# How to convert to mp4?



## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

Installed pyTivo based on recommendations on this forum. Someone said pyTivo would convert tivo files as they were downloaded to the computer.

When I opened pyTivo, it connected to my Tivo and showed the list of all my recordings. In the last column was the icon to download. Clicking on that transferred that file to my pc in .tivo format. There was no menu or help links to tell me how to transfer/convert to .mp4. Searches for user manual/guide found nothing of any use. I have *Version: 1.6.16, *settings was no help either.

Using windows 10, Tivo furnished by Suddenlink about 5 years ago.

Help.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

The only way to convert automatically is to use VideoReDo. There is an option on the Download tab to use VideoReDo for postprocessing. On that tab you can tell it to save to a profile when done, where you can select the MP4 profile. 

The other option is to simply check the decrypt option on the TiVoToGo tab. This will produce standard .mpg or .ts files that a 3rd party app like Handbrake can open and convert.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

kmttg does it too. That's what I use. It can convert .tivo to .mpg as fast as you can transfer the program. It's an easy op that doesn't require transcoding.

You can also check a box to convert the mpg to mp4 automatically, but that's slow.

I don't know why you'd want to convert mpg to mp4. I think there used to be devices that could play mp4 but not mpg-2.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

Not sure I need mp4. What I want to accomplish is to transfer downloaded movies to DVD. I may check kmttg but I think that I saw it requires java, something I know nothing about.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

Installed java and kmttg, absolute waste of time. I am not a programmer, need need a gui, easy to run program.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If all you want to do is convert to DVD don't bother with MP4. Just check the decrypt option in pyTivo. That'll create files that'll import into any DVD making program.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

ulav8r said:


> Installed java and kmttg, absolute waste of time. I am not a programmer, need need a gui, easy to run program.


I was programmer and even I gave up on kmttg and Java is fat unsecure garbage, pyTivo on the other hand is excellent.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

foghorn2 said:


> I was programmer and even I gave up on kmttg and Java is fat unsecure garbage, pyTivo on the other hand is excellent.


FWIW, I have kmttg and pyTivo (Java and Python, respectively) installed and running on two Windows 10 boxes and five Linux Ubuntu 18.04.2LTS boxes.

Linux Oracle Java installation for kmttg is 4 freakin' lines in the shell. kmttg itself is completely GUI driven. Assuming you're on a Debian system, like Ubuntu, Mint, etc. Not sure about installation on Redhat, but I think you can just grab an RPM file.

[edit] Whoa, I was wrong. It isn't anymore. It all has to be down manually because the ppa that had some helper functions is gone now. Probably a dozen lines of code now. See this post I made in Can't open kmttg.jar


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

ulav8r said:


> Installed java and kmttg, absolute waste of time. I am not a programmer, need need a gui, easy to run program.


kmttg itself is completely GUI driven. Java installation will vary depending on Windows, Mac, or Linux distribution..


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

ulav8r said:


> Installed java and kmttg, absolute waste of time. I am not a programmer, need need a gui, easy to run program.


Huh? kmttg *IS* a GUI ___somewhat__ easy to use program.

I admit it was a pain at first, since it's Java and thus has a lowest common denominator UI.


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## fyodor (Sep 19, 2006)

ulav8r said:


> Not sure I need mp4. What I want to accomplish is to transfer downloaded movies to DVD.


Is your VCR broken?


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

What is a vcr? Kidding, but don't have the time or equipment to record a dvd from the tivo without commercials. When I downloaded kmttg and unzipped it, I had a folder containing several folders and files, about 340 of them, with no executable to be found and no clue as to how to start it. Now uninstalled.

Tried pyTivo had issues with it, now uninstalled. Downloaded prism, started conversion of one movie about 3 hours ago, it say there are 19 hrs, 59 minutes to go before complete. It will be uninstalled soon.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Simple solution.... buy VideoReDo. It can open .tivo files directly, edit out the commercials and save them to a DVD. No extra steps, no conversions.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

ulav8r said:


> What is a vcr? Kidding, but don't have the time or equipment to record a dvd from the tivo without commercials. When I downloaded kmttg and unzipped it, I had a folder containing several folders and files, about 340 of them, with no executable to be found and no clue as to how to start it. Now uninstalled.
> 
> Tried pyTivo had issues with it, now uninstalled. Downloaded prism, started conversion of one movie about 3 hours ago, it say there are 19 hrs, 59 minutes to go before complete. It will be uninstalled soon.


I'm sure you no longer care, but just for completeness, the executables to start kmttg are in the install root, "kmttg" for Linux and "kmttg.bat" in Windows. Someone that doesn't consider scripts to be executables would say "kmttg.jar" contains the executable.

VideoReDo is a very good solution for this and many other video tasks. It is very well worth it's small price.


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## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

ulav8r said:


> Tried pyTivo had issues with it, now uninstalled.


