# empty now playing list



## jdunne (Sep 19, 2006)

Running Tivo Desktop PC 2.5.1 plus

I am unable to get any videos on my PC to show up in the now playing list. I have copied several different formats to the My Tivo Recordings directory.

AVI, MP4, MV4. all are standard formats... 

After I copy them to the dir, Tivo Desktop now playing list remains emptry.. I have tried restarting server, rebooting.... 

What exactly is supposed to happen? does it take a while (TDT transcodes the files, before they show up?)

Any experience on this issue?


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

In order to get the shows on your PC to show up on the Tivos Now Playing List, they have to be either a *.Tivo file, or a compatible mpeg file.

Here is a program that will convert shows on your PC to a compatible format for the Tivo.

ETA: I noticed you're probably using the pay version of Tivo Desktop which _should_ convert some formats .
I know nothing about the pay version.


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## CuriousMark (Jan 13, 2005)

jdunne said:


> Running Tivo Desktop PC 2.5.1 plus
> 
> I am unable to get any videos on my PC to show up in the now playing list. I have copied several different formats to the My Tivo Recordings directory.
> 
> ...


If the AVI files contain DivX or Xvid, they will show up, if they contain anything else, they will not. The MP4 file should show up. Is it playable in Quicktime? I don't know about the MV4, did you mean M4V?

Start by transfering a *.tivo file to the computer and see if it shows up. If it doesn't, then something is broken that needs fixing. If it does, then make sure you entered your Plus key into TiVo Desktop correctly.

TiVo Desktop Plus will shows files it knows how to transcode. It will transcode them to TiVo Native format MPEG-2 on the fly as it transfers them to the Tivo.


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## jdunne (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks, however I don't think that is it...

I should have said I have even tried .tivo format too. the I used TDT to copy a recording from one of our 3 tivos to the My tivo recording dir... So it too is sitting there along with avis, and mp4... 

None of the videos are DRM. 

But when I start TDT, it shows nothing in the now playing list..... grrr... 

I am tempted install/uninstall... But why would that change anything? this is a very new install already and there is nothing custom or strange about how I run tdt. I use picture viewer successfully all the time. Its just the video from PC to TIVO that seems to be not working.

I am wondering where I can look to see what TDT looks for, or saves as a xml or other files to list files available in the now playing list...

I should say that TDT video now playing list worked one time.... I copied a video the the my tivo recording dir. I went to bed and in the AM I realized that the PC had a video available in the now playing list... But since then I am unable to repeat success... 

Maybe I need 2.6 since that seems to be more targeted at what I want to do, show all my videos on my PC in TIVO......


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## CuriousMark (Jan 13, 2005)

jdunne said:


> I should have said I have even tried .tivo format too. the I used TDT to copy a recording from one of our 3 tivos to the My tivo recording dir... So it too is sitting there along with avis, and mp4...


OK, something is broken



> But when I start TDT, it shows nothing in the now playing list..... grrr...


So, you do a get programs from a TiVo, it transfers, but doesn't show up on the PC's now playing list. Or does it show up when you transfer, but then doesn't show the next time you open Tivo Desktop, this isn't very clear to me from your post which of those is occurring. You should see the contents of the My TiVo Recordings folder when you open TiVo Desktop. If that isn't working, it is unlikely that you will see them from the TiVo either.



> I am tempted install/uninstall... But why would that change anything? this is a very new install already and there is nothing custom or strange about how I run tdt. I use picture viewer successfully all the time. Its just the video from PC to TIVO that seems to be not working.


When installing Tivo Desktop, it must be installed in an account with admin privileges (I am talking XP here). It must also be RUN from the account where it was installed. It is important that your security software be paused or turned off during the installation. A/V and other security sfotware can silently break the installation and give you weird behavior when you later try to run the program.



> I should say that TDT video now playing list worked one time.... I copied a video the the my tivo recording dir. I went to bed and in the AM I realized that the PC had a video available in the now playing list... But since then I am unable to repeat success...


As seen from the TiVo or from TiVo Desktop on the PC? This is confusing as written.



> Maybe I need 2.6 since that seems to be more targeted at what I want to do, show all my videos on my PC in TIVO......


Is 2.6 out yet?
[Edit] No it isn't. I use 2.5.1 for the kinds of things you are doing quite successfully on an HP Media Center running XP Once you get yours fixed it should work fine too.


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## Solver (Feb 17, 2005)

Try this,

Run, C:\Program Files\TiVo\Desktop\Logfinder.exe
Turn on all logging
Restart system
Run TiVo Desktop
Check "Now Playing" on your TiVo
Check TiVoDesktop.log and TiVoServer.log

Report first set of errors on both logs.


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## ljskivail (Feb 8, 2005)

I am hving the same problem...sort of...I was running TDT2.4, I just upgraded to TDT2.5.2 and it can't find any now playing. The files are definately there, I checked them in My Computer. Also, TDT is having trouble finding My Tivo. I have Un-inst/re-inst

HELP


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## mrjam2jab (Jul 23, 2004)

all of a sudden i am having this issue too. I have been transferring btwn tivos and PC for quite some time....yesterday. Today tivo shows no recordings in PC's Now Playing list. this tivo sees all the other players in the game...2 other tivos and one other PC...and transfers fine..Its just this one PC with nothing in the list.

