# Is there a way to use my PC as a TiVo Remote Control?



## CurlingSteve (Apr 1, 2008)

I'm aware that I can use MyTiVo to schedule recordings over the Internet.

I'm looking for something that would let my laptop act as a TiVo remote.
As in having a window open with buttons for the TiVo remote's buttons like "Skip", "Replay", "Guide", and so on.
It would be nice to have all the buttons available in a window.

I can use my laptop to offload recordings to my storage computer (or my laptop) using TiVo Desktop.
Those offloaded recordings still appear on (and can be transferred to) my TiVo via the "Now Playing on ..." folders in Now Playing.
So there is communication amongst the units on my network.

I have a Harmony One remote that I can fairly freely customize using my laptop.
But the Harmony One sends IR codes to the TiVo (and the rest of my components) which my laptop can't do.

Can similar functionality be done via a local network link (and PC software) to the TiVo?
I.E. can I sent codes over my local net to control the TiVo?
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TiVo Series 3
2 GB storage (includes external)
Software version 11.0C-01-2-648


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## fyodor (Sep 19, 2006)

Yup.

http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showpost.php?p=7054269



CurlingSteve said:


> I'm aware that I can use MyTiVo to schedule recordings over the Internet.
> 
> I'm looking for something that would let my laptop act as a TiVo remote.
> As in having a window open with buttons for the TiVo remote's buttons like "Skip", "Replay", "Guide", and so on.
> ...


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Another option would be a Slingbox ...


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## Morfious (Jun 3, 2007)

There is an iphone app as well. DVR Remote that will do the same thing. It will also let you use the keyboard to type in search items. It's well worth the $3 just for the keyboard.


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

There are 2 differnt remote programs for BOTH the iphone and iPod Touch that will control your TiVo.

Both have paid and free versions.

TGC


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

Only the Slingbox approach, though, allows you to do maintenance, i.e., adjust Season Pass List, delete To Do List entries, delete Now Playing recordings, etc. I sure would love to have a way to do that from a PC, as well, without Slingbox.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

bicker said:


> Only the Slingbox approach, though, allows you to do maintenance, i.e., adjust Season Pass List, delete To Do List entries, delete Now Playing recordings, etc ...


The only downside is that you can only perform those tasks on a TiVo that is directly connected to the Slingbox. So the same limitations apply as far as deleting/scheduling recordings on a TiVo in another room. Of course, you could always buy a Slingbox for every one of your TiVos, but that's hardly cost effective. Life would be so much easier if you had full control of remote machines through the GUI. Haven't we been asking for this for years?


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## CurlingSteve (Apr 1, 2008)

Thanks Fyodor, I'll take a look at that.
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I can already access my TiVo (and secondary storage server) over the internet for playback without any issues.
And I can schedule programming through MyTivo (limited though it may be).
Maybe TiVo Remote 0.17 has what I'm looking for, I'll see.

Thanks for the responses everyone.


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## CurlingSteve (Apr 1, 2008)

Thanks again Fyodor, that's EXACTLY what I had in mind, and it works.

These are the steps I took to get it going...
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(1) Download and install a Python interpreter
http://www.python.org/download/
I'm using the version 2.6.2 Windows Installer
http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.6.2/python-2.6.2.msi
(2) Download and extract TiVo-Remote-0.17.zip to a folder
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11347&d=1234067658
(3) On your TiVo ... (using your current remote)
Open "Messages and Settings"
Open "Settings"
Open "Remote, CableCard, & Devices"
Open "Network Remote Control"
Select "Enabled"
Press "Thumbs Up" 3 times as confirmation
(4) Find the IP address of your TiVo on your local network
Open your router's setup routine and find the "DHCP Clients Table" (or similar, whatever lists connected computers)
Make a note of the IP address assigned to your TiVo
(5) Open the folder you extracted "TiVo-Remote-0.17.zip" to
Run "Zeroconf.py" (Double click it)
Run "remote.pyw" (Double click it)
When asked, enter the IP address for your TiVo
Cross your fingers
A window should open similar to the TiVo remote (and be functional)
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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

You don't need to run Zeroconf.py. It's a module that's loaded by remote.pyw. Its purpose is to help autodetect TiVos on your LAN... which is apparently not working in your case, probably due to a firewall.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

We've been asking, but I'm surely not willing to pay for it, so it probably isn't worth doing. Nice to have, but not important.


