10 replies to this topic

[ProfM3]

I am trying to transfer movie files from my Mac to my TiVo but many larger files seem to stop after transferring 80-90% of the file.  The exact place it stops is consistent and smaller files seem to transfer OK.  The problem appears to be with HD files (mp4, mov or mkv format) that are ~4G or larger on my Mac.  When transferred to the TiVo they are larger, is there a file size limit in using Mac2Tivo?  My TiVo has plenty of space.

Note:  I am using a MacPro running Mac OS X 10.6.4 and a TiVoHD.

Edited by ProfM3, 13 September 2010 - 03:10 PM.

[jcmet]

ProfM3, on 13 September 2010 - 03:05 PM, said:

I am trying to transfer movie files from my Mac to my TiVo but many larger files seem to stop after transferring 80-90% of the file.  The exact place it stops is consistent and smaller files seem to transfer OK.  The problem appears to be with HD files (mp4, mov or mkv format) that are ~4G or larger on my Mac.  When transferred to the TiVo they are larger, is there a file size limit in using Mac2Tivo?  My TiVo has plenty of space.

Note:  I am using a MacPro running Mac OS X 10.6.4 and a TiVoHD.

I have the same issue...can we get some help here???

[tsantee]

Are you trying to transfer them to an external hard drive? If so I wonder if the drive is formatted MS-DOS (FAT) for a PC rather than for Mac.

[Plugot]

I just installed Mac2Tivo and it won't transfer video TS files. When I try to load MPEG4 files, the Mac2Tivo rejects it. Same if I try to use the add button, it shows these files in gray, but will allow me to place video TS files into the transfer window. The files just don't show up under my computer name on the Tivo Now Playing list. My Tivo-Mac connection is working as I can stream my iTunes library to the Tivo, and the Tivo Transfer works (TIVO shows to Mac), but not the other way around. I have emailed Roxio tech support, but judging by many forum comments, Hell will freeze over before these bozos respond.
Has anyone figured out a better method or different file type? I use Handbrake, which can convert my video TS files into other formats.
Any help would be useful. Thanks

Edited by Plugot, 25 September 2010 - 08:24 AM.

[tsantee]

Plugot, on 25 September 2010 - 08:24 AM, said:

I just installed Mac2Tivo and it won't transfer video TS files. When I try to load MPEG4 files, the Mac2Tivo rejects it. Same if I try to use the add button, it shows these files in gray, but will allow me to place video TS files into the transfer window. The files just don't show up under my computer name on the Tivo Now Playing list. My Tivo-Mac connection is working as I can stream my iTunes library to the Tivo, and the Tivo Transfer works (TIVO shows to Mac), but not the other way around. I have emailed Roxio tech support, but judging by many forum comments, Hell will freeze over before these bozos respond.
Has anyone figured out a better method or different file type? I use Handbrake, which can convert my video TS files into other formats.
Any help would be useful. Thanks

This should have been posted as a new topic. Look in Mac2Tivo help for supported formats and make sure your videos are in one of those formats. Also be sure to have version 1.1 of Mac2TiVo if you have a TiVo Premiere.

[drmariner]

I am having a similar problem.  

1) I have two large files (3.8GB and 8.9GB).  These files stop transferring repeatedly at the exact same file size (1.97 and 4.27 GB, respectively).  The files play just fine, but cut off over half of the program.

2) All my other transfers cut off the last 3-5 minutes of the program, regardless of file size (384MB to 1.4GB).  

I have not been able to get a single show to fully transfer.  

I have a TiVo Series 2.  I've tried using Toast 9 on a MacBook Pro OSX 10.4.11 and a friend's Toast 10 on a MacBook Pro OSX 10.6.4.  I have installed updates for both versions of Toast.  In the past I was able to transfer complete shows with Toast 9.    

I contacted Roxio customer service 48 hours ago and have gotten no response.  I contacted TiVo customer support and they tried a 3-way call with Roxio but told me Roxio will charge me $1.89/minute for support.  

Any ideas?  Solutions?  Has anyone been able to get support from Roxio?

