# Transfer recordings to new TiVo



## jtgamble (Sep 12, 2008)

I know its been asked before (I saw the similar threads that popped up) but I'm going to ask again and HOPE (blind, optimistic hope!) that I get a new and different answer.

With the series 4 coming up, I'm seriously considering an upgrade. I've currently got an HD XL and it is probably about....1/3 full of stuff that I keep all the time (full latest season of shows like Chuck, The Office, Psych, etc). Transferring 300+ gigs from the TiVo to my PC isn't exactly snappy. Is there a better (or rather quicker) way to get things from an old tivo to a new one that won't remain hooked up? If I had a 2nd TV that I'd use TiVo on right now I'd just keep the HD XL and its sub and transfer between the two when I wanted something.

As reference, I'm testing a transfer of an HD episode of Psych - the 1hr program will take about 1.5hrs+ to transfer - assuming about 60 HD hours, we're talking nearly a week of transfer time...each way! I can transfer a TB of data from my main PC to my server in less than a day, but a week or so for 350ish gigs from the TiVo? There has to be a better way....

EDIT: This is using a wired gigabit connection (though, I'm not sure the tivo actually has a gigabit ethernet port.....)


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

jtgamble said:


> I know its been asked before (I saw the similar threads that popped up) but I'm going to ask again and HOPE (blind, optimistic hope!) that I get a new and different answer.
> 
> With the series 4 coming up, I'm seriously considering an upgrade. I've currently got an HD XL and it is probably about....1/3 full of stuff that I keep all the time (full latest season of shows like Chuck, The Office, Psych, etc). Transferring 300+ gigs from the TiVo to my PC isn't exactly snappy. Is there a better (or rather quicker) way to get things from an old tivo to a new one that won't remain hooked up? If I had a 2nd TV that I'd use TiVo on right now I'd just keep the HD XL and its sub and transfer between the two when I wanted something.
> 
> As reference, I'm testing a transfer of an HD episode of Psych - the 1hr program will take about 1.5hrs+ to transfer - assuming about 60 HD hours, we're talking nearly a week of transfer time...each way! I can transfer a TB of data from my main PC to my server in less than a day, but a week or so for 350ish gigs from the TiVo? There has to be a better way....


You would think their would be. However sadly their isn't. Depending on some peoples network setup they can sometimes get a little faster throughput on the transfers, but the improvement is like at most maybe a 50% improvement. There aren't any solutions that are going to give a 200% or even 300% improvement in transfer speed.

One other note. Since hte S4's are not in the wild yet. No one has tested their transfer speeds at all. So while it may take a week to transfer your shows to your computer. No one knows how long it will take to transfer from your computer back to the new S4. Other thing no one knows for sure yet. Is what the transfer speed will be from a HD to a S4 or vice versa.

The speed from one TiVo to another TiVo is ALWAYS faster, sometimes twice as fast as a transfer from TiVo to computer. The reason for that is, the show is transfered "Native" to the other TiVo. When transfering it to the Computer it has to remux it into a file that can be used by your computer, as well as having the encryption removed too.

So the answer to your question is currently NO.... But no one knows for sure till the S4 is actually released.

TGC


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## jtgamble (Sep 12, 2008)

I was horribly afraid that is what you'd say. So there isn't a way just to grab the (I'm assuming "unreadable") files straight from the TiVo, dump them on the PC, then dump them back on the new TiVo? I honestly don't care about being able to view the files while they're on my computer, just about getting them from one to the other.

Can you do a direct transfer from one to the other? A true transfer, that is, not just streaming? And if so, can you do multiple files at once, or do you have to individually select each show to be transferred?


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

jtgamble said:


> I was horribly afraid that is what you'd say. So there isn't a way just to grab the (I'm assuming "unreadable") files straight from the TiVo, dump them on the PC, then dump them back on the new TiVo? I honestly don't care about being able to view the files while they're on my computer, just about getting them from one to the other.
> 
> Can you do a direct transfer from one to the other? A true transfer, that is, not just streaming? And if so, can you do multiple files at once, or do you have to individually select each show to be transferred?


Nope, Notta, Zilch.

Well when the TiVo transfers (copies) a show from one TiVo to the other. It does so faster than from TiVo to computer or computer to TiVo. The reason for this is because it sends the raw data from the unit to the other unit, No transcoding, remuxing, or conversion has to be done in the background. It still isn't as fast as it could be. Why? Because the TiVo is still processing the data coming in off the tuners and recording them. Some people claim that if you tune both of the tuners to two no existing channels. (Like channel 1). Then it should speed up transfer. Either way thats the fast route to take. Transfer from one TiVo directly to the other.

We are hoping that MRV transfers will be much faster on the new unit for many reasons. We shall see though.

TGC


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## jtgamble (Sep 12, 2008)

Oh well...if I do end up with a Series 4 I guess I'll just have to start the transfer a week or so before. Thanks for the info, even if it wasn't what I hoped I'd hear


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

TexasGrillChef said:


> Some people claim that if you tune both of the tuners to two no existing channels. (Like channel 1). Then it should speed up transfer. TGC


It's a fact. I use a little app called DU Meter which gives accurate readings. When I have both tuners tuned to different channels (31 and 33 are the ones I prefer) that have no signal, I get almost twice the transfer speed compared to when the tuners are on HD channels. Speed also improves when the tuners are tuned to just SD channels.