Edit: Ok....it seems that even the the tivos see all of the PCs/laptop..they dont see any of the videos stored on those computers. and transfers only work btwn tivos. TD 2.6 sees the tivos but transfers arent working...transfers start...but after a few minutes cancel out...

Edit II: I just transferred a show from Tivo B to Laptop (TD2.6)...transferred fine if not a little slow. Went to tivo B and went to NP of Laptop..."No Recordings"!!!! Im looking at TD on Laptop and i see 3 .tivo shows listed..????????


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## Stuckeyboss (Apr 28, 2003)

I also encountered this issue starting yesterday.

Anyone having any luck diagnosing it?

I'm suspicious of Microsoft's most recent monthly patches personally.


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## Rob Mac K (Jan 21, 2005)

I've just noticed this problem today, too. I get a message I've never seen before when I try to access my PC's from the Now Playing list: "The (My PC's name) PC's Now Playing List could not be displayed because it is unavailable. Press LEFT to return to the Now Playing List."

What the hell??? Everything worked just fine the other day...


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## Stuckeyboss (Apr 28, 2003)

Looks like this isssue is due to TiVo's certificate expiring.

Check out TiVoPony's post regarding Desktop 2.6.1:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=390214

Or here's a link directly to the TiVo support article:

http://tivosupport2.instancy.com/LaunchContent.aspx?CID=5CCB08F8-DEC4-4051-8F5B-AF1D09BBEA9E

If you don't want to upgrade to 2.6.1 (I didn't), you can follow the Windows 2000 directions on XP and just update the certificate. After I applied the update, everything worked as expected.


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## drbeat (Oct 31, 2005)

Yes, this fix works for me too! See my rant on the related thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6176276&posted=1#post6176276

Perhaps it would be possible to pin this to the home page as it's likely more and more people will be affected by the cert expiration date having passed.

~dr. beat


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## mrjam2jab (Jul 23, 2004)

upgrading software worked for me. The "Check for Updates" worked from within the software...so why cant it automatically tell me new updates are available like so many other programs...or is that just MS stuff that does that? And why do i have to un-install before installing new? ... why cant the software do that as a rule..like so many others?...


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## rambler (Dec 3, 2005)

The PC could see both my tivo's and pull files from tivo to PC, but the tivo's both said they couldn't find files on PC.....I was going nuts, good thing I came here this morning. 

Of course I wasted an hour rebooting everything before I found out Tivo Incorporated was the one who F'd it up!! I'm up and running now.


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## JesseHobbs (Sep 12, 2015)

I've been having the same problem reported on this thread. Using Tivo Desktop Plus V2.8.3 on Windows 7, and a Series 3 Tivo. Transfers from TIVO to PC work all the time without problem. However, when I open the Now Playing on xxxx folder on the Tivo it is empty even though Desktop shows movies of the correct format.

I tried various things:
* Restarting Tivo Desktop (File > Preferences > Reset or Reset). I selected each of the 5 options one at a time. 
* Restarting the Tivo Server.
* Transferring a video from Tivo to PC. It worked fine, but Now Playing was still empty.
* Resetting the Tivo Access key. 
* Disabling all Windows Firewalls.

I tried these things many times over the course of a week. I'd come home from work and futz with it for a little while. On two occasions a combination of actions worked. The videos showed up in Now Playing and downloads from PC to Tivo worked. Then overnight the PC went to sleep and the folder on the Tivo was empty again the next morning.

*Finally I looked at Tivo Server Properties more closely. At the bottom is Network Identification. My PC has 2 network interfaces, wired and wireless. The wired has never been connected.

The wired connection was selected. When I changed it to the wireless interface Now Playing started working.*

My guess is restarting the Tivo server sometimes selects the correct interface. However, the system could just be teasing me again with a glimmer of hope. What is puzzling is even with the wrong network interface most Tivo desktop functions work fine.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

JesseHobbs said:


> I've been having the same problem reported on this thread. Using Tivo Desktop Plus V2.8.3 on Windows 7, and a Series 3 Tivo. Transfers from TIVO to PC work all the time without problem. However, when I open the Now Playing on xxxx folder on the Tivo it is empty even though Desktop shows movies of the correct format.
> 
> I tried various things:
> * Restarting Tivo Desktop (File > Preferences > Reset or Reset). I selected each of the 5 options one at a time.
> ...


A TiVo doesn't like it when an IP address changes. This is across all products. This may explain the quantity of posts indicating a fixed IP address fixes their problems. Whatever works.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

JesseHobbs said:


> My guess is restarting the Tivo server sometimes selects the correct interface. However, the system could just be teasing me again with a glimmer of hope. What is puzzling is even with the wrong network interface most Tivo desktop functions work fine.


Once you pick the right network adapter that choice should stick (which wasn't the case on earlier versions like 2.5.1). That's the adapter that it uses for Bonjour or TiVo Beacon. Stuff like transfers from the TiVo to the PC are handled by the internal route table on the PC.


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## JesseHobbs (Sep 12, 2015)

In my situation the setting doesn't stick. I don't use the download feature too often, but tonight it stopped working again. My PC has been rebooted a few times since the feature worked. I checked the settings, and it reset back to the wired connection. I changed it to wireless and it immediately started working again.

My guess is the TIVO server starts up before the wireless network is configured so it reverts to the wired. Anyway its a minor inconvenience. My big problem now is the buttons on the remote are going bad. Argh! Time for upgrade to Bolt.


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