# Files won't transfer from PC to TiVo



## zigmo (Dec 23, 2004)

On a Tivo Series 2 I used to have Tivo Desktop 2.61 (standard), transcode avi files with WinAvi and transfer manually. Most files worked, but a few didn't.
I upgraded to Tivo Desktop 2.61 plus and was able to transfer most of the files, but I have still a few that won't transfer no matter what method I use.
If I transcode with WinAvi and attempt to transfer, it'll transfer about 3 watchable seconds of the file before failing after a few hours.
If I transcode via TiVo Desktop the file duration will keep increasing, getting closer and closer to completion. During this process, the file can't be played. When you try, a message is displayed stating that the file is being transferred and can't be played until a large number of hours (usually six or so) have elapsed.
If I transcode via WinAvi and tranfer manually, more and more of the file will transfer and be watchable during the process.
In both cases, the transferring file will disappear from Now Playing before completion. When I look in to the To Do history, the file is listed as not transferring, with the reason, "downloaded file size does not match the expected file size."
I've tried rebooting my PC to clear the memory and have deleted the cache files, but neither seems to work.
Any suggestions would be welcome.


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## Royce (Nov 28, 2006)

Pretty much the same exact problem I'm having, and its frustrating as hell.

Ver2.3.a worked flawlessly. UPgraded to 2.6.1 & issues began. 

To make my situation even worse, for some odd reason I was able to successfully transfer & watch a mpeg2 off my PC, but the other 10 attempts (various files) have all failed.

So the problem is apparently intermittent. Yay!


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## crusin_x1 (Dec 20, 2006)

Ya, I'm having pretty much the same problem, I'm using Tivo Desktop 2.6.1. I have no experience with earlier versions.

I am able to get some files to transfer fine, but larger files do not transfer to the Tivo. 

Most all of the files have been MP4 files, with the larger files I have tried different resolutions to no avail. However the smaller MP4 files encoded with the same software (Nero Recode) work fine. And all of the files play fine the computer.

Like others my show disappears from the Now Playing List and on my last attempt I got the following reason from the record history. 

"The program was not transfer onto this DVR because the file was larger then expected or because the file was corrupted."

I'm still trying to figure this one out....


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

Save a lot of trouble and use pyTivo. For the easiest installation on windows use this link:
http://pytivo.krkeegan.com/download/

You will also need Python (install it before pyTivo). Windows version can be downloaded from here:
http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.5.2/python-2.5.2.msi

I just run the console version (instead of the service version), so that I only need to have it running on my computer when I actually want to push something to my Tivos. Much more light weight and robust solution compared to Tivo Desktop.


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## ChuckH (Mar 27, 2002)

moyekj said:


> Save a lot of trouble and use pyTivo. For the easiest installation on windows use this link:
> http://pytivo.krkeegan.com/download/
> 
> You will also need Python (install it before pyTivo). Windows version can be downloaded from here:
> ...


You are so right 

To bad they can't get it right the first time


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## Royce (Nov 28, 2006)

moyekj said:


> Save a lot of trouble and use pyTivo. For the easiest installation on windows use this link:
> http://pytivo.krkeegan.com/download/
> 
> You will also need Python (install it before pyTivo). Windows version can be downloaded from here:
> ...


Wow! Thanks a lot mate!

I installed both downloads, and am now able to successfully transfer & watch a mpeg-2 video file from my PC on my TiVo.....except the aspect ratio is completely wierd.

The screen is letter boxed, like a widescreen DVD would look on my TV, except there is an additional grey box area on the top & bottom (above & beyond the typical letterboxing).

This was never an issue before, as apparently TiVoDesktop formatted files to adjust to a standard 4:3 TV screen size with no letterboxing?

Is this common? Do I even make sense explaining what is occurring? Is there anyway to correct it?


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

Royce said:


> Wow! Thanks a lot mate!
> 
> I installed both downloads, and am now able to successfully transfer & watch a mpeg-2 video file from my PC on my TiVo.....except the aspect ratio is completely wierd.
> 
> ...


 There is a config file where you can adjust settings like encoding and aspect ratio:
C:\Program Files\pyTivo\pyTivo.conf
Here's my settings you may want to try (obviously the paths need to be adjusted accordingly):

```
[Server]
port=9032
ffmpeg=C:\Program Files\pyTivo\plugins\video\ffmpeg_mp2.exe
debug=false
optres=True
audio_br=96K
video_br=2Mi
buff_size=1024K
max_video_br=10Mi
width=544
height=480
ffmpeg_prams=-threads 2 -vcodec mpeg2video -r 29.97 -b &#37;(video_br)s -maxrate %(max_video_br)s -bufsize %(buff_size)s %(aspect_ratio)s -comment pyTivo.py -ac 2 -ab %(audio_br)s -ar 44100 -f vob -

[_tivo_652000180ABCDE3]
aspect169=true
width=720
height=480
audio_br=384k
video_br=12Mi
ffmpeg_prams= -vcodec mpeg2video -b %(video_br)s -maxrate %(max_video_br)s -bufsize %(buff_size)s -comment pyTivo.py -acodec ac3 -ar 48000 -async 48000 -f vob -

[My Videos]
type=video
path=C:\home\dvd

[My Music]
type=music
path=C:\home\dvd\mp3

[Admin]
type=admin
```


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Royce said:


> The screen is letter boxed, like a widescreen DVD would look on my TV, except there is an additional grey box area on the top & bottom (above & beyond the typical letterboxing).


