# Can I play a .tivo file on my Android phone?



## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

I transferred a file from Tivo to Desktop (W7). WMP plays it fine, as-is. Then I uploaded it to my Dropbox cloud so my phone (Android) could play it as-is. (wishful thinking). It wasn't.

What do I need to do/get to play it on phone? I looked at some Tivo apps but they look more like a MyTivo.com app than what I am looking for.

Should/Must I convert it to some other format on Windows first? What one and how? If there is no Tivo app to play it natively, I would want a format that is native on Android and does not need a special app to play.

I would also like to trim it too (on the PC), but not mandatory. I only need about 10% of a 1/2 hour recording for one scene. The .tivo file is quite large.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

You need kmttg. It will download shows from your tivo and store them in mp4 files that your android phone can play. It has a encoding profiles already available for this.

If you wish to edit the video, I suggest looking into videoredo which can also encode for your android phone.

.tivo files are encrypted and not really all that useful.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

jcthorne said:


> If you wish to edit the video, I suggest looking into videoredo which can _*also *_encode for your android phone.


Do you mean it will convert from .Tivo to .mp4 as well as trim? It looks more my style than kmttg.

But another question on kmttg if I go that route, does it have an always running service(s) or can I invoke it just when necessary?


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

I run kmttg only when I need it. Yes videoredo can convert .tivo files to mp4 as well as allowing you to edit them. I do not know if it can encode ac3 audio yet though. Someone else that uses the program for that will have to pipe in. I only use it for editing mpg files, not encoding.


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## coreybryant (Mar 1, 2003)

What Android version are you using? I found a few programs that will convert (Aunsoft Video Converter and Pavtube Video Converter) but I have not figured out which one to use for the Nexus 7 just yet. Yes .mp4 is supposed to play, but it needs the right codec.

Both have a free download version to play with. I wished the TiVo Desktop Plus for PC would delete the recordings once they are downloaded. Plus, the support gentleman said that once it converts it, there is no .tivo version (which was surprising)

I am taking a look at pytivo as well.


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## coreybryant (Mar 1, 2003)

Just to let you know, I was able to get PavTube to work. I used the .mp4 with H.264 Video for the Nexus 7. I don't know if this will work for your Android, but hopefully this helps you (and others).

It is $35.00 and they also have a Blu-Ray + Video Converter


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

I use pytivo to pull content from my tivo, and then run it through handbrake for my Xoom. A free and relatively pain-free solution. 

Looking forward to the stream to cut down on the time to do all of that!


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

I am just now getting around to this task and noticed in Tivo Desktop a dimmed out menu item "Convert for...". I see that Tivo Desktop Plus for $25 may do what I am looking for. It says it converts to these types:

Windows Media Video (.wmv)
QuickTime Movie (.mov)
MPEG-4/H.264 (.mp4, .m4v, .mp4v)
MPEG-2 (.mpg, .mpeg, .mpe, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpv2)
DivX and Xvid (.avi, .divx)*

Has anyone ever used TDPlus for converting?

I am also considering getting the trials of Pavtube and VideoRedo too. Would be nice to know how all 3 compare.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

IMO, stay away from Tivo Desktop Plus. Trust me. For burning DVDs and making videos for youtube or other purposes, VideoReDo is well worth the investment.

Plus, they have their own support forum:

http://www.videoredo.net/msgBoard/forum.php

And a lot of people here use it, so we can also help you with tips and tricks.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

coreybryant said:


> I wished the TiVo Desktop Plus for PC would delete the recordings once they are downloaded. Plus, the support gentleman said that once it converts it, there is no .tivo version (which was surprising)


When you use Plus to convert, there's a checkbox for "Delete the original file after conversion". It's your choice.

I doubt that they'll ever offer an option to delete the original recording after transfer. Too many ways for that to screw up and it's impossible on earlier models anyway.


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## True Colors (Oct 19, 2006)

hershey4 said:


> I would also like to trim it too (on the PC), but not mandatory. I only need about 10% of a 1/2 hour recording for one scene. The .tivo file is quite large.


VideoRedo is by far the best solution for this. It will cost you some money but it is well worth the price in my opinion.

If you want something that is free then kmttg will get the job done. However, it will not allow you to trim out the unwanted content.

TC


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

angelofrancis said:


> You need kmttg. It will download shows from your tivo and store them in mp4 files that your android phone can play. It has a encoding profiles already available for this.
> 
> If you wish to edit the video, I suggest looking into videoredo which can also encode for your android phone.
> 
> .tivo files are encrypted and not really all that useful.


Gee, this reads a lot like jcthorne's post #2 in this thread. 

The usual way to do this is to quote the prior post and add a "+1" or :up: or "this", rather than giving the impression you're making an original comment.

That said, welcome to the forum!


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

dlfl said:


> Gee, this reads a lot like jcthorne's post #2 in this thread.
> 
> The usual way to do this is to quote the prior post and add a "+1" or :up: or "this", rather than giving the impression you're making an original comment.
> 
> That said, welcome to the forum!


This is a common technique of spammers. I wouldn't be welcoming angelofrancis just yet.


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