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

bicker said:


> We've been asking, but I'm surely not willing to pay for it, so it probably isn't worth doing. Nice to have, but not important.


Are ya willing to pay for anything?


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## solutionsetc (Apr 2, 2009)

bicker said:


> We've been asking, but I'm surely not willing to pay for it, so it probably isn't worth doing.


TiVo already has the hard part of this done with the HTTP server built in. Designing an html interface for everything the TiVo does locally would be trivial (hell... even a $30 router has an http based GUI).


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

TexasGrillChef said:


> Are ya willing to pay for anything?


Not much. I'm a typical consumer. I just want it cheap. 



solutionsetc said:


> TiVo already has the hard part of this done with the HTTP server built in. Designing an html interface for everything the TiVo does locally would be trivial


Maybe maybe not but supporting it is always the big cost for that sort of thing anyway. I know intimately the costs associated with every additional feature. It seems that there is the cost of supporting the feature, and then the cost of supporting the feature as it interacts with every other feature. So every new feature costs on the Order of N, not the Order of 1. However, really, since neither you nor I have the code itself, making statements about whether it is trivial or difficult is utterly silly.


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## CurlingSteve (Apr 1, 2008)

To wmcbrine,

I just listed the steps I took, and they worked.
I did get a firewall warning, but allowed access.
Everything is good now.
If you want to streamline my instructions, feel free to do so.
I know nothing about Python, and yield to you.
Skipping my "Run zeroconf.py" step will work based on your comment.


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## lastdeadcat (Mar 14, 2005)

Once you close the TiVo Remote on your computer, how do you get it back? Where does it live so I can find it and make a shortcut.


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## solutionsetc (Apr 2, 2009)

bicker said:


> I know intimately the costs associated with every additional feature... since neither you nor I have the code itself, making statements about whether it is trivial or difficult is utterly silly.


Yeah... your intimate knowledge is really helpful here. 

But let's just examine a few facts:

1.) TiVo has a built in http server.

2.) Play lists and to do lists are available via IP protocols.

3.) Every command on the TiVo remote is executable via simple strings on an IP protocol.

While wish list creation/editing and season pass management may indeed require a change to compiled binaries, clearly putting up an html interface to all things allowed by IP protocols is a no brainer that would not "touch" a single line of compiled code.

Any decent webmaster could knock it out in a weekend(given the screen graphic elements by TiVo).


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

It is nothing but incredible arrogance to proclaim something like that. I'm a professional developer, and in my career I have dealt with clueless project managers who make self-serving and baseless conclusions like that based on even more insight into the code-base they're talking about than you have into TiVo's. Congratulations... you're now qualified to be an incompetent project manager.


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## solutionsetc (Apr 2, 2009)

bicker said:


> arrogance... clueless... baseless... incompetent


A professional, huh? I have seen quite a number of your posts and you always seem to feel the need to make things personal. This kind of behavior is often due to self esteem issues and you may want to look into getting some help with it.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

bicker said:


> It is nothing but incredible arrogance to proclaim something like that. I'm a professional developer, and in my career I have dealt with clueless project managers who make self-serving and baseless conclusions like that based on even more insight into the code-base they're talking about than you have into TiVo's. Congratulations... you're now qualified to be an incompetent project manager.


I know a little about coding (not a lot, but I understand a lot of the concepts), and I am not a project manager (but from what you are saying I guess I could qualify as an incompetent project manager too) What do you, as a professional developer, see as technical barriers? I don't mean time, or support costs (I know it would take more than a weekend and cost money), but actual you have to recode entire sections of the OS. I wouldn't be surprised if Tivo could do this by just adding features to Tivo Desktop and change the code on the tivo very little, if at all.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

lastdeadcat said:


> Once you close the TiVo Remote on your computer, how do you get it back? Where does it live so I can find it and make a shortcut.


