From Tivo to iPod?

October 14, 2005 2:50 PM

So, I think I'll get me one of them new iPods that plays video. Maybe. What would definitely push me over the edge would be if there was a way to get TV shows off my Tivo and onto the iPod. What's the easiest/cheapest/simplest way to accomplish this? I have a Powerbook G4 and my wife has a Windows XP laptop, if that helps. And while we're on the subject...

can I also get the Tivo content onto either computer and simply burn it to DVD?

posted by ericbop to computers & internet (18 comments total)

You'll have to convert any video you get into MP4 or MJPG before you can watch it. That could take a couple of hours of processing time, depending on how long the video is. Or you could get an Archos player that natively handles XViD, MPG, DIVX, and has codec expandibility.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 2:55 PM on October 14, 2005

Some links you may find useful:

• TiVo to DVD instructions
• Handbrake (converting DVD MPEG2 to iPod video MPEG4)
• How to rip DVDs to your iPod

If you have the QuickTime 7.0.3 Pro upgrade, you can save a DV or other file, or resave a MPEG4 file obtained through Handbrake, using Save As with the option "from Movie to iPod (320x240)".

If you wanted a random excuse to trash Apple, I suppose you "could" get an Archos, but you'd still have to do some work, and you'd lose a lot of the device's storage capacity since you're not downsampling the file. Thinking about it, you're looking at your TiVo or other movie file on a small screen, after all, so all that file quality on a non-converted file is really just wasting disk space on a device with a small screen.
posted by Rothko at 3:08 PM on October 14, 2005

If you wanted a random excuse to trash Apple, I suppose you "could" get an Archos

You're a bit right and a lot wrong. The Archos apparently doesn't support MPG1/2 natively. My bad.

But the PMP-100 and up does. So no hours of re-encoding necessary, unlike the (bash on) stupidly terrible, horribly awful (bash off) Apple iPod.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:09 PM on October 14, 2005

Okay, I'll bite. With a $600 40 GB PMP-140 you will spend a $201 premium for 20 GB less storage than Apple's $399 60 GB video iPod.

Without downsampling to MPEG4, you'll be using up more of your PMP-140 for storing fewer movies.

Also, because the files are larger, you'll be using more battery life to get less viewing time for a given movie.

Finally the PMP-140 is huge. If you want something portable this is not it.

The choice seems like a no-brainer on cost, storage, battery life and form factor. Unless you don't want to downsample and device size, cost and battery life are not issues, given all the other benefits described a PMP-100 doesn't seem all that great an option.
posted by Rothko at 4:25 PM on October 14, 2005

Just to keep this interesting...

The PMP-140 is cheaper than Apple's video iPod, has a larger screen, and also has a built-in FM tuner (as well as supporting DivX 3.11-5, XViD, ASF, MPG1, 2, 2.5 + 3, etc.) It does have 2/3rds the storage capacity, and the battery life isn't going to be nearly as good.

My point was not to tout the PMP-140 specifically, only to point out that, (in trying to best answer the question asked), the Video iPod is going to be a major pain in the ass for TiVo'd video, as opposed to many, many, many numerous other options that natively support MPEG.

Apple fanboys need to understand that this sort of (better) stuff has been coming out for over a year now, as is the case with the original iPod. Better, cheaper, more functionality, earlier... and just as pretty (that's from July).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:10 PM on October 14, 2005

The PMP-140 is cheaper than Apple's video iPod

By $12 (and you can often get a discount on an iPod through Amazon). And since you'll still need to translate TiVo video into a codec of one form or another to get it on the PMP-140, Civil_Disobedient's codec argument makes almost no difference whatsoever, given the PMP-140 (and any device) will be a "pain in the ass" apparently.

Apple haters need to realize that this stuff is not done very well or inexpensively on products that have been out for awhile now. That's not Apple's fault.
posted by Rothko at 5:21 PM on October 14, 2005

By $12.

Yes, that's right. So what you said before ("you will spend a $201 premium") is simply false.

And since you'll still need to translate TiVo video into a codec of one form or another to get it on the PMP-140

This is more than a bit disengenuous. You'll need to "translate" the TiVo video to MPG using TyStudio regardless, the point is that you'll have to reconvert that MPG into an MP4 if you plan on using the video iPod, whereas you can save yourself a (time consuming) step if your player natively handles MPG.

this stuff is not done very well or inexpensively on products that have been out for awhile now

Hilarious. Where's the FM tuner? Where's the lossless audio file playback? Where's the optical plug? Apple's convinced the teeming masses that real features and expandibility aren't nearly as important as a set of white headphones, and rewarded their blindly devoted followers of design dogma with electronic devices lacking such menial contrivances as user-replaceable batteries.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:46 PM on October 14, 2005

By $12.

