# Please, need help to transfer a show to my PC from my Roamio!



## ArchonPrime (Jan 21, 2018)

Hi All, I'm turning to this forum to hopefully find a solution. I was getting ready to upgrade my roamio to the new Hydra software when I read that the process includes clearing all saved shows from my HD in the process. Generally I wouldn't be concerned by this and we can just find the shows somewhere later, but this situation is different.

My Mother passed away 10 years ago. Last year, my wife saw that the Game Show Network was starting to show a very old game show called Beat the Clock. My Mom and Dad appeared on 3 episodes of that show when they were young. We had VHS tapes at one point years ago, but they have been lost somewhere along the way. We recorded weeks of episodes, scanning every one of them until we found the shows that had my Mom. I was so thrilled to find those and see her again. I've saved those episodes and I just can't stand to lose them. 

I looked up the Tivo to PC software and it turns out Tivo no longer supports the software if you don't already have it. They said if I could find someone who has the software that I might be able to transfer things that way. So I'm looking to see if there is anyone that has an older version of the Tivo transfer software that I could use or if there is another solution that someone may know to transfer these 3 episodes so I don't lose them again. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

ArchonPrime said:


> Hi All, I'm turning to this forum to hopefully find a solution. I was getting ready to upgrade my roamio to the new Hydra software when I read that the process includes clearing all saved shows from my HD in the process.


You do NOT lose programs when you upgrade to Hydra. That happens when you go back to the classic UI from Hydra.

While the old TiVo Desktop can be found, there are better programs.


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## osu1991 (Mar 6, 2015)

You don't lose the programs upgrading to Hydra, you will lose them if you want to downgrade from Hydra. You can use programs like kmttg or pytivo to move the programs from the Tivo to the computer if you want to guarantee a saved copy as long as the channel that the programming is recorded from are not copyprotected on your cable system.

Easier to use pyTivo

kmttg


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## ArchonPrime (Jan 21, 2018)

I mean saved just as in I manually save them on my roamio so that way they wouldn't be deleted. I haven't been able to move them to another device.

So you're certain the shows aren't deleted? I have to go back and read the process again but to thought it read that all shows are deleted in the process. If that's not the case, then that's good, but I'd still like to find a way to save these 3 episodes on my PC if possible.

[QUOTETE="JoeKustra, post: 11418759, member: 283874"]You do NOT lose programs when you upgrade to Hydra. That happens when you go back to the classic UI from Hydra.

While the old TiVo Desktop can be found, there are better programs.[/QUOTE]


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

ArchonPrime said:


> I mean saved just as in I manually save them on my roamio so that way they wouldn't be deleted. I haven't been able to move them to another device.
> So you're certain the shows aren't deleted? I have to go back and read the process again but to thought it read that all shows are deleted in the process. If that's not the case, then that's good, but I'd still like to find a way to save these 3 episodes on my PC if possible.


To make you feel better -> Easier to use pyTivo

Please note that this is a one way copy. TiVo has removed support for a Hydra TiVo to get those programs back from the PC.

Why are you installing Hydra anyway?


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

In addition, to pyTiVo Desktop which Dan has made pretty each to use, you can also use the following which the author created for a simple tool to just download/archive shows from your TiVo.

Archivo

And TiVo also still has the original TiVo Desktop available for download here.

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

Scott


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

You don't need fancy software to download recordings from your TiVo. Point your browser to the secure connection to your TiVo, for example if your TiVo is at 192.168.1.20, use this URL: https://192.168.1.20:443, then you will be prompted for a user and password. The user is "tivo" and the password is your Media Access Key (MAK), which you will find under "Help" to "Account & System Info" on your TiVo. You can download recordings from there. They will be in TiVo format, but there are many applications that can read and convert .tivo files, such as my personal favorite, VideoReDo.

TiVo Desktop is available here as HerronScott says, and despite what the CSR told you, you can still install and run it on your PC. If you do that, you can copy your recordings from your PC back to your TiVo. (Unless you make the grave mistake of "upgrading" to Hydra, as JoeKustra points out.)

