the Windows Store for $15 (just search for DVD). I have no experience with the latter.

Alternatively, just decrypt the .Tivo files to make plain .mpg, and then watch with VLC.


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## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

justen_m said:


> You need to install software the will allow you, e.g., to play DVDs. That will install an mpeg-2 codec that WMP can access to play .Tivo files, IIRC. The link I provided above has a codec that works. Or, you can buy the one from Microsoft in the Windows Store for $15 (just search for DVD). I have no experience with the latter.
> 
> *Alternatively, just decrypt the .Tivo files to make plain .mpg, and then watch with VLC.*


HOw do I decrypt them?


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

i use pavtube to convert .tivo files to .mp4


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

MaxWin100 said:


> HOw do I decrypt them?


I've used tivodecode a bunch on Windows and Linux, but it only supports Program Stream format.
tivolibre adds support for Transport Stream format, in addition to PS.

I use kmttg to transfer programs from my TiVos (HD and Roamio Plus) to my PCs (Win 10, Linux), and it comes with tivolibre built-in to decode things and can do it concurrently with the transfer. The network is the bottleneck, even with 200Mbps transfers from my Roamio Plus.

Another option to transfer and decode programs is Archivo which is simpler than kmttg if that seems daunting.


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## cwb3106 (Jan 18, 2010)

MaxWin100 said:


> ...I cannot play .TIVO transferred files


If you haven't already, you need to install TiVo Desktop. The installation includes the software bits that Windows Media Player needs to play .TiVo files. If you already have it installed, you might try uninstalling it, running the cleaner, then reinstalling it. That has fixed a broken install for me in the past. The cleaner can be downloaded from www.tivo.com/assets/exe/tivotogo/TiVoDesktopCleaner.zip



MaxWin100 said:


> HOw do I decrypt them?


There are stand-alone decryption and transcoding programs available, but I recommend KMTTG. It is a light-weight Java program that includes many useful functions, including decrypting and transcoding .TiVo files. The author provides terrific support through this forum including a very long, very active thread. Don't be put off by it's length...just search for your problem and if you don't see it, post to the end. You can download it from http://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/Home/

Note, KMTTG requires Java, which you can install from java.com



> You need to install a DVD player codec


As others have recommended, VLC might be a better option. It is a wonderful, open source program that will play almost any audio or video file. It includes it's own CODECs so you don't need to fiddle with those.

All of the software mentioned above is free.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

cwb3106 said:


> If you haven't already, you need to install TiVo Desktop. The installation includes the software bits that Windows Media Player needs to play .TiVo files.


The free TiVo Desktop doesn't include a DVD (mpeg-2) codec. Perhaps TiVo Desktop Plus does? I have no experience with the latter.


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## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

cwb3106 said:


> If you haven't already, you need to install TiVo Desktop. The installation includes the software bits that Windows Media Player needs to play .TiVo files. If you already have it installed, you might try uninstalling it, running the cleaner, then reinstalling it. That has fixed a broken install for me in the past. The cleaner can be downloaded from www.tivo.com/assets/exe/tivotogo/TiVoDesktopCleaner.zip
> 
> There are stand-alone decryption and transcoding programs available, but I recommend KMTTG. It is a light-weight Java program that includes many useful functions, including decrypting and transcoding .TiVo files. The author provides terrific support through this forum including a very long, very active thread. Don't be put off by it's length...just search for your problem and if you don't see it, post to the end. You can download it from http://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/Home/
> 
> ...


Everything in this post is wrong.

I've had Tivo Desktop installed on various computers for many years. It's currently installed on my Windows 10 computer.

I've looked at KMTTG. Very complicated and unreliable. I have no problems transferring the files. I used to have no problems playing them until uninstalling Quicktime.

VLC does not play Tivo files.


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## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

No one has narrowed down WHICH codec is required? Instead, we have to install every possible one in a mega codec pack? 

Has someone done this on a Windows 10 computer that's also running iTunes and has other music services installed? Running a media server? Codecs can't be removed. Once they're on a system, the functionality of many media files changes.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

MaxWin100 said:


> I've looked at KMTTG. Very complicated and unreliable.


