# How to watch online TV episodes on my Tivo



## alishasilva (Mar 10, 2004)

Ok, so total newbie here as far as this goes but I am pretty Tivo savvy, in the unaltered version of it... I have 4 total, including a series 3 HD.

I am considering cancelling my cable subscription because I can get all the major networks great via my digital tuner and antenna on my HDTV and who wants to pay $90+ a month for it anymore?

The problem is, there are many shows I want to watch that are not on the major networks, they are on MTV, VH1, Bravo etc. Many of these episodes can also be seen online.

I am wondering if (and how) I can transfer these show so that I can watch them on the Tivo. I don't want to sit at my laptop and watch them, I wanna see them on my plasma. 

As of now, I can just go to the channel website and click on the episode to watch, no downloading is done. They just start playing.

I do have the Tivo Desktop so I can download via Itunes as well (and those show up on their own on my Tivo) but many shows cannot be found on Itunes or even Amazon Unbox or Netflix.

Any ideas? 

Oh yeah, and if there is a way to do this, I will probably need it explained as far as how to save the episode correctly so that I can see it on my computer to transfer into Tivo Desktop as needed.

Thanks sooooo much!

ETA: I do have a wireless home network, the Tivo HD is already part of it if that helps any.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

You cannot, legally at least, until the respective streaming services work put deals to stream to TiVos, for those streams likely use DRM.

iTunes shows cannot be converted or trasnferred to TiVo due to DRM.


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## alishasilva (Mar 10, 2004)

So really the only option for me at this time would be to buy a cable to go from my computer to the TV and then watch it on the TV that way (my TV has a PC input) or another device that connects the TV and the PC wirelessly. I could then still watch it on the TV but it wouldn't be on the Tivo so no 30 sec skip or pause or that sort of thing, right?

Thanks for the input!


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## pmiranda (Feb 12, 2003)

I don't know if it covers all the online video you want, but there are extensions for firefox like download helper that can grab the video from a website and store it in a file, which presumably could then be converted to a format that you can transfer to TiVo.

The easiest thing to do by far is find a torrent for the episode and drop it in a folder that PyTiVo can serve to the TiVo. Also, if you can find it on DVD, you can use DVD shrink or other programs like it to save the video as an mpeg file, which can be served up by either PyTiVo or TiVo desktop.

The majority of shows I watch are on cable, not OTA, so I rarely jump through those hoops, except to watch DVDs. I'd rather wait half an hour to rip the DVD and transfer the file to TiVo than use a PC or DVD player's clunky interface and sit through FBI warnings. Yes, I do own those DVDs, I just love TiVo that much!


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

There is no general solution, because the sites use a variety of methods to deliver their video to the browser. TiVo has made deals with Amazon, Netflix and others that bring a lot of content to the TiVo, but most of it costs extra. YouTube is also there, for free. If you want to go further, try my HME/VLC app. But to go beyond the handful of streams it supports now, you'll have to figure out the stream URLs yourself.


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## txporter (Sep 18, 2006)

You can use a program like Replay Media Catcher to capture SOME of the streaming video on the web. Not all websites can be captured, however. The resultant files are normally flv and can be transcoded by pytivo to a format that your tivo can use. The files themselves are generally fairly poor quality, however. If you want to get a fairly decent quality picture, your best bet is hooking up your laptop to your TV (ala HTPC).

Jason


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## alishasilva (Mar 10, 2004)

Thanks again. I appreciate all the input.


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

This is such a newbie question. But how do I hook "up your laptop to your TV (ala HTPC)?" What is HTPC. I believe my tv has pc input - but I don't know what type of wire/cable goes from my laptop and into the television.


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

HTPC = Home Theater PC
Many newer PCs (and higher end laptops) have HDMI outputs that you can hook up to an HDTV. If no HDMI then perhaps there is DVI else VGA (if your TV supports those) or else plain old S-video or composite. i.e. The graphics card with your PC usually has 1 or more outputs to connect to other displays.


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## pcbrew (Mar 15, 2008)

You may just want to pickup a cheap nettop computer for something like that. It will have HDMI out, too.

The low-end version of the Acer Aspire Revo is $200 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228&Tpk=aspirerevo

Review: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/28/acer-aspirerevo-review/

Actually, the $200 one is single core and no wireless keyboard.
The 330 with dual core Atom and wireless keyboard is much better: http://www.ncixus.com/products/41924/PT.SCA0X.073/Acer/


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

Well - my questions get more and more embarassing - but this will help me get hulu from my laptop to my tv. My television has hdmi input - also one that says pc in (d-sub) (it has 15 pins). My laptop has the same type of port - I'm not sure if this is a DVI port or not. So here's the question: What kind of port is that - with 15 holes that attaches with 2 screws (or something) at the side of the 15 pin port? There's also a port I don't recognize - that I'm hoping is an hdmi port. It has a symbol near it that I think is the hdmi symbol. Not sure how to describe it - it is like the stem of a wine glass - with 3 prongs - one going straight up - on higher curved on the right side and one curved slightly lower on the left side. Is that HDMI?