Wherever you unzipped remote.pyw just click on that file or make a shortcut and put it in Quick Launch, All Programs, etc.

Thanks, wmcbrine for this. Very useful when I'm in another room with PC but no remote.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

solutionsetc said:


> A professional, huh? I have seen quite a number of your posts and you always seem to feel the need to make things personal. This kind of behavior is often due to self esteem issues and you may want to look into getting some help with it.


Ridiculous. I could make similar pronouncements in reference to your bitter perspective and negativity towards TiVo in this thread. Get over yourself, and come to grips with the fact that you don't have the slightest idea what it would really take for TiVo do to what you want.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

JWThiers said:


> I know a little about coding (not a lot, but I understand a lot of the concepts), and I am not a project manager (but from what you are saying I guess I could qualify as an incompetent project manager too) What do you, as a professional developer, see as technical barriers?


You are either negligently not reading or deliberately ignoring what I'm writing. Read it again and you'll realize that your question has absolutely nothing to do with the point I made.

Just in case you still don't get it, re-read this a few times: "... since neither you nor I have the code itself, making statements about whether it is trivial or difficult is utterly silly."


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## solutionsetc (Apr 2, 2009)

bicker said:


> Ridiculous. I could make similar pronouncements in reference to your bitter perspective and negativity towards TiVo in this thread. Get over yourself, and come to grips with the fact that you don't have the slightest idea what it would really take for TiVo do to what you want.





> You are either negligently not reading or deliberately ignoring what I'm writing. Read it again and you'll realize that your question has absolutely nothing to do with the point I made.


Your handle fits you well.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

Yours doesn't.


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## lrhorer (Aug 31, 2003)

solutionsetc said:


> Yeah... your intimate knowledge is really helpful here.
> 
> But let's just examine a few facts:


A more salient fact is the functionality has existed for years in a 3rd party application.



solutionsetc said:


> 1.)While wish list creation/editing and season pass management may indeed require a change to compiled binaries, clearly putting up an html interface to all things allowed by IP protocols is a no brainer that would not "touch" a single line of compiled code.


It doesn't. Tivoapp is the binary which controls almost all of the TiVo's functions, and almost all of its utilities are accessible via IP interface. Most control functions in 3rd party applications employ Expect to interact with the system.



solutionsetc said:


> Any decent webmaster could knock it out in a weekend(given the screen graphic elements by TiVo).


I don't know if it took them a weekend, but the code in large measure is already in the public domain.

What I would like to see, though, is an XDMCP-like client for the TiVo. That way, the actual TiVo screen itself would be duplicated on a standard X-server.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

bicker said:


> You are either negligently not reading or deliberately ignoring what I'm writing. Read it again and you'll realize that your question has absolutely nothing to do with the point I made.
> 
> Just in case you still don't get it, re-read this a few times: "... since neither you nor I have the code itself, making statements about whether it is trivial or difficult is utterly silly."


I never claimed it would be a trivial task. In fact I thought I was deferring to your experience, maybe you should reread my post a few times. All I was trying to do was get a more detailed perspective of someone that says they are a professional developer. That way I would learn something and wouldn't be, as you put it "qualified to be an incompetent project manager"

Let me ask a more direct question what about programs like TivoWebPlus on hacked tivos or DVR remote for the iPhone? If a bunch of bored software writers not working for tivo can write programs to do it I assume Tivo could as well. All it does is use web objects to represent existing commands that the tivo can already do. To a layman that would seem to be fairly simple


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

lrhorer said:


> A more salient fact is the functionality has existed for years in a 3rd party application.
> 
> It doesn't. Tivoapp is the binary which controls almost all of the TiVo's functions, and almost all of its utilities are accessible via IP interface. Most control functions in 3rd party applications employ Expect to interact with the system.
> 
> ...


Amen


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## jgbrown54 (Jul 13, 2006)

See my post TiVo Remote Control From PC.


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