# TiVo streaming client in Network-enabled TVs, DVDs, and Receivers?



## lemketron (Jun 24, 2002)

It seems that there are more and more network-enabled TVs, DVD players, and receivers showing up that stream video from a multitude of sources (Netflix, DLNA, etc.). Check out EngadgetHD for stories on VIZIO Connected TV and VIZIO Internet App Platform, Sony's networked Blu-ray player, Yamaha's RX-V2065 Network AV Receiver/, and Samsung Blu-ray Players to name but a few...

Wouldn't it be awesome if these new network client devices could also stream content from your TiVo HD or S3 with some sort of "Stream from TiVo" feature? Or perhaps TiVo could be a DLNA server (assuming that CableLabs would allow such a thing) since that would enable any device with a DLNA client (rather than having to go convince each equipment manufacturer to specifically support TiVo streaming)?

As more and more people buy these new network-enabled video components, I can't see them wanting to also buy a dedicated TiVo for each of them (and having to pay the service fee for each additional unit). Plus, I personally don't _want_ a bunch of separate (especially non-coordinated) recording devices with spinning hard drives scattered all over the house. I'd rather have one big TiVo in the family room with "thin" clients (built-in to flat panel TVs for example) that can stream content in other rooms.

It looks like Microsoft Windows Media Center might be a cool solution for some folks, with multi-stream cable cards, and Xbox consoles as extenders...

Unfortunately, according to this thread, it looks like there's no real news from TiVo at CEDIA... :-(

Is TiVo missing out here? Is there any hope of ever being able to watch our TiVo-recorded content on any of these new network-enabled video components?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

TiVo needs to maintain DRM. And they largely use MPEG2, may not stream well in HD. A major revision of DLNA/UPNP would need to occur to support a form of DRM that would satisfy the studios and be able to be integrated with TiVo. 

Plus there is the fact that TiVo makes money off of additional TiVo subscriptions to use MRV.


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## lemketron (Jun 24, 2002)

Interesting related story on Engadget about Intel's new Tru2way server platform...

http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/09/23/video-intel-tru2way-server-streams-cable-all-over-your-house/

Now if TiVo would just build a Tru2way server based on that, and support MOCA for Tru2way and/or DLNA streaming to those other TVs in the house. That's pretty much exactly what I had in mind when I started this thread. Even better if TiVo built the box and then convinced Comcast to ship it as their own DVR.

I can dream, can't I? :-/


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

classicsat said:


> TiVo needs to maintain DRM.


Right now, the only things you can get out of the TiVo via MRV or TTG are marked Copy Freely. So the DRM wrappers they're currently using are superfluous, and they might as well stream the same programs unencrypted. No?


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## magnus (Nov 12, 2004)

Um, you're making too much sense.



wmcbrine said:


> Right now, the only things you can get out of the TiVo via MRV or TTG are marked Copy Freely. So the DRM wrappers they're currently using are superfluous, and they might as well stream the same programs unencrypted. No?


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

wmcbrine said:


> Right now, the only things you can get out of the TiVo via MRV or TTG are marked Copy Freely. So the DRM wrappers they're currently using are superfluous, and they might as well stream the same programs unencrypted. No?


Maybe, aren't the CCI flags only used for digital channels? The DRM wrapper is intended to prevent "sharing" outside of the subscribers household. The intent was to prevent sharing of all shows including broadcast and analog cable.

It seems somewhat superfluous, since the tivo made the tool to convert the file to standard mpg available and since tivo can now import standard mpg files.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

lew said:


> It seems somewhat superfluous, since the tivo made the tool to convert the file to standard mpg available


They never quite did that, did they? As I understand it, TiVo Desktop will only decrypt when it's playing back or reencoding. To decrypt alone, you have to use a third-party tool (the first was DirectShow Dump, then came tivodecode). So there's another pointless limitation.


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