http://www.tivotool.com/index.htmlTivoTool Newsentivo@johnsolo.netCopyright 20052007-11-20T02:48:36-06:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:45:54 -0600tivo@johnsolo.netNews2007-11-20T02:48:36-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/1a17b6287d9564588a639278d70ffe2c-90.html#unique-entry-id-90http://www.tivotool.com/files/1a17b6287d9564588a639278d70ffe2c-90.html#unique-entry-id-90Here is the new version of TivoTool with Leopard compatibility. The app is a bit lighter because Camelbones, wxPerl and wxWidgets are no longer bundled. Camelbones has been removed as an app wrapper, and the wx libraries are now up-to-date on Leopard and dont require a newer bundled version. A couple people have mentioned that I should ask for donations, so here goes. Please use the Paypal link on the right and send whatever you feel appropriate. It is really appreciated here and can really help free up time to work on this more. Thanks for giving :)

Sourceforge download link
Google download link



]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-09-14T02:07:23-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/4675af4fe7f24b2d59b7bdb7e5d900af-89.html#unique-entry-id-89http://www.tivotool.com/files/4675af4fe7f24b2d59b7bdb7e5d900af-89.html#unique-entry-id-89New release to fix some high priority bugs and add remote vserver start/stop back in.
- Remote menu is back. Start and stop vserver from within TivoTool.
- New method to detect iTunes library location.
- Fix for crash when starting tivoserver
- 2 installer issues fixed. Should help people unable to install.
- Slight prefs GUI cleanups

Download here



The google code site has been really useful for me so far. I encourage everyone to continue using it to submit and keep track of bugs.

For a more informal way to interact, I've created a discussion forum. You should see that along the top of the page here. This is also hosted at google, so they can handle much of the administration - leaving more time for me to work on TivoTool.

I've gotten a few questions about the source code for TivoTool. If you didn't know already, you can use the "show package contents" context item on the TivoTool app to get the source code. Since TivoTool is written (mostly) in Perl, it is easy to hack on and modify. Video enthusiasts should check CommandLineController.pm to add their own command line options to FFMPEG, Mencoder, etc. I am also using SVN now, which includes the XCode Project files. Explaining SVN is beyond the scope of this post, but here is information on the TivoTool repository. You will need the apple development tools and camelbones to build TivoTool in XCode. Source code for helper programs like mplayer, vstream, etc, are not included. Those can be found at their respective websites (see credits).

Finally, a universal binary version of tivotool is coming soon! Stay tuned.

]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-09-01T00:54:08-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/659b09efd40de5c88207c79e1dcd5186-87.html#unique-entry-id-87http://www.tivotool.com/files/659b09efd40de5c88207c79e1dcd5186-87.html#unique-entry-id-87TivoTool 0.6.0 has been uploaded to sourceforge.net. =) Here is the download link. This is a beta version and may contain incomplete features and bugs. Please use the new Google Code site to report all issues you find. Note it is important to include what type of Tivo you have with bug reports.

New Features

• Download Scheduler
  
  • Automatically download your favorite recordings!
    
  • Recordings ready for you when you wake up - or whenever you choose.
    
  • In a variety of formats...
    
  • Uses UNIX standard cron daemon for rock-solid reliability.
  
  
• TivoServer GUI
  
  • If your Tivo has Multi-Room Viewing (MRV), you can transfer files from your Mac.
    
  • Allows you to transfer AVI, MP4, MPG and more to your Tivo!
    
  • TivoServer daemon will continue running even with TivoTool closed.
    
  • You need to be using the "superpatch" or equivalent on your tivo.
    
  
  
• Stream Seek
  
  • Jump right to the end of a recording, back to the beginning or anywhere in-between!
    
  • You can still use left and right arrow keys for small jumps, but now seek as far as you want with the drag of a slider.
    
  • Accompanying interface allows you to pause video and see the current time and position. Expect more functions here in the next version.
    
  • May not be compatible with all Tivo types.
    
  
  

Other New Features

• Delete recordings.
  
• Recording inspector - get detailed information about a recording including XML data.
  
• Auto-detect vserver on network (works on all models).
  
• All download dialogs have been updated with more information.
  
• Alternate mpeg2 and vob formats. Choose these if you have problems with the normal formats.
  
• List sorting faster and better with dates.
  
• Refresh listings on start
  
• Graphical toolbar.
  
• Complete code rewrite over 0.5.x. Code has been modularized and given a more object-oriented approach.
  