TiVo won't fix TiVo Desktop or answer questions about it, but it still works. You'll get more help here on TCF than TiVo ever would provide.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

ej42137 said:


> TiVo Desktop is available here as HerronScott says, and despite what the CSR told you, you can still install and run it on your PC. If you do that, you *can* copy your recordings from your PC back to your TiVo.


Until Hydra is installed. No idea why the OP wants to do that.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

JoeKustra said:


> Until Hydra is installed. No idea why the OP wants to do that.





ArchonPrime said:


> If that's not the case, then that's good, but I'd still like to find a way to save these 3 episodes on my PC if possible.


Hydra will still allow you to download shows from the TiVo to the PC. He just wouldn't be able to upload them back to the TiVo with Hydra.

Scott


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

ArchonPrime said:


> So you're certain the shows aren't deleted? I have to go back and read the process again but to thought it read that all shows are deleted in the process.


Given how you've described these videos and their importance to you, whether or not they'd be deleted in a Hydra upgrade (they wouldn't, normally) seems moot.

Follow the suggestions to either TiVo Desktop, KMTTG, PyTivo or PyTivo Desktop and get the videos copied off your TiVo ASAP, and then get them burned to disc and/or added to a folder included in your backups.

And *then* worry about upgrading to Hydra...

edit: p.s. The direct URL method is a great suggestion, to quickly get the videos pulled off. Give a shout if you need help finding your Media Access Key.


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## hsutton4 (Dec 10, 2006)

_TiVo Desktop is available here as HerronScott says, and despite what the CSR told you, you can still install and run it on your PC. If you do that, you can copy your recordings from your PC back to your TiVo. (Unless you make the grave mistake of "upgrading" to Hydra, as JoeKustra points out.)_​
Hello, I did not know about the https.... to connect directly to a Tivo box to download from Tivo to local machine. That's very cool (I've only used the Tivo Desktop Plus.) But recently I've lost the ability to transfer from local machine back to a Tivo box. I have a Roamio as well as a Premiere and in both cases, when I go to Shows and select Devices, the other Tivo box is there but the Desktop PC is missing. I've tried uninstalling Tivo Desktop Plus and reinstalling, as well as rebooting both Tivo Boxes and the local machine, but the local PC is still not showing up on either of the Tivos. How can I get this function back. (I do not have Hydra and never want to go there!). I've tried pyTivo but can't figure it out. Get errors I can't resolve. I was ok as long as Tivo Desktop worked for me but now I'm lost.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

1. Incorporating pyTivo, pyTivo Desktop is the way to go--easy to both install (minutes) and use.

pyTivo Desktop

Easier to use pyTivo

2. Could this be the answer with TiVo Desktop (expired certificates)? "Now Playing List Not Available"


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## sliderbob (Mar 18, 2008)

Mikeguy said:


> 1. Incorporating pyTivo, pyTivo Desktop is the way to go--easy to both install (minutes) and use.
> 
> pyTivo Desktop
> 
> ...


I've been using it and it works great, but on a lot of the shows transferred back to tivo from pc backup, the video has been corrupted throughout the show. It has distorted video for a few seconds, then normal, then distorted video again. I have hardwired the tivo.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

sliderbob said:


> I've been using it and it works great, but on a lot of the shows transferred back to tivo from pc backup, the video has been corrupted throughout the show. It has distorted video for a few seconds, then normal, then distorted video again. I have hardwired the tivo.


That's disturbing. What transfer protocol are you using under pyTivo Desktop: PS or TS (TS being the faster)? One user reported that faster transfer speeds have resulted in greater issues for him, in his experimentation. Downloading to computer, files corrupted


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## sliderbob (Mar 18, 2008)

Mikeguy said:


> That's disturbing. What transfer protocol are you using under pyTivo Desktop: PS or TS (TS being the faster)? One user reported that faster transfer speeds have resulted in greater issues for him, in his experimentation. Downloading to computer, files corrupted


I didn't notice that setting. I was using TS..I will try PS


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## sliderbob (Mar 18, 2008)

It is still doing the same thing using PS.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

sliderbob said:


> It is still doing the same thing using PS.


Now, that's not encouraging.


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