TiVo just released version 2.3 of TiVoDesktop. This version is a long awaited upgrade which includes the ability to schedule transfers as well as the capability to convert TiVo recordings into a format that mobile devices such as an iPod, Treo & PSP can play. In order to perform this conversion, you will have to pay a one time fee of $24.95. According to TiVoPony, this fee is due to the fact that TiVo had to license some technology to do the conversion.
This is a great upgrade for anybody who wants to watch their TiVo recordings on a mobile device. TiVo has said that they would release this functionality however, it has been quite some time since we heard anything about it. I know that I am going to go home today and upgrade my system to this latest version. I’m most excited about the schedule transfer feature since I don’t own an iPod video or any other device which can playback video.
If you don’t want to pay $24.95 to get the upgrade, you could always use one of the free video conversion utilities such as AutoPilot, Videora or VEMode.
I’ve been beta testing this release and really enjoying the transfer ability. You should note that the transfer to a Windows Mobile device, like many of the current crop of PocketPC Cell phones like the T-Mobile MDA, doesn’t require the video conversion software. Windows Media does it for you. Instead you just right click on the downloaded show in the My Tivo Recordings folder on your PC, and select “Add to Sync List”. Windows automatically opens Windows Media player, with a sync window. Click on “Start Sync” and the recorded show is converted to a compressed format and transferred to the phone, or even to an SD card. It takes about 10 minutes to convert a one hour show, and a minute to copy to the SD card.
[...] (Thanks for the tip, Alex!) [...]
So my question would be, what does the converting to mpeg-4? Is it your computer or the TiVo? If the computer, we might as well stick with Videora for free. If the TiVo does, however, then it’s better because then I don’t need to clutter up my computer. Anyone know? Anyone tested this?
As much as it pains me to say it, Roxio My TV ToGO is a very nice product for converting. Mimics Media Center to some degree and features presets for converting Media Center or TiVO2go to Ipod, Pocket PC etc and they work very well.
I say “pains to me to say it” only because I haven’t cared much for anything this company has done in the past.
Wow, Tivo needs to suck more money out of customer’s pockets. All of this was free-and included- ages ago in MythTV.
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Looks like Mac users are screwed again.
Thanks for nothing, TiVo.
What’s a mac?
What’s a Oporto?
Why not just use ipodifier (www.ipodifier.com) It will automaticlly convert video for the iPod and also add it to iTunes and update the iPod. It also arranges shows nicely in iTunes. Check it out.
I paid for the Mac version 16 months ago on the promised it would be delivered in one month.
Where’s the value for my payment? or where’s my money back?
Does anyone at TiVo care?
With the TiVo To Go work with my Humax TiVo DVD-R?
(The FAQ says no, but some of the entries look kinda old).
Also, I want to convert to my Treo 700p and I’m trying to get some idea of how big the files will be after conversion.
Tahnk you.
I can’t tell about the file sizes on the 700P, but on the Windows Mobile phone Windows Media Player compresses them down to about 140mb per hour of video. The compression is done in the PC, and takes about 10 minutes to do an hour.
[...] read more | digg story June 22nd 2006 Posted to TiVo [...]
I’ve been running it for a few days and it keeps crashing. I just uninstalled and re-installed. We’ll see if it’s any more stable.