Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Video, Cool tools, Freeware, Widget Watch
Widget Watch: Showcase your TiVo's content on your Mac
TiVoToGo was shipped almost exactly a year ago for Mac, but Showcase seemingly does almost everything TTG does, and is available in simple widget form for the low, low price of free. A few users say it's a little slow (not surprising, given that it's doing all of this stuff from a widget interface, not a full application), but if, unlike me, you did have people who loved you enough to get you a TiVo HD this year, it's definitely worth a download.
Thanks, Dave!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
JohnK said 5:45PM on 1-01-2008
The download link on the referenced page doesn't work. It can't be downloaded from Apple's site either.
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Ed said 5:47PM on 1-01-2008
Sounds cool, wish I had a tivo to try it out with...
Also, I think you mean MAC, not MAK.
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maybesew said 5:49PM on 1-01-2008
Nope, its MAK, media access key. its a tivo thing.
Erik Sagen said 5:49PM on 1-01-2008
He's referring to the MAK, or Media Access Key, which is a layer of security for media transfers.
Ed said 5:56PM on 1-01-2008
Oh, silly me. Thought it was mac as in networking.
David said 5:57PM on 1-01-2008
Let's get it running straight to the iPod Touch and iPhone and we're in business! That'd be sweet!
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Dave said 11:46PM on 1-01-2008
I wanted the same thing and what I found that works well for not only fixing the files not playing in quicktime problem and getting them to play on a iPhone/touch is iSquint. You just drag the file into iSquint and it converts it to mp4 and in ipod format.
Simon said 6:11PM on 1-01-2008
The widget connects easily to my tivo, but after downloading a show, quicktime tells me that the .mpg file is not a movie file. What am I doing wrong???
(Macbook with Leopard 10.5.1)
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Josh said 6:27PM on 1-01-2008
Try playing the file with VLC. In order to get the file to play inside QuickTime, you might need to install the Quicktime MPEG-2 plug in.
Roger Price said 6:29PM on 1-01-2008
Nice widget! I just wish it would toggle between tivos easier.
Tivo Decode Manager (as well as the more costly Toast) will convert the files to m4v and pop them into iTunes for you.
http://tdm.sourceforge.net/
(it hasn't been updated in a year or so, but still works well)
The decoded MPEG-2 files from the Tivo aren't compatible with Quicktime with or without the plugin. VLC plays them fine.
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Josh said 6:34PM on 1-01-2008
FWIW, I can confirm that video files extracted from a *hacked* TiVo (or DirecTiVo) play fine inside QuickTime Player, with the MPEG-2 plug-in installed.
Josh said 6:30PM on 1-01-2008
This widget has been out for more than a year, even before TTG for Mac was released, I believe. It doesn't seem to work with Series 3 TiVos and the latest software, however. I use Roxio Toast Deluxe instead. For another free alternative, check out TiVo Decode Manager:
http://tdm.sourceforge.net/downloads.html
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eric f. said 11:08AM on 1-02-2008
It does work with series 3. I just tried it on an HD program from the CW (don't judge me on that one).
You might not be using the newest version, or you may have tried it on a program that is transfer restricted.
ben said 7:00PM on 1-01-2008
so is there DRM on the content (say for broadcast network content and then for content from HBO - HD) that gets downloaded to a computer; if so, is it easily strippable?
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eric f. said 11:10AM on 1-02-2008
No there is no DRM. Tivo files are in a .Tivo format normally, which will play without conversion in Toast video player. f you want it to play on something else, it can be converted.
eric f. said 11:12AM on 1-02-2008
HD content will play fine without conversion using VLC.
Simon said 7:14PM on 1-01-2008
Thanks for your help everybody. I downloaded VLC, and the files now play fine. Awesome!
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John Hopper said 7:32PM on 1-01-2008
Glad you guys like the widget... A newer version with better Series3 compatibility will be released sometime soon. And yes, you need VLC or mplayer to play the files.
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DJ said 10:01PM on 1-01-2008
I downloaded the widget, entered my IP & MAK and saw my TiVo 3 HD now playing list. Woohoo! But, when trying to download, it says "0% done" then immediately goes to "download complete". I get a 0 sized file. I'm running OS X 10.5.1 and my TiVo is running the 9.2a update. Any thoughts/help?
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eric f. said 11:06AM on 1-02-2008
That is most likely because the program you chose has copy protection on it. I have Toast Titanium, and in Tivo to Go you can see the red circle with a slash through it, meaning "cannot be transferred". Showcase does not show the symbol, but when I tried it on one of those files that I know are restricted, I got the immediate "file complete" with a 0k file. that's all it is.