# VNC viewer for Tivo ???



## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

It has been long time since I have been thinking of this as a very good addon to tivo!!! I know that it is possible and it will be very useful for many users. There are programs such as streambaby, and HME/VLC which stream moves to tivo and to be honest I am quite surprise with streambaby's speed !!! so since tivo is able to receive video can't we develop a VNC viewer for tivo, or any other kind of program that would give us a live view of our desktops in the living room )))))))))

I am interested what kind of difficulties we might run into developing this app ??? how hard can it be and is it even possible ???

can't we port VNC viewer in java, and use it as a galleon addon or maybe run it on its own ???

If so, is there anyone willing to work on this project ???

I think this is a very good idea, and we should create a group of people who will work on it. Since we can stream music, movies, and photos to our tivos, there is only this problem left and by developing this app it would make tivo the best entertainment center ever ))))


As far as input devices go, I think there might be a way to develop a driver for tivo, or at least we can use wireless mouse and keyboard.

I currently use my iphone to control my home network remotely, and there are many other applications developed for various mobile platforms such as symbian os and so on.

One last thing if you write about galleons desktop app, please consider that app is not very useful, and I do not think anyone uses it at all. Plus majority of people can not get it working (((


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## westside_guy (Mar 13, 2005)

I don't see how this could be remotely viable. You'd need some way to mimic mouse and keyboard functionality - can you imagine trying to do that with a Tivo remote? Think about how slow it is just to type a few words into Tivo's wishlist search.

The wireless mouse/keyboard just seem like a non-starter - the support simply isn't in the Tivo's software.

Even on a device with a more sophisticated pointer, like the Wii, typing is still painfully slow. And the pointing functionality has nowhere near the granularity of a computer desktop - functionally speaking, the pointer resolution probably falls in the tens of units.


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## Spire (Jun 6, 2001)

You know what would really be cool? A VNC _server_ for TiVo!


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## pmiranda (Feb 12, 2003)

Spire said:


> You know what would really be cool? A VNC _server_ for TiVo!


Yeah, I've got the S-video out from TiVo into my PC, and the python app for controlling TiVo via telnet, but the video capture in the PC won't show in VNC since it's using accelerated video and VNC can't "see" it.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

westside_guy said:


> I don't see how this could be remotely viable. You'd need some way to mimic mouse and keyboard functionality - can you imagine trying to do that with a Tivo remote? Think about how slow it is just to type a few words into Tivo's wishlist search.
> 
> The wireless mouse/keyboard just seem like a non-starter - the support simply isn't in the Tivo's software.
> 
> Even on a device with a more sophisticated pointer, like the Wii, typing is still painfully slow. And the pointing functionality has nowhere near the granularity of a computer desktop - functionally speaking, the pointer resolution probably falls in the tens of units.


Well first of all main thing is that there is possibility of porting VNC viewer to tivo, and that means that we would be able to see our desktop on TV. Second, I think actual display of desktop images would not be so slow, since iphone can do it, and it is fairly Okay, then tivo can definitely do it hundred times better than iphone just because its higher wireless speed.

so I guess we can pretty much assume that there is a good chance to have live desktop displayed on TV.

Using remote as keyboard or mouse never came to my mind because I don't even use it for changing Chanel and specially for typing I use iphone !!!

i was thinking to develop a keyboard and mouse drivers for Tivo, after all it is Linux box and in a Linux world everything is possible !!!! Plus I do not think tivo programmers would give us any problems including it in soft-update since it is drivers not a hack to get free service !!!

In a worst situation we can plug in wireless keyboard and mouse to our computers and have it next to tv, most wireless keyboards support fairly big ranges so that is one way to solve it. another way is to use portable devices, such as iphone, Majority of NOkIA phones, and even PSP (there is a VNC Viewer wit h built in controller for PSP) /// so basicley There would be one keyboard and mouse with Computer and other with TV.//////just a note: there is many ways to have multiple keyboards.

VNC server for tivo that would be really cool but I don think we would get enough acces to tivo to have server running on it, unless we hack it which will probably require opening it and so on so it would be cool but There are not that many people willing to open up their tivos than connect hard drive to computer and run many scripts that probably will be too complicated for most users.