Other Notes:
DVD burning has been removed due to time constrains and compatibility issues. Over 50% of support emails were about DVD burning. Many of these issues are really outside of TivoTool's scope. You can still download .vob files which are dvd-compatible.
This version is a beta and will contains bugs. It has been m
ostly tested on a Series 2 standalone unit. For those not on the bleeding edge, you may want to hold off on this release. Please report any issues at our Google Code site.

Edit: There will be an Intel-compatible version coming. I don't have an Intel Mac but have some testers who do. If you are a developer who would like to help, please email me at tivotool(at)johnsolo.net.

Please support TivoTool's continued development. Bug-testers and developers are always welcome aboard! If you're an artist who wants to do a logo, that would be another great way to help. I could also use a shell account on an Intel Mac to do some builds on. Or if you're too busy you can always donate. :*)]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-08-31T20:31:19-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/5a03013cd361dcf7d9386342b146f663-88.html#unique-entry-id-88http://www.tivotool.com/files/5a03013cd361dcf7d9386342b146f663-88.html#unique-entry-id-88The website has gotten updated a bit in preparation for the new 0.6 beta being released soon. Screenshots are up for the new version, so you can get a look at the new features.

]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-06-28T00:43:09-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/67f44307d869ce713518bcf5219083a7-86.html#unique-entry-id-86http://www.tivotool.com/files/67f44307d869ce713518bcf5219083a7-86.html#unique-entry-id-86It seems the forum is now getting spammed big time, just like the wiki before it. So I have nuked it. I have absolutely zero tolerance or time for these bottom-feeders. This is my site, and there will be no spam on it. Sadly this brings user interaction to an all-time low. We started with the gloriously naive open wiki, then a user-signup restricted wiki, on to the forum and now we are left with just the blog comments. Well, better sites have lived off less.

Also would like to give you guys some quick dev notes on TT 0.6, basically to prove I'm working :)
- worked on stream gui layout.
- preferences integrated into new codebase
- added asynchronous dialog for muxing with mplex
- dvd work continues
These are just some of the things I have worked on this last week or two, it is not a feature list. I'll try to get more updates to you as the work continues.
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-05-30T22:28:32-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/82f55396eb0ac17d7242ede3c04ff46f-85.html#unique-entry-id-85http://www.tivotool.com/files/82f55396eb0ac17d7242ede3c04ff46f-85.html#unique-entry-id-85Hi, thanks for checking in with Tivotool :) Work continues in earnest on the DVD burning portion. Recently finished the new streaming stuff and on the road to a release, once the preferences get re-added to the new code base. The screenshots section of the website is also down for an overhaul. Your patience is really appreciated and thanks to everyone who has sent kind words my way recently. Speaking of that, I would like to take a second to answer some questions I've been getting through email lately. First the link to the superpatch script is fixed in the download section. Yes, TivoTool works on an Intel Mac. Sadly I can't answer questions on how to hack your unit or how to install things on your Tivo. It simply takes too much time per case and I end up spending time on system specific issues that aren't for the greater good in the long run. If you want to put video from your Mac to your Tivo (basically the opposite of TivoTool), then you need tivoserver. I did builds of the Mac version of this for a while; it's a great program. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-04-06T23:26:47-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/201b67a6570691161aeaddc1bdfda565-84.html#unique-entry-id-84http://www.tivotool.com/files/201b67a6570691161aeaddc1bdfda565-84.html#unique-entry-id-84Due to circumstances outside my control, the Wiki is down. The host is currently being contacted and we'll see if we can recover it. Please continue to search DDB for your Tivo hacking information. For better or worse, it remains the center of this community.

In TivoTool news, I would like to offer you a peek at what will definitely be in the next version. No announcements yet, but here is a picture of the new inspector feature.



It's been slow going these last few months. As the features get more complex, the time it takes to implement them grows. I have made progress with streaming video and in the next version of TivoTool you'll see some neat things you've never seen in any Tivo "hacking" software. I still believe vehemently that these are your recordings and it's stupid to pay again if you don't have to.

I have purchased videos from both iTunes and Google Video, and I bought them out of convenience. This is the market that is opening up here, quick impulse buys like fast food video. Though at $1.99 a pop, you can't use these services for a staple diet. Taking this metaphor probably too far, TivoTool is like bringing your own food to work for lunch. You have the ultimate in selection, it's actually cheaper and you've prepared it yourself.