Before you dive into pyTivo.conf, I'd take a look at the TiVo end. What kind of TiVo is it? What is your Aspect Ratio set to under Settings? And what mode are you in per the Aspect button on your remote? (These are two different things.)

Also, what are the dimensions and aspect ratio of the video you're trying to transfer?


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## daddioh (Mar 6, 2003)

zigmo said:


> On a Tivo Series 2 I used to have Tivo Desktop 2.61 (standard), transcode avi files with WinAvi and transfer manually. Most files worked, but a few didn't.
> I upgraded to Tivo Desktop 2.61 plus and was able to transfer most of the files, but I have still a few that won't transfer no matter what method I use.
> If I transcode with WinAvi and attempt to transfer, it'll transfer about 3 watchable seconds of the file before failing after a few hours.
> 
> *Any suggestions would be welcome.*


How about some suggestions to correct the existing problem with Tivo Desktop Plus? Anyone?

I have the exact same problem with .avi files on my Series2 Tivo, and fiddled around with pytivo last month. I'm not interested, nor do I have the time to study pytivo to make it work. Not interested in config files or hacks.

Does Tivo even have a solution for this?


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## daddioh (Mar 6, 2003)

daddioh said:


> How about some suggestions to correct the existing problem with Tivo Desktop Plus? Anyone?
> 
> I have the exact same problem with .avi files on my Series2 Tivo, and fiddled around with pytivo last month. I'm not interested, nor do I have the time to study pytivo to make it work. Not interested in config files or hacks.
> 
> Does Tivo even have a solution for this?


*
I just got off the horn with a tech rep from Tivo, after researching way too much of this online. He said that developers are aware of the transfer issue in 2.6.1, and it should be fixed in the next release. No ETA on the release/patch.

Also, he recommended uninstalling this version and reinstalling 2.5.1 as a temporary solution.

Krap. Maybe I'll resurrect pytivo after all.*


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## moot (Apr 8, 2006)

I have been having this same problem, as well, but on the Mac.

I haven't changed the way I encode video, and lord knows there hasn't been an update to TiVo Desktop for Mac for years. So I wonder if this is a problem with a TiVo Software update.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Desktop 2.5.1 also has problems as of two or three days ago. 

Specifically, while it can see all three of my TiVos, none of them can see the PC. So I'm not sure downgrading is a solution.

This is the second time this has happened in the last few months (last time it had to do with a security certificate expiring).

Maybe it's time TiVo spent a little more time taking care of its customers and less time litigating endlessly and trying to find untold ways to breach our privacy and sell the data.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Problem solved.

Uninstalled Desktop, then ran TiVo Desktop Cleaner to completely get rid of all traces. Just doing an uninstall followed by a reinstall, which I'd done several times, does not work. I needed to nuke the full installation with Desktop Cleaner (available on the TiVo site in the support section).

Then did a reinstall, entered media key, paused the server and updated the certificates. Restarted the server. Updating the certificates while the server is running does not work.

It works again. I have no clue what made it stop working.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

moyekj said:


> I just run the console version (instead of the service version), so that I only need to have it running on my computer when I actually want to push something to my Tivos.


I thought file transfers in TiVoland are strictly pull (ie. the receiving device has to request the transfer).

Are you saying that pyTivo enables push technology so I can send files to my tivos from my computer rather than having the tivo have to request it?


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

dougdingle said:


> I thought file transfers in TiVoland are strictly pull (ie. the receiving device has to request the transfer).
> 
> Are you saying that pyTivo enables push technology so I can send files to my tivos from my computer rather than having the tivo have to request it?


 No, that's not what I meant. At the time I wrote that my reference was the PC, so pulling means getting video from the Tivo->PC and pushing means getting video from PC->Tivo. But you are right, technically both TTG & TTCB are "pull" operations initiated by the receiving device.
However I think with Tivo Desktop 2.6.1 and I believe some branches of pyTivo it's now possible to setup Auto Transfers where if you put video in certain folders on your PC they are automatically transferred to your Tivos. While the underlying mechanics are still "pull" operations effectively this is what you are perhaps looking to do? I haven't looked into Auto Transfers from PC->Tivo much (doesn't really interest me) so don't know the details, but I believe the capability is already out there in one form or another.


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