What issues did you have?

I have issues if I select transport steam but not if I select program stream so now I have it set to let me select per recording.

Also, like Dan203 said if you select decrypt on the TivoToGo tab in setting of pytivo desktop you will end up with a mpg file instead of a tivo file.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

May try pyTivo again in a few days, I will be on a hot spot with limited bandwidth for a few days. Will check back after that. Thanks to all for the help.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

Dan203 said:


> Simple solution.... buy VideoReDo. It can open .tivo files directly, edit out the commercials and save them to a DVD. No extra steps, no conversions.


Which version do you recommend?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

foghorn2 said:


> Which version do you recommend?


TVSuite. Plus is old. Only supports MPEG-2 and doesn't do DVD.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

Downloaded pyTivo again, pvTivo desktop, version 1.6.16. Is there another pyTivo? Went thru settings, set them as detailed in post 15, started one download. It is not completed yet but it appears it is going to be in .tivo format.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If you decrypt it'll be either .ts or .mpg.


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## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

ulav8r said:


> Downloaded pyTivo again, pvTivo desktop, version 1.6.16. Is there another pyTivo? Went thru settings, set them as detailed in post 15, started one download. It is not completed yet but it appears it is going to be in .tivo format.


ts will make a .ts file and ps will make a .mpg

I see this to the right of my recording and choose PS so it make a .mpg file.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

Well, it did not decrypt. pyTivo does not work as it should. The search for software that works will continue. KevTech, What are the ts and ps you mention.


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## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

ulav8r said:


> Well, it did not decrypt. pyTivo does not work as it should. The search for software that works will continue. KevTech, What are the ts and ps you mention.


TS/PS will be to the right of recording if you set the option to let you select per recording in TivoToGo tab.

Look at my post 15 at the Transfer Format section I have allow me to select per recording.
Default setting when you install Pytivo would be transport stream but I changed it to allow me to select per recording or you can change it to program stream only.
If you left that on transport stream then you would get a .ts file not .mpg.

Did you install the directshow filter when installing?
There is an option on the first install screen and you have to checkmark the option to install it.

Anyway, here is a screen of "My Shows" and how I can select TS or PS.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You have to enable an option for that. The default is TS.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Alternatively, TiVo Decoder GUI, to convert .TiVo files after-the-fact. Easy to install and use.

TiVo Decoder GUI - Just another WordPress site - GmonWeb


> TiVo Decoder converts TiVo files (obtained from using TiVo Desktop) into standard MPEG2 files which can then be used to produce a DVD that is playable on any DVD player.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

KevTech said:


> TS/PS will be to the right of recording if you set the option to let you select per recording in TivoToGo tab.
> 
> Look at my post 15 at the Transfer Format section I have allow me to select per recording.
> Default setting when you install Pytivo would be transport stream but I changed it to allow me to select per recording or you can change it to program stream only.
> ...


Not sure if I installed directshow filter.


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## KevTech (Apr 15, 2014)

ulav8r said:


> Not sure if I installed directshow filter.


By default it is not checked so unless you checked it then you did not install it.


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## ulav8r (Aug 14, 2019)

I did not install the filter because I did have Tivo Desktop installed. I had already uninstalled pyTivo, so tried to download it again, several times. Downloads from Sourceforge creates a zip file that will not unzip properly and downloads from pyTivodesktop.com will not install, saying the file contains errors.


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## atotten (Dec 18, 2008)

Mikeguy said:


> Alternatively, TiVo Decoder GUI, to convert .TiVo files after-the-fact. Easy to install and use.
> 
> TiVo Decoder GUI - Just another WordPress site - GmonWeb


Any thoughts on a replacement for Tivo Decoder? No longer available at that link and I did a quick search and couldnt find it anywhere.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

atotten said:


> Any thoughts on a replacement for Tivo Decoder? No longer available at that link and I did a quick search and couldnt find it anywhere.


@Mikeguy hasn't been around for a while (missed), but there's more than a few threads on how to convert .tivo files, here's a recent one:

Convert .TIVO files to another format


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

I use KMTTG, Decrypt the downloaded .TiVo file (Becomes a new .mpg (PS downloads) or .TS (TS downloads, I don't use since OTA isn't MPEG4)), Remove commercials (and unwanted content) with VideoReDo TVSuite, then drag-drop the new .mpg file into KMTTG's Files tab, with only encode checked and the encoding profile (ff_h264_med_rate), it will compress to an .mp4 file. I get as high a compression of about 85% with some video files.

If you were to use ffmpeg_mp4_highrate, the files will be much bigger than the original .mpg file.


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## tamaraud (Dec 7, 2021)

Some users compress their video collection to save space.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Yes, I do that.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

ThAbtO said:


> Yes, I do that.


You are aware you've been responding to spammers, right? 
1 post with a link or comment about MP3s is always a spammer, especially if it's a link.


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