The first is obviously subjective. As for the 2nd, I find it very reliable. I have it on 7(!) systems (5 Linux, 2 Windows 10, previously on 7 and XP). My only problem is I've never been able to get Ad Detect working in Linux.



MaxWin100 said:


> No one has narrowed down WHICH codec is required? Instead, we have to install every possible one in a mega codec pack?
> 
> Has someone done this on a Windows 10 computer that's also running iTunes and has other music services installed? Running a media server? Codecs can't be removed. Once they're on a system, the functionality of many media files changes.


Sorry, can't help more than I have. I don't have iTunes and my main media server is Linux. Plus, I always convert .TiVo files to .mpg or .mp4 when I pull them off my TiVo. I do have Amazon Music installed on my Win10 boxes that have the K-Lite codec pack installed, and that works fine.

I remember when I installed the mega codec pack, if you choose custom, you can choose which components to install. Here's a screenshot (I'd expand the window if possible, but it isn't). I think maybe just the DirectShow MPEG-2 LAV decoding filter? That's just a guess. Maybe also the AC3 and AAC audio decoding filters?


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## MaxWin100 (Apr 5, 2009)

I went ahead and installed K-Lite in Expert mode with minimal features. So far things seem to be working including playback of Tivo files in Windows Media Player.


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## Merrick2019 (Apr 8, 2019)

MaxWin100 said:


> I went ahead and installed K-Lite in Expert mode with minimal features. So far things seem to be working including playback of Tivo files in Windows Media Player.


I just installed K-Lite and the codecs are seriously messed up. Video's now play in Windows Media Player (Windows 10) but it's just pixelated garbage and no audio. Any ideas how to fix this?

thanks...


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Yeah...decode the files to .mpg or .mp4 (.ts).

Then they'll play on anything.

-KP


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Merrick2019 said:


> I just installed K-Lite and the codecs are seriously messed up. Video's now play in Windows Media Player (Windows 10) but it's just pixelated garbage and no audio. Any ideas how to fix this?
> 
> thanks...


Do you have the decryption filter? You need to install TiVo Desktop or pyTivo Desktop to get it.

Note: pyTivo Desktop installs the filter but it doesn't set all the registry entries needed to properly register .tivo files with WMP so it's not as seamless as when you install TiVo Desktop. My main goal with including it with pyTivo Desktop was for the files to open in VideoReDo, which they do, so I didn't put a lot of effort into fixing the stuff to make them play properly in WMP.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> Do you have the decryption filter? You need to install TiVo Desktop or pyTivo Desktop to get it.
> 
> Note: pyTivo Desktop installs the filter but it doesn't set all the registry entries needed to properly register .tivo files with WMP so it's not as seamless as when you install TiVo Desktop. My main goal with including it with pyTivo Desktop was for the files to open in VideoReDo, which they do, so I didn't put a lot of effort into fixing the stuff to make them play properly in WMP.


And so, then, just install TiVo Desktop for the filter and registry and then never use it (or uninstall it? or would that affect the registry entries as well?)?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Mikeguy said:


> And so, then, just install TiVo Desktop for the filter and registry and then never use it (or uninstall it? or would that affect the registry entries as well?)?


There is a special option in uninstall that leaves the filter installed. That's the best option if you want to play in WMP.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> Do you have the decryption filter? You need to install TiVo Desktop or pyTivo Desktop to get it.
> 
> Note: pyTivo Desktop installs the filter but it doesn't set all the registry entries needed to properly register .tivo files with WMP so it's not as seamless as when you install TiVo Desktop. My main goal with including it with pyTivo Desktop was for the files to open in VideoReDo, which they do, so I didn't put a lot of effort into fixing the stuff to make them play properly in WMP.


Thanks, Dan. Like the earlier poster, I had installed the K-Lite codecs earlier but the .tivo files still wouldn't play--installing TiVo Desktop finished doing what was needed and now have the ability to play the files with WMP. Just nice to have the option around, without needing to decode the files.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Mikeguy said:


> And so, then, just install TiVo Desktop for the filter and registry and then never use it (or uninstall it? or would that affect the registry entries as well?)?


This is what I've always done, just had TiVo Desktop installed, but paused.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> There is a special option in uninstall that leaves the filter installed. That's the best option if you want to play in WMP.


I'll need to try this.


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