Yes, that's right. So what you said before ("you will spend a $201 premium") is simply false.

Not really. You're getting 2/3rds the storage for the same price. Excuse me, for $12 less. My fault.

Meh. It's fashionable around Metafilter to dump on Apple.
posted by Rothko at 8:41 PM on October 14, 2005

I agree with a lot of what you say, C_D, but Apple does have a lossless audio format. Proprietary, though.

Still, it is fashionable to dump on Apple, isn't it.
posted by danb at 10:34 PM on October 14, 2005

It's fashionable around Metafilter to dump on Apple.

Consider it an overreaction on my part to undeserved fandom of any sort. I get the same way when I hear people gush about Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:28 PM on October 14, 2005

Hilarious. Where's the FM tuner?

Griffin iFM

Where's the lossless audio file playback?

Apple Lossless codec.

Where's the optical plug?

I'll give you this one if you can show me that a majority would use such an option with a portable device. With the exception of high-end MiniDisc players and recorders, portable devices generally don't offer digital outputs, simply because they are so infrequently if ever used.

Apple's convinced the teeming masses that real features and expandibility aren't nearly as important as a set of white headphones, and rewarded their blindly devoted followers of design dogma with electronic devices lacking such menial contrivances as user-replaceable batteries.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:46 PM PST on October 14 [!]

User-replaceable iPod batteries.
posted by Rothko at 1:22 AM on October 15, 2005

Early Adapters Always Get Screwed.

Wait six months and see what comes out next.
posted by black8 at 3:24 AM on October 15, 2005

It's fashionable around Metafilter to dump on Apple.

Actually, it's fashionable on Metafilter to want to give Steve Jobs a rimmer. This is a demographic that truly thinks their product choices showcase their individuality.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:50 AM on October 15, 2005

Apple Lossless codec.

I was thinking more FLAC or SHN or something not proprietary, but I'll give you that.

-Hilarious. Where's the FM tuner?
Griffin iFM

No, no, I've got it. Here's your FM tuner. Hooks right up. I mean, that's basically what you're talking about. A third party manufacturer solution to a problem, or rather, a difficiency in the Apple design. But then, there goes your beautiful design lines.

portable devices generally don't offer digital outputs

That's true, most don't--and I wouldn't expect Apple to rock the RIAA's boat. But then, some companies care about giving users options like digital input/output.

As for iPod batteries: look, you know very well what I'm talking about, so don't play stupid.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:40 AM on October 15, 2005

threadjack!

i've got a zodiac, which runs palmOS and has a 480x320 screen. sadly tapwave has gone out of business but you can still get them on ebay. TCPMP is a killer, free, open source app that can play pretty much any kind of video/audio on any palm machine, and it has hardware acceleration for the zodiac. using mencoder i've transcoded some kids movies - a 2hr movie comes out to about 250MB; the zodiac has 2 SD slots, so that means 2GB and about 8 movies for the kids.

back on topic, the place to learn about tivo video extraction is the dealdatabase.com forums. at least as far as the DirecTivo goes, you use a tool called TyTool to extract video. this is a windows program, but it runs under wine for any x86 linux head around.

as far as the link above describing TyStudio for OSX, my experience is that tystudio is abandonware. maybe things have changed in the recent past, i dont know. but you can use the mfs_ftp server on the tivo, which will let you extract shows with any old ftp client.
posted by joeblough at 9:09 AM on October 15, 2005

On topic:

From TiVo to iPod: Install TivoTool on your PowerBook and TiVo, fetch shows in MPEG2 format, edit with MPEG StreamClip to strip out the commercials. Then use either Quicktime Pro (w/ MPEG2 extension) or ffmpegX to convert the MPEG2 to 320x280 H.264 MP4.

From TiVo to DVD: use TivoTool to fetch shows in VOB format, then use the VOBs to burn to DVD.

TivoTool is a must-have for Mac users with TiVos.
posted by holgate at 9:14 AM on October 15, 2005

(TivoTool involves installing vserver on the TiVo itself. And having your TiVo networked. It's not too difficult, if you have basic command line skills.)
posted by holgate at 9:17 AM on October 15, 2005

I've extracted video from my Tivo (a sony DirectTV with Tivo unit). I've also downloaded shows using bittorrent. The bittorrent option is easier and (for me) results in shows of higher quality. The shows obtained via BT came from HD sources.

I can't speak on moving the video to an ipod, however. And at 320x240 I suspect HD becomes less important.

But I spent a few hours hacking my Tivo back in the day and I'd like to have those hours of my life back.
posted by phildog at 5:13 AM on October 17, 2005