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Burning TiVo files to DVD was a nightmare for some users. You may have already recorded 170 hours shows with your TiVo HD DVR or others and did want to clear them. Did you wonder a good way to put these TiVo recordings into PC or burn to DVD? Did you also want a really clear, simplified, but detailed article to help you transfer TiVo shows to PC, then copy them to DVD and playing in DVD Player?
What You Need:
The basic requirements are very easy — a computer and a DVD-burner/Writer, TiVo DVR. Other important items you will need include the TiVo Desktop software, DVD burning/authoring software, TiVo Converter.
1. How to transfer TiVo shows to PC?
With the new TiVoToGo, you can transfer programs from TiVo box to your PC or laptop. Before you begin transfer TiVo shows to PC, please connect your TiVo DVR to your home network and the internet. Then follow the steps:
Step 1: Download TiVo Desktop software for the PC, and then launch TiVo Desktop.
Free download here: TiVo Desktop software.
Step 2: Click “Pick Recordings to Transfer.” A window could appear to show your TiVo DVR’s “Now Playing List”. Please check the box of the show (or shows) you want to transfer
Step 3: click “Start Transfer” to start transferring TiVo shows. Then the transferred the .tivo files could locate in My Documents\My TiVo Recordings in your PC.
Note: The TiVo Desktop software includes a TiVoDirectShowFilter.dll that is used to decrypt or unlock your TiVo shows using your MAK (Set when you install TiVo Desktop) to be viewed, converted, edited, transferred, or burned.
2. How to play TiVo shows on your PC?
In most cases, Windows Media Player in your PC could play MPEG-2 .tivo files. But sometimes you may not open it. For TiVo recordings are compressed using a format called MPEG-2; your Media Player needs a compatible MPEG-2 codec to use these files. There are several solutions:
Method 1. You can free download here: MPEG-2 Codec, or you can purchase a compatible DVD decoder from Plug-ins for Windows Media Player.
Method 2. You can use other free software media players—ZoomPlayer and WinAmp, which also could import and play your TiVo-recorded shows in lieu of WMP.
Method3. If you don’t have a compatible MPEG-2 codec, you can purchase TiVo Desktop Plus ($24.95), which includes a set of codecs including an MPEG-2 codec. It can also let you convert TiVo shows for playback on your iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, PSP or other compatible device, or to transfer compatible web videos to your TiVo DVR for viewing on your TV.
Method4. If you want a very easy but cover-all way, purchase Aunsoft TiVo Video Converter ($35), which is a powerful, all-codecs included software. It can help you convert all video/audio formats like TiVo, dvr-ms, MTS, M2TS, MOD, TOD, MKV etc to any other formats like MPEG, AVI, MP4, WMV, VOB, 3GP, DV, MOV, etc. I just use this way to convert TiVo files to my pc or other media players for playing.
3. How to burn TiVo recordings to DVD, copy TiVo to DVD, or convert TiVo to DVD?
Every road leads to Rome. And no matter for playing TiVo to PC, or burning TiVo to DVD, the first thing you must complete is to transfer TiVo shows to PC by using TiVo Desktop. And then burning DVD, you need a compatible DVD burner/Writer. Now I will introduce more than one way to let you successfully put your shows to your DVD, and play on PC or in a compatible DVD player.
Remember: If you simply save or copy your shows to a DVD, it will only allow you to play them on the PCs that have TiVo Desktop installed; Using some DVD creator or DVD authoring software like MyDVD, DVD Decrypter, or DVD Shrink, DVDStyler etc to create or author DVD that you can play on a DVD player.
Method (1). Some people like to use Nero ($59.99) for burning video to DVD; now Nero could let you burn kinds of video formats to Data DVD, which could be only play on PC. And it let you burn DVD folder with DVD menu or configuration to blank DVD for playing in DVD player. It is just DVD burner or DVD copy, not DVD creator. And Nero can not add .tivo directly, so you have to convert .tivo shows to .vob, or .mpg by using a utility software like Dirctshow Dump or Aunsoft Video Converter which could extract the content of .TiVo files as unprotected MPG files. Then you can burn a data DVD by using Nero.
Note: Dirctshow Dump is a free utility to extract the content of .tivo files as unprotected MPEGs. You can free download here: Free Directshow Dump.
Method (2). There are many roads to lead to Rome. You are really not limited to MyDVD, Roxio Creator 2010, VideoRedo, etc. If you let your TiVo files free by using one method like converting TiVo to MPEG using Dirctshow Dump, you have complete freedom to use any DVD editing/burning/authoring software you choose.
Method (3). I don’t like a way is too time-consuming and complicated, so after transfered TiVo shows to PC, I just use a professional video converter - Aunsoft TiVO Video Converter to convert my tivo shows to vob first, and then use Nero to burn a data DVD for playing on my PC, if I want to play on my DVD player, I just use DVDStyler, which is a cross-platform free DVD authoring application for the creation of professional-looking DVDs. It allows me not only burning of video files on DVD that can be played practically on standalone DVD player, but also creation of individually designed DVD menus. And it is Open Source Software and is completely free. You can download here: DVDStyler1.8.0 beta 2.
Thanks for reading such a long article. I just want to give you a hint and hope you find your own good enough way to burn your TiVo shows to DVD and play on PC or DVD player.
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