Work continues on maximum flexibility for your shows.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-02-09T02:47:06-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/38524822feb58c048f9e1324c6df6d23-83.html#unique-entry-id-83http://www.tivotool.com/files/38524822feb58c048f9e1324c6df6d23-83.html#unique-entry-id-83Greetings fellow video enthusiasts. Just wanted to let you know I am alive and kicking. The TivoTool code is getting an object oriented makeover with the aim of increased stability and performance.

More information coming soon...]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2006-01-03T06:08:52-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/823959b2dd8cb9d7d0d6cb9c52d4a958-81.html#unique-entry-id-81http://www.tivotool.com/files/823959b2dd8cb9d7d0d6cb9c52d4a958-81.html#unique-entry-id-81The Wiki has been put back up after a thorough de-spamming (at the request of many users). Mediawiki lacks any kind of mass rollback, so I had to check each page manually. I have added some measures that may prevent this from happening again.

Now is as good of a time as any to remind you the wiki is merely a reference source and will never contain a complete walkthrough. One user did attempt documenting a semi-complete Mac-only walkthrough but that method is rare. Using a PC is the easiest and most well documented method of hacking the Tivo (sorry). So on your adventures, please use the wiki as a reference for new terms, etc.

Finally, remember that the wiki can be edited by *any* user (the spam should remind you of that...). All you have to do is click the edit button along the top of any page. Be bold in editing current content; removing or editing inaccurate content is almost as important as new information. Above all, don't be scared to edit a page, it's the whole point of the wiki!

A wiki is a publicly edited web site that anyone can contribute to. The most famous site running wiki software is Wikipedia.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-12-21T01:00:02-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/e04307272f78d5ed685eb385d61325d5-80.html#unique-entry-id-80http://www.tivotool.com/files/e04307272f78d5ed685eb385d61325d5-80.html#unique-entry-id-80A new version of TivoTool Linux has been released! Click here to download. The release notes offer information on what's new. More work is being done on the daemon mode; where tivotool will download specified shows automatically. Thanks again to lowlight for his great work. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-12-05T23:09:53-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/92e8b5acc1c67e2cd10b783d01f24f32-79.html#unique-entry-id-79http://www.tivotool.com/files/92e8b5acc1c67e2cd10b783d01f24f32-79.html#unique-entry-id-79This one consists mostly of new features.

0.5.7
----
- iTunes library folder now auto-detected for those with non-standard locations.
- Standalone MP4 download added.
- Mplex preferences added. This should help with HDTivo compatibility.
- Optional audio frequency transcode now applies to .vob files.
- Convert to 48khz also flattens to 2ch
- hdemux updated to 0.13. It is now the suggested demuxing engine.
- Other bugfixes and GUI cleanups.

In other news, posting in our forum is now the suggested way to get support. Please continue to use the wiki for general knowledge gathering and feature requests. Comments are always welcome.

Download 0.5.7 Now]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-27T20:19:36-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/ab0a303bd4ae32aa66cbd92a3afcab72-78.html#unique-entry-id-78http://www.tivotool.com/files/ab0a303bd4ae32aa66cbd92a3afcab72-78.html#unique-entry-id-78- Fix for iTunes download. 'tivo' was hardcoded as the hostname.

Download Now
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-27T17:36:37-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/e604907262a06bf2380a0ae97a7164bf-77.html#unique-entry-id-77http://www.tivotool.com/files/e604907262a06bf2380a0ae97a7164bf-77.html#unique-entry-id-77If you are having problems downloading with this new version, please trash your config file located in Home/Library/Preferences/tivotool.conf
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-26T19:24:52-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/c8b480b953dc4e8374381777b69dfd2b-76.html#unique-entry-id-76http://www.tivotool.com/files/c8b480b953dc4e8374381777b69dfd2b-76.html#unique-entry-id-760.5.5
----
- iTunes (mp4) download now much faster and more stable
- hdemux mode now supports Series 1 units.
- some a/v sync issues w/ hdemux mode fixed
- fixed framedrop option not being saved correctly
- please note: if you are running an end-padding script, the end of downloads may appear to freeze. It is still downloading, let it finish.

