TivoToGo for Mac coming?

aricher · Sep 29, 2004

TivoToGo is the most promising digital TV archiving scheme I've seen. Sadly it looks like it's only going to be a PC service for awhile - their press release says it works with "Sonic Solutions MyDVD and CinePlayer applications," whiuch don't exist for the Mac. The only glimmer of hope in the press release is "TiVo expects that other software and hardware makers will develop additional capabilities in the future designed to work with "TiVoToGo."

I don't want to use my wife's PC or VPC to use this feature - I want a Mac solution and I want it NOW. I'm guessing that Apple will stay out of this realm for copyright lega reasons and the other companies on this path (ElGato) will also stay away fearing it will destroy their market share. Who on the Mac development side will step in to fill the void.

Link to TivoToGo press release

Update - after some poking around I found an article on MacCentral stating, "Turns out it's all good news. TiVo may have announced support for "PCs" because Sonic Solutions is working with them to make Windows software, but TiVo's also developing a Mac version of the software themselves. That's how much TiVo cares about the Mac -- and it should, since a little birdy tells me that roughly 15 percent of TiVo's customers are Mac users."

Nevermind - please remove thread - good things come to those who wait.

Dr. Dastardly · Oct 12, 2004

So anyone know when this will be released? I have been waiting for what seems like an eternity for this.

And will this be out with DirecTV tivo, or do I get screwed on this as well as disabled USB?

bbarnhart · Oct 12, 2004

Does the DirecTV TiVo support the home media options? That is where you can play your MP3's and view pictures from iPhoto on your TV. If not, then I suspect you will not get the TiVoToGo.

Dr. Dastardly · Oct 12, 2004

From what I understand is that it would work. But you need the USB ports active for media package to work. And DirectTV in their infinite wisdom chose to disable these usb ports. So I'm thinking your right and I won't be able to use it. Anyone else know for sure?

MacBandit · Oct 12, 2004

bbarnhart said:
Does the DirecTV TiVo support the home media options? That is where you can play your MP3's and view pictures from iPhoto on your TV. If not, then I suspect you will not get the TiVoToGo.

Yes all Tivo Series 2 recorders support the Home Media option.

Why would you think that they wouldn't support Apple if they don't support DirecTV?

bbarnhart · Oct 13, 2004

MacBandit said:
Yes all Tivo Series 2 recorders support the Home Media option.

Why would you think that they wouldn't support Apple if they don't support DirecTV?

The question is - Is the DirecTV TiVo unit Series2 compatible - and I don't think that it is. Does anyone here have a DirecTV TiVo and can comment on it. My TiVo is a stand-alone Series 2 unit. A while back I looked at switching from Dish Network to DirecTV just to get the units with TiVo, but I didn't switch. I think the reason why I didn't switch was because they weren't compatible and it didn't support the HMO.

MacBandit · Oct 13, 2004

bbarnhart said:
The question is - Is the DirecTV TiVo unit Series2 compatible - and I don't think that it is. Does anyone here have a DirecTV TiVo and can comment on it. My TiVo is a stand-alone Series 2 unit. A while back I looked at switching from Dish Network to DirecTV just to get the units with TiVo, but I didn't switch. I think the reason why I didn't switch was because they weren't compatible and it didn't support the HMO.

The latest DirecTivo models the one from Hughes are Series 2 units. I have a Sony DirecTivo and it's Series 1. I don't think there are any DirecTivo sold anymore that aren't from Hughes and they've been Series 2 for quite a while.

It's hard to beat a DirecTivo for recording quality as it doesn't compress the stream it just records it exactly as it comes from the Satellite.

bbarnhart · Oct 13, 2004

MacBandit said:
The latest DirecTivo models the one from Hughes are Series 2 units. I have a Sony DirecTivo and it's Series 1. I don't think there are any DirecTivo sold anymore that aren't from Hughes and they've been Series 2 for quite a while.

It's hard to beat a DirecTivo for recording quality as it doesn't compress the stream it just records it exactly as it comes from the Satellite.

I looked at tivocommunity.com and the DirecTV TiVo units do not have the home media option. That would mean that the DirecTV TiVo unit and a stand-alone TiVo unit would not be able to talk to one another.

Knowning this now for a fact, I doubt that the DirecTV TiVo units will be able to use TiVoToGo. But, we won't know for sure until TiVoToGo is release.

blackpeter · Oct 13, 2004

While it is true that the DirecTiVo units do not support Home Media Option, they still have two USB 2.0 ports like any other Series 2 TiVo.

Right now, there are zero uses for those ports, so I can only assume that they are there waiting for the day when Rupert and DirecTV finally come to an agreement with TiVo about Home Media. DirecTV probably wants a cut of Home Media revenue, just as they now receive a cut of other TiVo revenue.

Dr. Dastardly · Oct 13, 2004

tfaz1 said:
While it is true that the DirecTiVo units do not support Home Media Option, they still have two USB 2.0 ports like any other Series 2 TiVo.

Right now, there are zero uses for those ports, so I can only assume that they are there waiting for the day when Rupert and DirecTV finally come to an agreement with TiVo about Home Media. DirecTV probably wants a cut of Home Media revenue, just as they now receive a cut of other TiVo revenue.

The DirecTivo unit does have usb ports but DirecTV crippled the DVR and made the ports non functional. There is a hack for this but I wouldn't want to go through all that just to activate two stupid ports if an authorized version is on the horizon.

t300 · Oct 15, 2004

I spoke with a TiVo rep yesterday at the Digital Life show in NYC and he said that he can confirm TiVo ToGo for the Mac, BUT it might not come out when TiVo ToGo does, but he said that he knows that they are working on it.

LeeTom · Oct 15, 2004

I've never used Tivo (not a big TV person), but I'm curious why you all couldn't just use Elgato Systems' EyeTV. It does everything you want the Mac Tivo thing to do, right???

Lee Tom

emw · Oct 15, 2004

LeeTom said:
I've never used Tivo (not a big TV person), but I'm curious why you all couldn't just use Elgato Systems' EyeTV. It does everything you want the Mac Tivo thing to do, right???

Lee Tom

Not necessarily. EyeTV lets you use your Mac as a DVR, which is kind of nice, but I think it limits your ability to actually watch TV on a TV.

TiVoToGo allows you to move recorded programs to your Mac or PC on demand, and leave them and the rest of your programs on the TiVo box. Nice for the occasional porting around of a video.

What I don't know is if this option also allows you to burn a DVD of the stored video or not, which would be cool, or how much it will cost (HomeMedia is free, but I think the software for TTG will cost something).

Glad to see they will support the Mac, though...

bbarnhart · Jan 3, 2005

This was released today, but it is Windows 2000 or XP only. I think we all need to send them an e-mail telling them our dissatisfaction. They do not have e-mail support, but they do have a toll free number. It is 877-367-8486. Something tells me that number will be busy today.

emw · Jan 3, 2005

bbarnhart said:
This was released today, but it is Windows 2000 or XP only. I think we all need to send them an e-mail telling them our dissatisfaction. They do not have e-mail support, but they do have a toll free number. It is 877-367-8486. Something tells me that number will be busy today.

I'll be on the phone with you. I suppose I could run Virtual PC to do it, though... Hmmm, I'll give it a try and let you know if it works.

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