# Can you still xfer recorded shows to your PC for editing?



## cubdukat (Nov 15, 2015)

Earlier this year, I was considering a Roamio because I would be losing Windows Media Center when I upgraded to Windows 10. I postponed that purchase because I decided to make my Ceton tuner work with SageTV and NextPVR. 

I am now looking at getting a Bolt because Ceton no longer supports my tuner, and I am having problems with it and SageTV.

However, I am concerned that TiVo Desktop Plus doesn't work with the Bolt. I'm currently using the Ceton/SageTV setup to record shows, then edit out the commercials and make Blu-Rays of each season. If I am unable to transfer shows to the PC from the Bolt, then I will stick with my current setup or reconsider the Roamio.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You can still transfer shows from a TiVo to a PC as long as they are not copy protected. In most areas just the premium channels are protected, but in some areas (mostly Time Warner) they pritect everything but the locals. And FIOS has recently started protecting all Fox owned channels in addition to Premiums. OTA is never protected.

Basically if you could edit the WTV files Media Center created then you should be able to transfer and edit the same shows from TiVo.

I assume you're a VideoReDo user?


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I transfer shows daily from my Bolt to a PC with KMTTG . I also run TiVo Desktop Plus on the machine but I don't use it very often any more.


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## cubdukat (Nov 15, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> You can still transfer shows from a TiVo to a PC as long as they are not copy protected. In most areas just the premium channels are protected, but in some areas (mostly Time Warner) they pritect everything but the locals. And FIOS has recently started protecting all Fox owned channels in addition to Premiums. OTA is never protected.
> 
> Basically if you could edit the WTV files Media Center created then you should be able to transfer and edit the same shows from TiVo.
> 
> I assume you're a VideoReDo user?


Most definitely.

I have Comcast, and everything but the premium channels is open, so if things stay like that with the Bolt, I'll be happy. How would you do the transfer if TDP doesn't work with the Bolt? I'm looking at having it attached to my network by Ethernet since that's a faster option than wifi.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

TiVo Desktop works fine with the Bolt. They just don't have a direct link to it on their site any more. You can still get it here....

http://assets.tivo.com/assets/exe/tivotogo/TiVoDesktop2.8.3.exe


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

There is also a new program to try called *Archivo*
Here is the thread about it

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532868&highlight=

I just tried it last night. I tested it with a few shows and it worked well for pulling content from the TiVo and keeping it in the same format or changing it to another format, like MP4, ts, etc. And it removed commercials too.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You'll still need TiVo Desktop to open the downloaded files in VideoReDo. We use the DirectShow filter included with TiVoDesktop to decrypt the .tivo files.


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## gespears (Aug 10, 2007)

Cox also protects EVERYTHING except locals. Really a pain.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

gespears said:


> Cox also protects EVERYTHING except locals. Really a pain.


I think with Cox it's regional. With Time Warner it's a national policy and if you call and complain they will say they are allowed to do it under the law, so too bad. (nothing like a monopoly telling you to go screw yourself )


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## cubdukat (Nov 15, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> I think with Cox it's regional. With Time Warner it's a national policy and if you call and complain they will say they are allowed to do it under the law, so too bad. (nothing like a monopoly telling you to go screw yourself )


That's probably the point where you have to file an FCC complaint, not that that would necessarily help, either...


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## Hilbe (Sep 5, 2005)

Anyway to pull it using a Chromebook or Ubuntu?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I believe kmttg works on Linux. (it's java) Although you'll have to have it do the decrypting, since there is no TiVo Desktop for Linux. That will strip the .tivo header and lose the metadata if you transfer the show back to a TiVo.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Or, you know... just make a pyTivo .txt file for the metadata, and you won't lose it. pyTivo will work anywhere there's Python -- certainly Ubuntu; I'm not sure about Chromebook. And it will transfer both ways.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Is there a utility that converts the metadata inside a .tivo file to the pyTiVo format?


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## SolomonJ (Dec 5, 2015)

aaronwt said:


> There is also a new program to try called *Archivo*
> Here is the thread about it
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532868&highlight=
> ...


Do you have a direct link for the Macintosh version?


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> Is there a utility that converts the metadata inside a .tivo file to the pyTiVo format?


Yes, metadata.py -- it's part of pyTivo, but you can also run it directly from the command line, for that purpose.


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## cubdukat (Nov 15, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> TiVo Desktop works fine with the Bolt. They just don't have a direct link to it on their site any more. You can still get it here....
> 
> http://assets.tivo.com/assets/exe/tivotogo/TiVoDesktop2.8.3.exe


I tried using it, but it couldn't read anything from my Bolt. Right now I'm using kmttg, but it has a lot of problems with files taking multiple tries to download completely, and sometimes they don't complete at all.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I've read some complaints about that on the VideoReDo forum. People say it can take several tries to get a .tivo file that's not corrupt.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> I've read some complaints about that on the VideoReDo forum. People say it can take several tries to get a .tivo file that's not corrupt.


I've had no problems here with either. Last week I setup a dedicated PC for TiVo transfers. New installs of TiVo Desktop, KMTTG, and Archivo worked without issue for transfers of shows from my Bolts and Roamios. Just like with the PC I had been using for the last few years.

Then I use VideoReDo to strip the .tivo extension from the KMTTG and TiVo Desktop transfers. And I use Nero Platinum to create the DVDs for my GF to watch.


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