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## Mark McM (Oct 24, 2007)

I'm also considering the possibility of upgrading to an S4 some time in the future, and have a bunch of programs sitting on my S3 (Tivo HD). I've previously done an upgrade from an S2 to the S3, and transferred all the programs directly from one box to the other as follows:

1 - Disconnect old box from network. 
2 - Connect new box to network and do all the steps to initialize new box and transfer service from old box new box.
3 - Disconnect new box from network.
4 - Connect both boxes together with a cross-over cable.
5 - From new box, transfer programs over from old box.

Questions:

Will this same procedure (or a variation of it) work for transferring programs from an S3 to an S4?

How long after disconnecting the S3 from the network will it still think that it has service, and allow transfers? (And am I correct in remembering that you can't transfer programs out of the box if it has no service?)

Am I correct in remembering that even if the service on a Tivo has lapsed, and you can't record new programs or transfer programs to or from the box, you can still watch programs that have already been recorded?


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## TexasGrillChef (Sep 15, 2006)

Mark McM said:


> Will this same procedure (or a variation of it) work for transferring programs from an S3 to an S4?
> 
> How long after disconnecting the S3 from the network will it still think that it has service, and allow transfers? (And am I correct in remembering that you can't transfer programs out of the box if it has no service?)
> 
> Am I correct in remembering that even if the service on a Tivo has lapsed, and you can't record new programs or transfer programs to or from the box, you can still watch programs that have already been recorded?


Won't know for sure till someone gets an S4 in their hands and tries it out.
Hopefully you don't have an eSATA drive plugged in as well. If you do you "may" need one on the new S4. (You won't if the S4's total space is bigger than your starting total)

Why not hook up both boxes to a network switch or your router so both boxes have connection to your network/internet at the same time. Even when you do transfer service from one box to antoher it still takes some time before the old box is "killed" off so to speak.

TGC


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

So it's possible to transfer shows from a S3 to another S3? I never paid attention to this issue since I live in a 2BR flat, without multiple TVs but am now considering a TiVo Premiere...

And according to the MRV guide, I /cannot/ transfer protected recordings? That almost ensures I will not upgrade to the Premiere.



Mark McM said:


> I'm also considering the possibility of upgrading to an S4 some time in the future, and have a bunch of programs sitting on my S3 (Tivo HD). I've previously done an upgrade from an S2 to the S3, and transferred all the programs directly from one box to the other as follows:
> 
> 1 - Disconnect old box from network.
> 2 - Connect new box to network and do all the steps to initialize new box and transfer service from old box new box.
> ...


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

If you have FiOS you won't have any issues. There are no restrictions on any recordings made from FiOS channels. At least I have yet to see any. I can transfer any recording to another TiVo or to a PC running TiVo desktop.

And for local channel recordings those should not be restricted from transfer on any cable system.


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> If you have FiOS you won't have any issues. There are no restrictions on any recordings made from FiOS channels. At least I have yet to see any. I can transfer any recording to another TiVo or to a PC running TiVo desktop.


Very few TWC NYC shows seem unprotected from my last TTG usage...


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## Mark McM (Oct 24, 2007)

TexasGrillChef said:


> Hopefully you don't have an eSATA drive plugged in as well. If you do you "may" need one on the new S4. (You won't if the S4's total space is bigger than your starting total)


I currently have the original Tivo HD (not the XL) with a 500 GB eSATA driver (WD My DVR), so the Premiere XL's 1 TB driver should be more than enough. That's one of several reasons I might consider getting the Premiere XL - to get rid of the external drive (and the logisitics it imposes).



> Why not hook up both boxes to a network switch or your router so both boxes have connection to your network/internet at the same time. Even when you do transfer service from one box to antoher it still takes some time before the old box is "killed" off so to speak.


Well, 2 reasons: 1) My router is on a separate floor from the Tivo, and I only have one Tivo Wireless adapter. 2) Just to prevent the case that the old box might "phone home" in the middle of the transfer process (if I can't do it all in one shot), and decides that since it is no longer subscribed it doesn't want to talk to the new box anymore.

With both box disconnected from the network, and directly connected together, there are fewer chances of any "gotchas" in the transfer process.


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## tripmaster (May 27, 2003)

Mark McM said:


> I currently have the original Tivo HD (not the XL) with a 500 GB eSATA driver (WD My DVR), so the Premiere XL's 1 TB driver should be more than enough. That's one of several reasons I might consider getting the Premiere XL - to get rid of the external drive (and the logisitics it imposes).
> 
> Well, 2 reasons: 1) My router is on a separate floor from the Tivo, and I only have one Tivo Wireless adapter. 2) Just to prevent the case that the old box might "phone home" in the middle of the transfer process (if I can't do it all in one shot), and decides that since it is no longer subscribed it doesn't want to talk to the new box anymore.
> 
> With both box disconnected from the network, and directly connected together, there are fewer chances of any "gotchas" in the transfer process.


Is there a good FAQ on transferring shows btw TiVo boxes?


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