[ErichMMahr]

I've experienced he same issue. After about 80% transfer it stopped. It happen to both my TiVo premier boxes. Called TiVo support which pointed me towards Roxio support.

Anybody heard anything?

[tsantee]

ErichMMahr, on 24 November 2010 - 01:56 PM, said:

I've experienced he same issue. After about 80% transfer it stopped. It happen to both my TiVo premier boxes. Called TiVo support which pointed me towards Roxio support.

Anybody heard anything?

Can you provide a more detailed description? I haven't encountered this so I don't know what my be the cause. Is this with both HD and SD videos? Does it matter how long they are? Are you connected wireless or wired? What model Mac and what version OS X? What happens when it stops? Is it playable but is missing some of the content? Anything else you think might help describe this?

[vk5kg]

jcmet, on 20 September 2010 - 10:31 AM, said:

I have the same issue...can we get some help here???

I have been battling this same problem for some time and recently solved it (at least for myself) and also solved another problem along the way!

The cause of the problem I was having relates to the fact that the video I wanted to upload to TiVo was 25 fps (ie PAL scanning rate) because that is the normal type of TV in Australia where I live.  What is generally not known about the TiVo is that it can ONLY playback videos that are compressed using the same algorithm as is used for broadcast TV in the country in which it is intended - ie MP2 in US and Australia, and (presumably) MP4 in NZ etc.  Since the TiVo has no native ability to re-compress video, that must be done by the computer which is being used to upload the video to the TiVo - indeed re-compressing is major part of the job to be done by the likes of Mac2Tivo etc.

But what if (and I'm guessing here) the Software Developer of Mac2Tivo (and again I'm assuming) lived in USA; he or she would naturally test the software with locally available video (ie NTSC or at least 30 fps video) and may not have given much thought as to other types of video.  In fact I believe that is just what happened, so as part of its encoding functionality, Mac2TiVo also converts all incoming video to 30 fps by periodically duplicating frames which when played back on the TiVo results in jerky motion.

To prove to myself that this was what was happening, using Mac2TiVo I uploaded some 25 fps video that had burnt-in time-code so I could step through the resulting video frame by frame on the TiVo and sure enough I saw duplicated frames (and also some missing frames curiously).  And to make sure of what I was seeing I down-loaded the same video back to my computer and sure-enough it showed as having a frame rate of 30 fps (actually 29.97 fps - but that's another story!)

So, let's pull all this together.  I believe that there is a "bug" in the Mac2TiVo code (it's the same bug that's in TiVo Desktop that runs on Windows boxes to do the same task) that calculates the duration of the video in frames (at 25 fps) but then once it has duplicated frames etc to produce an upload at 30 fps, uses the previously calculated total to signal when the upload is complete; this results in the upload quitting prematurely!  

So what can be done I hear you ask?  Well, as far as Mac2TiVo and other software that was developed and tested in the USA without thorough testing, nothing!  Unless you know the Software Developer and get him/her to check their code!

However, there IS software freely available that will work, that won't quit partway, and will produce smooth motion video.  It's called "pyTiVo" and it's available for free download at...
http://code.google.com/p/pytivox/

It worked for me!

[kafelatte]

Well, I live in the US, and suffer incomplete transfers as well, but although most stop at about 85%, some don't even hit 10%.
I have done much better by just transferring via the web browser, but off course those only work one at a time. Most of the open source tools also worked, but I'll check out the Tivox to see if it does queued transfers.
Of late I tried from both MacPro SnowLeo FW800 and MacMini Leo, FW400-800, to Raid 1 mirrored drive.
I did note that deleting failed transfers, watching the Tivo, or Tivo recording shows all had an adverse effect on active transfers. So far the only value to this product is just the Toast Video Player.
I'm giving Toast once last shot, transferring a single movie, with Tivo fairly dormant (can't stop live TV recording I suppose). 4 hours to go. SPPLLLTTT.
I want direct access to the Tivo Drive via a shared volume mount so I can just play or transfer direct.
I want to be able to delete recordings via an internet connection.
Oh, to be a hacker...

[BrainManiac]

Personally,you must give us specific description so we can help you out. Don't run around the bush be concise.