Download Now
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-25T05:15:30-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/6309782c3013270e8644b97cf89e2ca3-75.html#unique-entry-id-75http://www.tivotool.com/files/6309782c3013270e8644b97cf89e2ca3-75.html#unique-entry-id-75Contributer Lowlight has been working hard on the Linux version of TivoTool. The new version is up with a lot of changes.
It's great to see the Linux version getting some attention! Download it now and leave us feedback in the wiki. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-23T02:21:01-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/1864b9e67271ce5982075a6c008b849f-74.html#unique-entry-id-74http://www.tivotool.com/files/1864b9e67271ce5982075a6c008b849f-74.html#unique-entry-id-74The provider of our commenting system turned on moderation so there was a large queue of messages waiting. Moderation has been turned off so your comments should show up immediately.:)
In TivoTool news, a new version is coming out shortly that fixes iTunes mode for some people. It will also contain a significant speed improvement when saving to iTunes. Hdemux also got updated thanks to bcc. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-18T00:49:00-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/f36a7f3f05255c9c3e28f4fbe6a15750-72.html#unique-entry-id-72http://www.tivotool.com/files/f36a7f3f05255c9c3e28f4fbe6a15750-72.html#unique-entry-id-72Bugfixes related to MPEG2 and Streaming. Suggested upgrade for all users.

Download Now]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-16T20:54:00-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/f9882e253f3bd9f251dce9fc39f27498-70.html#unique-entry-id-70http://www.tivotool.com/files/f9882e253f3bd9f251dce9fc39f27498-70.html#unique-entry-id-70If you are still having problems with your listings, please delete your tivotool configuration file. This file is located in Home/Library/Preferences/tivotool.conf. Some support binaries (see credits page) were moved to a private folder so we don't conflict with other programs. Your preferences file may still be pointing to the old location; removing it will reset it to the correct location next time you start TivoTool.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-12T16:13:00-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/075d83965ab241832cbd43936416fdce-65.html#unique-entry-id-65http://www.tivotool.com/files/075d83965ab241832cbd43936416fdce-65.html#unique-entry-id-65What's new in this version?

0.5.2
----
- Fixed resizing with iTunes mode. 0,0 in resize prefs will default to iPod compatible 320x240. Otherwise it will use what you enter.
- Added ability to drop frames while streaming (helps on slow computers)
- Added denoising option. It can only be used with de-interlaced video.
- Temp tivolisting files now saved to ~/Library/Caches
- Support binaries now installed to /Library/Application Support/
- TMF file download option
- Various GUI polish, more tooltips.

Download Now

Edit: If you cannot refresh your listings, please redownload this version. A broken version was available for a few hours, and you may have downloaded it. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-03T19:56:00-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/48aa05909fea7cbf8274c7d753d0a90a-63.html#unique-entry-id-63http://www.tivotool.com/files/48aa05909fea7cbf8274c7d753d0a90a-63.html#unique-entry-id-63Two bugfixes related to the second (compression) step.

Download]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-11-02T04:58:00-06:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/d12ca07b6dd95dcc3c918645e90457c2-61.html#unique-entry-id-61http://www.tivotool.com/files/d12ca07b6dd95dcc3c918645e90457c2-61.html#unique-entry-id-61TivoTool 0.5.0 has just been uploaded. Here is the changelog:

- "Add to iTunes" now produces iPod compatible video.
- Audio sync issues with iTunes video fixed.
- iTunes video quality improved greatly.
- Control bitrate of iTunes videos in "Video" section of preferences.
- Some metadata is now added to iTunes videos.
- Another burning change for UK tivos (transcode mode).

As you can see, the bulk of this update is related to video iPod compatibility. It's been a really exciting time lately, with all the announcements from Apple. Many people were wondering about the new iPod: great but where is the video content? Desperate Housewives and Lost are good shows, but let's face it we need more content to make the new iPod a success. The Tivo is an obvious choice for hours and hours of content that we already own. It is waiting night and day to get what we want, or even what it thinks we might want. This is exactly the kind of device the video iPod needs access to.

They can now work together, with TivoTool. In fact iTunes was being used as a video library by TivoTool months before this flurry of activity. The catch is that you need a "hacked" Tivo. Right now this is the only way to get unencrypted video directly onto a Mac. As you are probably aware, there is no TivoToGo for Mac and therefore no decryption routines. We'll see what comes of this, the ball is in TiVo's court.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-10-19T02:12:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/46d95bc6698d76201a9cbaa495d00679-59.html#unique-entry-id-59http://www.tivotool.com/files/46d95bc6698d76201a9cbaa495d00679-59.html#unique-entry-id-59Another bugfix release, here are the details:

0.4.11
----
- Crash on Series 1 downloads fixed.
- Cropping while streaming and downloading fixed.
- Can now choose demuxing engine in prefs.
- Progress meter on hdemux download corrected.
- Column sizes and window size/position have better defaults.