Is there a way I can check on my computer what ports it has - I searched around the control panel and "my computer" - but couldn't find it. Either that or someplace I can look up and identify what these ports are?

And lastly - if the computer port only has a 15 pin type - should I connect it to the pc input on the tv - or the hdmi input. I gather hdmi-hdmi is first choice if I have the port.

Thanks.
Lynn.


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

Okay. I figured a little out. My laptop has a vga output port (not dvi, not hdmi). So that leaves me connecting vga to the pc in (d-sub) on the tv (which also looks to be vga). Or is there such a thing as a vga-hdmi cable - and would there be any point in using that instead.

Thanks again.
Lynn.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

lynnalexandra said:


> There's also a port I don't recognize - that I'm hoping is an hdmi port. It has a symbol near it that I think is the hdmi symbol. Not sure how to describe it - it is like the stem of a wine glass - with 3 prongs - one going straight up - on higher curved on the right side and one curved slightly lower on the left side. Is that HDMI?


No. I think the symbol you're describing is for a USB port.


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

Hi, Steve. I knew I'd embarass myself. Thanks. Now that you mention it, of course, that's why it looks familiar - it is the usb port. Guess I have just vga output, so I'll try that. Thanks.


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

I'm back again - still trying to figure out how to watch Hulu on my television. I tried connecting my laptop to the tv via vga cord -and nothing happened. The hulu episode played on my laptop - but no signal made it to my television. Not sure what step I might have missed. If anyone has an idea, I'd love to know.

However - I am hoping I have an easier solution. My in-laws are thinking of getting us a PS3 for the Holidays. I know it has Wifi and plays Blu-Rays (and they are primarily getting it for us as a Blu-Ray player -with potential for future game use). I think I can use the PS3 as an HTPC and get hulu episodes to my tv from the PS3? Is that right? 

Thanks.
Lynn.


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## balboa dave (Jan 19, 2004)

With the PS3, or an Xbox 360 for that matter, you can get everything on your PC, Hulu, and dozens of other sources of on-line streaming content to your 
TV by using Playon.


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## jbernardis (Oct 22, 2003)

Post number 4 above mentions torrents, and that is certainly one option, although quite illegal. If you do want to explore this option, though, you might want to take a look at Vuze. It combines a torrent client with some tivo server functionality. You can download your torrents and transcode and transfer them to your tivo all within the same program. I found it to be a bit cumbersome, but others may have different tastes.


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## TivoCentral (Jul 23, 2006)

lynnalexandra said:


> I'm back again - still trying to figure out how to watch Hulu on my television. I tried connecting my laptop to the tv via vga cord -and nothing happened. The hulu episode played on my laptop - but no signal made it to my television. Not sure what step I might have missed. If anyone has an idea, I'd love to know.


I'm pretty sure you need to "toggle" the "display output" from your laptop. Just hold down the "Function" (or FN) key, usually on the lower left corner of the keyboard. While holding Function, press and release the F4 (at or near the top row of keys on the keyboard). Then you can release the Function key.

Doing this again, and/or repeatedly, will toggle between having the display on your laptop only, then on the "external display" (your TV), then on both, ... then back to your laptop only again... and so forth.



lynnalexandra said:


> However - I am hoping I have an easier solution. My in-laws are thinking of getting us a PS3 for the Holidays. I know it has Wifi and plays Blu-Rays (and they are primarily getting it for us as a Blu-Ray player -with potential for future game use). I think I can use the PS3 as an HTPC and get hulu episodes to my tv from the PS3? Is that right?


This is really a great option. Balboa Dave (above) mentions PlayOn --- just download this software (you have to buy it), and install it on your PC/laptop. Then your PS3 will recognize your PC/laptop as a "media server", and you'll be able to access most of what you can play on your computer... on your PS3, which of course displays to your TV.

Good luck!


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## lynnalexandra (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks for the info on toggling from my laptop to view on the tv or other external monitor.

I didn't realize that to use the PS3 to view hulu and other PC content on my television, that I would need additional software. And PlayOn is the best/easiest to use? Easy is good for me. So my Tivo Desktop software wouldn't send content to my PS3?

We did, in fact, get a PS3 from my in-laws - now I need a few minutes to install it. Anything I should know since I also have a Tivo (and DVD/VCR) hooked up to that same television? (I know - why still keep the DVD/VCR? I gather I can play DVD's on the PS3. We still have a lot of my daughter's videos on VHS. I haven't converted yet - which might be more time-consuming than it's worth just to free up space and have one less box in my set-up. Or maybe there's an easy way to convert - can I somehow plug in the vcr into my computer - and digitize from there?)

Thanks everyone.
I can't wait to be able to watch Hulu shows in my living room.
Lynn.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

lynnalexandra said:


> We still have a lot of my daughter's videos on VHS. I haven't converted yet - which might be more time-consuming than it's worth just to free up space and have one less box in my set-up. Or maybe there's an easy way to convert - can I somehow plug in the vcr into my computer - and digitize from there?


It is possible to plug the vcr into the computer, but it's more trouble than its worth, i.e. you would have to have a capture card of some sort and it would have to be done in real time.


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