IS there anyone who would like to see this project done and who would like to help develop a VNC viewer for tivo ??????????????

One last thing I am pretty new to tivo community and have not developed app for Tivo so don't count on me doing this on my own (((, mostly because I took too many classes In University and I am really on tight schedule,.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

I was just surfing the web for VNC viewers and saw that most of vnc viewers are already in java, for example ultra vnc and tight vnc both are in java, so what changes might there be needed to make them work with tivo ??? (this is the question for guys who are familiar with tivo and have done java programs for it,)

what is needed to take this java files and integrate them with galleon ???

check this out http://ultravnc.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ultravnc/UltraVNC%20Project%20Root/UltraVNC/JavaViewer/

and also tight VNC with source codes and everything http://www.tightvnc.com/download.html


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

I found another java app that was designed for remotely viewing you desktop on tivo here is source code and all the java files, developers please take a look!!!!!! there is some modification needed for app to work

Seriously guys nobody wants to help???? am I the only one interested in this ??? some of you tivo veterans can definitely help out and create another great app for tivo !!!!!!

here is a link to apps website

http://www.duckcreeksoftware.com/public/remotecontrol/


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## msmart (Jan 3, 2007)

> am I the only one interested in this ???


I don't get it, why would I want to see my PC desktop on the TiVo? For me, they're in the same room. I use TD to download shows from the TiVo to PC and pyTiVo to upload. I just don't get it.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

jasa said:


> I found another java app that was designed for remotely viewing you desktop on tivo here is source code and all the java files, developers please take a look!!!!!! there is some modification needed for app to work


I meant to post about that app... I've tried it before, and IIRC it worked well for me, just from the "Launch Remote Control" link. No modifications needed. But it was of limited utility, partly due to the low resolution (640x480), partly due to having to use the remote. An HD version would be a little better, but still... I dunno.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

msmart said:


> I don't get it, why would I want to see my PC desktop on the TiVo? For me, they're in the same room. I use TD to download shows from the TiVo to PC and pyTiVo to upload. I just don't get it.


Well first thanks for replay ))), then I do not know how your setup works, but I have couple of computers around my house, so sometimes I want to see something from down stairs Linux comp, or from mac in my office, and for some reason I prefer doing that from my big screen tv rather than from 24 inch display, plus its nice to sit on a couch, and brows internet )))



wmcbrine said:


> I meant to post about that app... I've tried it before, and IIRC it worked well for me, just from the "Launch Remote Control" link. No modifications needed. But it was of limited utility, partly due to the low resolution (640x480), partly due to having to use the remote. An HD version would be a little better, but still... I dunno.


wmcbrine is there a way to change this around so it works for series three tivos (it does not show up in mu music and photos menu in tivo, plus instead of binding to tivos ip it just writes bunch of zeroes.) Can we improve its quality to HD and integrate it with galleon or something ???

As war as it goes for controls, I do not care about that all i want to do is get live desktop on tivo.

I am new in tivo and I have no idea way staff is done so can you please help me out ???

--------------------------------------------------------------
Or just another question, would not be even better if we made vncviewer from ultra VNC work for tivo ??? can you explain what kind of complications we might be facing since you have lots of experience with tivo )))))


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## gonzotek (Sep 24, 2004)

The main question that needs answering is "Can the vnc video data be converted to an mpeg2 or mpeg4 stream on the fly?" If so, if should be possible to create a custom vnc-client/hme-server on that lives on a pc that then connects to any vnc server and then serves the video data to a tivo, and translates remote keypresses to the appropriate input data. Mouse data should be fairly simple(arrow keys and thumbs for left/right buttons). For keyboard input, a modified on-screen keyboard (with ctrl, alt, etc. made available) would do.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

yes finally someone who cares ))))))))))

Last couples of days I have been doing lots of research testing and basically went back to basics of java to understand how to make this work so from what I understand we can bind java app and ffmpeg that will convert screen to mpeg2. Theoretically speaking it is possible and people like Keary and wmcbrine who have lot more experience with Java, Tivo, and ffmpeg can tell us more on how this will work. 