I also changed the numbering scheme slightly. I'm aware of the audio sync issue in iTunes, and will research it soon. Thank you for your patience on the road to 0.5.0.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-10-17T02:06:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/cbe798e3a8a0dc58ee050ddfef8990f6-58.html#unique-entry-id-58http://www.tivotool.com/files/cbe798e3a8a0dc58ee050ddfef8990f6-58.html#unique-entry-id-58A bug affecting most people has been identified and fixed. Thank you for your help. The new version is 0.4.9.1. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-10-16T18:33:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/c1449e99c8b5adfecb9c08ae0b6b510a-57.html#unique-entry-id-57http://www.tivotool.com/files/c1449e99c8b5adfecb9c08ae0b6b510a-57.html#unique-entry-id-57The announcement on the 12th was a big deal for the future of entertainment. The lines of consumer freedom are being redrawn - again. I truly strive to change this balance by making it easy to work with the content you have already paid for. With that, I proudly present the new version of TivoTool.


What's New
-----

0.4.9
----
- Quicktime/iTunes compatible MP4 files are now output in iTunes mode (instead of MPEG2 like we used to do it). This means you _don't_ need the Quicktime MPEG2 component and you _don't_ need Quicktime Pro to create iTunes compatible MP4 files. As always, multiple files can be selected for batch jobs overnight. Quality control and more is coming.
- DVD Burning code rewritten to allow for transcoding of audio (fixes UK Tivos).
- Streaming cache more aggressively filled, should see less skipping. With a large cache and a fast enough network, commercial skipping is now viable (use the right arrow key).
- Demuxing engine changed from vsplit to hdemux. Remux is now done with mplex and (audio) transcoding with ffmpeg.
- Fixed end of .wav files being cut off.
- Two pass avi encoding problem fixed.
- iTunes mode now a button instead of a preference.
- Will check if vserver is running before any processing.
- Continued code cleanups and organization to make future features easier to add.
- No longer complains about stream_transcode and stream_deint in console.log
- Log size is checked, and deleted if >300k.
- Log entries are now time-stamped as well.
- New version of mencoder backend.
- Remember window position, column width and size between sessions.
- Audio encoding to MP3 in AVIs for better compatibility.
- Check if vserver is up every 60 seconds
- Dialogs should be a bit more responsive, with less beachballing all around.
- Cache size now only up to your available free ram (to avoid disk thrashing).
- Feedback when dvdauthor and mkisofs run
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-10-15T02:18:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/447ef1b2ca97482d281b468753a1caea-56.html#unique-entry-id-56http://www.tivotool.com/files/447ef1b2ca97482d281b468753a1caea-56.html#unique-entry-id-56Quiet means busy in this case. It's been a while since the last update, but don't fear, TivoTool 0.5 is coming soon.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-09-08T19:51:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/16c9dc4777925a723e6e7514d7490d30-54.html#unique-entry-id-54http://www.tivotool.com/files/16c9dc4777925a723e6e7514d7490d30-54.html#unique-entry-id-54I just tested TivoTool on the new iTunes and it works great. Here is a screenshot:

]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-09-03T23:50:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/77b1f0c1e43ebe1150480447fa601177-52.html#unique-entry-id-52http://www.tivotool.com/files/77b1f0c1e43ebe1150480447fa601177-52.html#unique-entry-id-520.4.3 has been released with a bug fix related to the vserver preference. One new feature has been added to preferences which lets you start playing before the cache is full. This means commercial skipping is more viable for those with fast connections. The help links have been updated for the new Wiki as well. Still looking at some issues with the vserver status item not detecting vserver. This upgrade is strongly suggested for anyone running 0.4.2.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-09-03T19:51:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/b179cd4fecf47655d17efb49a818c9d2-49.html#unique-entry-id-49http://www.tivotool.com/files/b179cd4fecf47655d17efb49a818c9d2-49.html#unique-entry-id-49The new Tivo Wiki is up, check it out here. Some things to keep in mind:
• You now have to signup for an account to edit pages. This is for anti-spam purposes. The signup process is easy, so go for it.
• Be Bold. It's your page.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-09-03T18:15:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/d5b5cae6e2ac6725901f3d9a6a32126a-48.html#unique-entry-id-48http://www.tivotool.com/files/d5b5cae6e2ac6725901f3d9a6a32126a-48.html#unique-entry-id-48Here is what's new:
- If you have 7.x on your Tivo and vserver is running, TivoTool should now work out of the box without any configuration. Everyone else still needs to go into preferences and enter their IP address.
- Starting and stopping vserver more flexible. It is a good idea to make sure the vserver and busybox locations are correct to use the remote functionality of TivoTool. Check preferences.
- Double clicking now starts a stream.
- Statusbar now shows whether vserver is running.
- Various GUI tweaks, minor bug fixes, and code cleanups.
- Station Name column
- MPEG4 bitrate now goes down to 128 for portable devices]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-08-30T22:32:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/38534aecac99e6586a8561e41cfc9eac-42.html#unique-entry-id-42http://www.tivotool.com/files/38534aecac99e6586a8561e41cfc9eac-42.html#unique-entry-id-42As many people have noticed, the Wiki has been locked. It received quite a spamming, which I was frankly expecting eventually. I already have different Wiki software in place and the articles are being moved over. The new Wiki will require registration to post, which I think is reasonable. The new backend is MediaWiki which is what runs Wikipedia.

