# Can you play MPEGs from PC on your TiVo



## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

I went through 5 pages of this forum and didn't see this topic addressed.

I see TiVo desktop advertised playing music and photos from your PC onto your TiVo. Can you play video files as well?

I'm thinking of getting an HD camcorder and am wondering if my soon to be purchased S3  will be able to play back any HD video clips I have stored on my PC. It would be sweet to convert my local Pop Warner football program games so for coaches review.


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## cgould (Dec 28, 2002)

I would love this "play PC-based HD videos" feature as well, either streaming or copy to box (stream better, over wired is fine)...
I am pretty sure end of September I am going to plunk down for the new Canon HV10 HD camcorder, (along with the S3), and will start needing to display all my HD home/vacation videos.
With the Canon and the Sony HD camcorders around the $1000 range, I'd imagine HD home videos will soon start to be more prevalent... Sony imagines HD camcorders will be a big chunk of their market soon.

But, currently there's no good way to WATCH your home videos, except using your camcorder plugged direct into the TV (hassle w/ re-plugging cables or buying switchers, swapping tapes, having to re-record edited videos onto new tape, etc.)

There are very few HD-capable PC network display boxes available, that work well, and given the cost / confusion over HD DVD recorders/players, there won't be any other recording/display medium for a while...

Tivo has a GREAT chance here to tap into this emergent HD home-video market, and really sell the HME aspect of the box: showing both HD home/other videos (eg purchased WMV-HDs etc), as well as upgrading photo slideshows to HD resolution.
There is a big market hole to fill here right now! please please!

This type of feature would help "subsidize" the cost of the S3, for HD or other camcorder users , since it would take the place of buying an HD network playback device (few $100s), or a new HD switching receiver or box , etc...
and gets Tivo that much closer to the "holy grail" convergence box 

Otherwise, I'll have to make do with a 40' component cable from my PC graphics card to my HDTV, buy a component switcher box, and run my videos from my den and run to the living room... and turn up the speakers in the den really loud 

At a minimum, for supported file formats, it should stream/copy:
- HDV MPEG2 format (native MiniDV HD tape capture format) (1440x or 1920x1080)
- AVCHD format (mp4/h.264) from Sony/Panasonic disk HD camcorders
- WMV-HD (eg edited movies, or downloaded files/DVD-ROMs)
- other MPEG4 from some other camcorders, but less critical (for me & my camorder at least)


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Current Series 2s can play tivo compliant MPEG2 files from a PC.

The specualtion is the Series 3 has MPEG4 capability as well.


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## ah30k (Jan 9, 2006)

classicsat said:


> Current Series 2s can play tivo compliant MPEG2 files from a PC.
> 
> The specualtion is the Series 3 has MPEG4 capability as well.


How is this done?

Never Mind, Windracer posted the solution...
---
They need to be in a specific format:

http://customersupport.tivo.com/kno...c/tv251080.htm?


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## cgould (Dec 28, 2002)

Yes, but is that FAQ answer about TivoGoBack, eg transferring the file to the Tivo harddisk,
or is it streamed viewing?
Page says:
"..Select to browse the PCs TiVo Recordings folder and choose the videos you want to transfer and view on your DVR."

Seems to imply transfer... w/ HD videos taking so much space, I may prefer to stream them (over wired connection, wireless prob. can't handle the HD bandwidth)
I don't have an S2 w/ HME yet so don't know if it _currently_ streams MPG2 or not, sorry.

Also I hope the Photo Browsing would be in HD resolution of course 

This would be a nice selling point even to non-Tivo users, they should advertise the feature... for HD and otherwise...


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## windracer (Jan 3, 2003)

ah30k said:


> Never Mind, Windracer posted the solution...


Beat me to it in here!

And no, you can't stream ... the file is transferred (copied) from your PC onto the hard disk of your TiVo. You _can_ watch it while it's transferring though, so it's kinda like streaming.

As for HD stuff, we'll have to see how/if the new S3 handles that.


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## sjgmoney (Jun 13, 2006)

> And no, you can't stream ... the file is transferred (copied) from your PC onto the hard disk of your TiVo. You can watch it while it's transferring though, so it's kinda like streaming.


Yep, then just delete it from you Tivo if it's taking up too much space. Original copy is still on your computer, ready to be transferred and watched again at a moments notice.


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## MichaelK (Jan 10, 2002)

sorry for my ignorance- been stuck in Directv jail for years- now getting myself ready to return to real TiVo with the series 2-

isn't there an add-in/plug-in/something-or-other I've seen mention of that converts pc videos into tivo playable when you request them to get transfered?


...off to search...


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## windracer (Jan 3, 2003)

I think Galleon's GoBack application will do this, but it involves some complex setup. I personally have not tried to do that through Galleon.


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## strategy (Sep 8, 2006)

Yeah, its pretty bad when Id rather use the completely free xbox XBMC functionality than Tivo, a product you actually pay for. They should learn a thing or two from XBMC. It loooks like Galleon or whatever that is did.


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## MichaelK (Jan 10, 2002)

Just an update- Galleon cant do it. It has the space to put in the parameters but it's not active yet for goback only for streaming....

Bummed me out.


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