My main goal at this point is to get a live desktop shown on tivo, as war as controls goes I think hooking up extra wireless mouse is not a problem !!!!!!!!


SO people why don't we make this happen and try to develop vnc viewer for TIVO ))))


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

Ok yesterday I got some time to play around with ultra vnc viewer and as of this time I think it is 100&#37; realistic that we will be able to see TivoVNC in short time ))))

I still have to figure out how to make ffmpeg to convert ultravnc output mpeg2,

most likely TIVOVNC will be a java file with some addons to integrate with galleon like streambay,

by the way any Tivo developers are welcome to help, evermore anybody is more than welcome to lead the development of this app))))))


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

jasa said:


> wmcbrine is there a way to change this around so it works for series three tivos


It works fine on my Series 3. I've only ever used it on a Series 3. I just now tried it again to be sure, and yes, it's still working for me.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

wmcbrine said:


> It works fine on my Series 3. I've only ever used it on a Series 3. I just now tried it again to be sure, and yes, it's still working for me.


that is very interesting !!!!! I just tried running it on both mac and windows vista and nothing showed up in my tivo (((((((

how do you run it ???

what version of java do you use ?????

As author of the soft says you have to to run .jnlp file and that is but for some reason I can't get it to work (((((((((((


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

I just click on the link on the web page. Java version is whatever came with the Mac. I've used it in Linux in the past, too.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

this is what is gives me when i run it (((((((((((( take a look a ip at the end !!! 


> Console started Feb 13, 2009 9:22:14 PM
> org.jdesktop.jdic.init.JdicInitException: java.io.IOException: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect
> at org.jdesktop.jdic.init.JdicManager.initShareNative(Unknown Source)
> at org.jdesktop.jdic.tray.internal.ServiceManager.<clinit>(Unknown Source)
> ...


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

It looks like it's trying to use IPv6 instead of IPv4. That's a known issue with TiVo's SDK. I had to disable IPv6 to fix it. I'm not sure if there's an easier solution.


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## greeneye (Mar 1, 2006)

Keep up the great work/idea. Even though some people don't get the benefits, I know it's a great idea.

For me, I don't care about any input, I just want to use it as a high res viewer. My printer/scanner is next to my TV, sometimes I scan large batches of documents and it would be great to preview them as they're being scanned on the TV, that way if something doesn't look right I can rescan without going to the other room where my PC is to make sure things look ok.

That's just one example, there are other good uses I'm sure.

If input is an issue, I wonder how hard it would be to inject a USB keyboard/mouse driver on the Tivo and use the USB port? Just a thought.


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## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

Spire said:


> You know what would really be cool? A VNC _server_ for TiVo!


Agreed. I don't see how it could be done by 3rd parties though. TiVo Inc. could take care of it by building some Slingbox/Hava-like functionality into the TiVo box, and that would be really cool! Echostar is doing it with their upcoming "SlingLoaded" DVR boxes.

As an intermediate solution, I'd be happy if the web server on the Tivo just gave us more the capabilities for things like scheduling/deleting recordings, viewing ToDo list, etc. That should be fairly easy to do, but again only if your name is TiVo Inc.

The pseudo VNC client that the OP is asking about does seem like it could be doable by 3rd parties given the discussion here.


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## jasa (Nov 5, 2008)

spocko is right I tried really hard to make this work but it is just not reality with limited functionality we have with tivo ((((( Unless like on series 2 we open it and start injecting staff to hard drive which is not good idea because it is very complicated for some users

If tivo started doing this it would be really cool they could do a driver for usb wireless keyboard and mouse and they could write program in couple of days I bet their sales will double if they add this functionality and also Hulu but I do not think they ever read what customers want that's why they are loosing many people and I also plan to find some other dvr that can do same things and is not so limited in rights !!!!!!!!!


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## spocko (Feb 4, 2009)

Good luck finding another DVR that does MORE than Tivo, I think the competition all have LESS features. Perhaps a home theater PC might give you the flexibility you desire.


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