How can I encode DVDs to play on Tivo?

February 2, 2008 5:49 AM

Can I encode my dvd's for Tivo using Handbrake, MPEG streamclip or similar tool?

Does TiVO employ a compression scheme that one of these tools can out put DVDs to or is it proprietary? Or is there another, better way to rip DVDs so that I can load them up on my Tivo box (using the Tivo desktop)?

posted by psmealey to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

I use a combination of DVD Shrink and Videora's Tivo Converter. The key is to change the options in DVD Shrink so it doesn't split the VOB files into chunks, select just the main movie, and rip away. Then you give that resulting VOB to Videora and let it convert to the TiVo format. You can then move that file to the TiVo recordings folder on your desktop, and you should be ready to transfer it to your TiVo.
posted by shinynewnick at 6:26 AM on February 2, 2008

Best answer: Here's some instructions for preparing video for Tivo using Visualhub- it has a Tivo-specific setting, and will enable all the ... stuff that needs enabling. (I assumed you're on a Mac since you mentioned handbrake and streamclip.) I don't know if there's a way to get handbrake to encode properly for tivo- I don't see an mpeg-2 setting, and that's what it needs. If you use Mac the Ripper to rip the disc, Visualhub should be able to convert it. (I think streamclip will do it too, but Visualhub is really easy.)
posted by jessenoonan at 7:00 AM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ah, I assumed you had a mac and pc, I'm used to Streamclip on Windows.
posted by shinynewnick at 7:20 AM on February 2, 2008

Response by poster: I run TiVo Desktop on a PC, but all the video encoding software I have is on OSX.
posted by psmealey at 8:41 AM on February 2, 2008

I encode to DivX and then use TiVo.net (Windows only). Just throw your video files in a folder, and they automagically show up in the Now Playing menu on your TiVo. It can handle just about anything that Windows Media Player can play.
posted by indyz at 11:25 AM on February 2, 2008

If you're just wanting DVD-TiVo, then VisualHub will do the job: TiVo uses a foofed-about MPEG-2. If you're working with DivX/Xvid, Tivo.net is the dog's cojones: it uses ffmpeg (and can be watched more or less on-the-fly). For the PC, VOB2MPG might suffice.
posted by holgate at 2:14 PM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]