# Best tool to convert media files for TiVo?



## RonInIrvine (Apr 11, 2008)

Probably like many of you I've accumulated a large number of video files over the years from a variety of sources. They're in a number of formats and resolutions, some downloaded or captured directly from digital video cameras, but most converted years ago from VHS or 8mm tapes using a range of hardware products, software products, codecs, operating systems, etc.

I've been generally happy with the ability of TiVo Desktop Plus to convert some of these files for transfer to my TiVo, but not happy with the fact that they're converted on the fly and can't then be saved on my PC - forcing me to convert again to watch again. I'm also tired of having to run many of them through one or another format conversion tools before TiVo Desktop can do anything with them.

I'd like to find a single WinXP software product with a simple GUI that can input all (or at least most) of these files, determine what they are, and output them optimally coded for a Series 3 TiVo without any manual intervention from me. I'm more than happy to pay for such a product. Anybody know of one?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

All one would need is VideoReDo for the PC. TVSuite does .tivo, .mpg and lots more. You can also edit out the dreaded commercials.


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## ajayabb (Jan 12, 2007)

Do you keep all your converted media on your PC currently.?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

I have kept ER, edited commercials, 11th, 12th, 15th and final season, as .mpg, on an external 1TB and only used about 1/3 of the whole space so far.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

A free solution is Videora Tivo converter.

www(dot)videora.com/en-us/Converter/TiVo/

Edit: I guess not. Doesn't seem to be there any more. Disabled link.


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## RonInIrvine (Apr 11, 2008)

Yes, I keep all the files on my PC, totalling about 4500 files and 500Gb. I'd like to convert all of them to a TiVo compatible format - which accounts for my desire to find something that doesn't require me to fiddle around with various parameters for each file. Plus I'd like to be able to tag them in such a fashion that while playing, pressing "Info" on my TiVo remote would display whatever information I'd chosen to key in. 

I'm not interested in tools specializing in ripping DVDs to my TiVo or burning DVDs from my TiVo. I just want an automatic way of converting from various implementations of .avi, .wmv, and .mov (and maybe one or two more) to whatever format transfers quickly and without another conversion to a Series 3 TiVo.


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## jayfest (Mar 25, 2003)

I use the free version of Any Video Converter to convert things to mpg, which I can upload to my TiVoHD. I'm sure there are features you would need the paid version to use, but I haven't missed them.


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## ajayabb (Jan 12, 2007)

RonInIrvine said:


> Yes, I keep all the files on my PC, totalling about 4500 files and 500Gb. I'd like to convert all of them to a TiVo compatible format - which accounts for my desire to find something that doesn't require me to fiddle around with various parameters for each file. Plus I'd like to be able to tag them in such a fashion that while playing, pressing "Info" on my TiVo remote would display whatever information I'd chosen to key in.
> 
> I'm not interested in tools specializing in ripping DVDs to my TiVo or burning DVDs from my TiVo. I just want an automatic way of converting from various implementations of .avi, .wmv, and .mov (and maybe one or two more) to whatever format transfers quickly and without another conversion to a Series 3 TiVo.


You should look into either Streambaby or Pytivo which you can run as a service on your PC and stream/transfer as well as transcode multiple video formats to your PC.


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## windhello (May 22, 2009)

I think Total Video Converter is OK!
E.M. Total Video Converter is a piece of extremely powerful and full-featured converter software that supports almost all video and audio formats. 
"Convert all video files to 3gp, mp4, psp, iPod, iPhone, swf, flv, DVD, VCD, Xbox360, PS3... !"


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## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

steve614 said:


> A free solution is Videora Tivo converter.
> 
> http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/TiVo/


This program seems to be abandoned, it's not listed on their main website anymore.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

That s*cks.  Post fixed.


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## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

ajayabb said:


> You should look into either Streambaby or Pytivo which you can run as a service on your PC and stream/transfer as well as transcode multiple video formats to your PC.


I agree. PyTivo is FAB! Plus, if you have multiple PC's, you can access the PyTivo web interface from any of your networked PC's, allowing you to use Tivo2Go and Push functionality. (With Tivo Desktop, you can only access it from the PC it's installed on.)

Short of that, if you're not afraid of using the command line, FFMPEG will convert your files to Tivo-Compatible MPEG2.

(It's what PyTivo uses to convert files on the fly.) FFMPEG handles just about any format.

Since I use PyTivo, I never really worry about what format my files are in. For stuff I encode myself, I use Nero Digital and recode files to mp4 format, since this generally creates a very watchable file that is relatively small in size (much smaller than your Tivo-compatible MPEG files would be) and allows you to retain 5.1 audio if your source has it.


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## StanSimmons (Jun 10, 2000)

I use HandBrake to compress my movies to MP4/AAC format. I use pyTivo to push the MP4 files to my TiVoHD. That method uses about 25&#37;-30% of the storage of using the default MP2 movie files. (on both my server and the TiVoHD.)


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## Gavroche (May 27, 2007)

StanSimmons said:


> I use HandBrake to compress my movies to MP4/AAC format. I use pyTivo to push the MP4 files to my TiVoHD. That method uses about 25%-30% of the storage of using the default MP2 movie files. (on both my server and the TiVoHD.)


Yup, yup... that's exactly what I was getting at. it doesn't really make sense to save all your files as MPEG2. It's really a waste of hard drive space. Of course, hard drives are cheap these days... CircuitCity.com presently has usb external 1TB drives for only $89, but I prefer to get the most bang for my buck, meaning that storing all this video as raw MPEG2 is not efficient, or cost-effective.

I do the same this as you - use mp4 with AAC audio.
I just use Nero to do it.


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## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

When you guys say MP4, I presume you mean h.264 video in a MP4 container, since Tivo can play that natively?

Edit: I'm also curious why use AAC instead of AC3? If the target playback device is a Tivo, then it seems like it would be better to use AC3 so it could be output from the Tivo via the digitial audio output.

Here is a list of the formats that can be played natively:
http://code.google.com/p/streambaby/wiki/video_compatibility

On a related note, kmttg provides a GUI front end to ffmpeg and handbrake so it can be used as a simple tool for file conversion/transcoding. See here:
http://code.google.com/p/kmttg/


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## mrjam2jab (Jul 23, 2004)

steve614 said:


> A free solution is Videora Tivo converter.
> 
> www(dot)videora.com/en-us/Converter/TiVo/
> 
> Edit: I guess not. Doesn't seem to be there any more. Disabled link.





spocko said:


> This program seems to be abandoned, it's not listed on their main website anymore.


I dont get it...site seems to work ok fo rme?


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## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

mrjam2jab said:


> I dont get it...site seems to work ok fo rme?


This site in the original link still works, but if you click the download link there it takes you to a place that doesn't have the download. If you go to the main videora.com site, they list converters for almost everything but Tivo. So it appears that they have abandoned development of the Tivo converter. If you google it, you can still find the installer for version 0.8. Note however that this tool only supports mpeg2 at SD resolutions.


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## StanSimmons (Jun 10, 2000)

Gavroche said:


> I do the same this as you - use mp4 with AAC audio.
> I just use Nero to do it.


Nero works well too, I'm just cheap... Handbrake is free.


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