0.4.2 will be released this week with more bug fixes, and some new features related to controlling vserver.

In other news:
Tivo profits
DTV has "no bone to pick with TiVo"
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-08-18T03:17:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/cf18dc3fad8473523997b34e87470feb-40.html#unique-entry-id-40http://www.tivotool.com/files/cf18dc3fad8473523997b34e87470feb-40.html#unique-entry-id-40Here is what's new:

- Fixed burning multiple shows with no episode title.
- You can now transcode audio while streaming. Should fix streaming audio problems on UK Tivos.
- Minor GUI cleanups and code cleanups.
- Downloads section of webpage cleaned up a bit, added new vserver downloads. These binaries may work better if you are having problems.

Download it here or from our downloads sections.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-08-10T03:01:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/85f2f751368baf5bb6652e74835852c8-38.html#unique-entry-id-38http://www.tivotool.com/files/85f2f751368baf5bb6652e74835852c8-38.html#unique-entry-id-38• I've had a lot of people mention this to me. Yes, I'm applying, even though I am under-qualified. Why? Well, why not. =)

• Have not seen this mentioned elsewhere.. Tivo has recently struck a deal with a collective of "small- to mid-size cable companies". In other news, small cable companies.

• TivoTool work continues. Some slight window size fixes when sorting columns, audio transcoding while streaming, and other minor bugfixes. 0.4.1 will be released soon with these fixes and more.

• Added a Tivo Models page to the Wiki. This lists all the tivo models I could find on the net, organized by series. Each model number can have discussions or any other content added to it. Please add to it if you feel strongly about the organization of tivo hacking knowledge. A similar exhaustive listing of software versions will probably be added soon. I hope this kind of reference can be helpful to developers as a sort of hardware profile database. I also want to thank Designbot and Machem, two Tivotool users who have really helped out on the Wiki.

• We have a sourceforge project going up soon. This means the download links will soon be mirrored around the world. The file download section will get a revamp when that is all in place. ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-08-05T06:27:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/f9e91d0bd7c5c4ba59afce3d0f4c0785-36.html#unique-entry-id-36http://www.tivotool.com/files/f9e91d0bd7c5c4ba59afce3d0f4c0785-36.html#unique-entry-id-36Version number jump to signify added features and lack of crash bugs.

•First and most noticeable, the list got a revamp. The font now matches most OSX applications. Columns are now sortable, and the column headers are now the correct height. Listings now save to disk between sessions as well.

•DVD burning bugs squashed. Some videos were cutting out early. It appeared that the vobs were the correct size but the disk image was not finishing. Changed the way I called mkisofs and things are looking good. DVD burning should be really solid!

•You will notice a menu called "Remote". This will allow you to execute common commands as if you typed them at your Tivo's console. First, the vserver start and stop commands are hardcoded and will be modified as I get feedback from users for maximum flexibility. There is a dialog that will explain the suggested locations and names for vserver and busybox. Check the wiki for feedback and an explanation of what busybox is.

•The second and more exciting part is the addition of remote macros. Right now there are four slots available. Clicking one of the menu items executes the macro on the tivo (technically against it's bash shell). Check in preferences for some starter macros. Command output is returned in a window. There will be a special section in the wiki shortly where you can share useful macros and tips. Especially useful and unique macros may get added as permanent menu items.

•Real-time de-interlacing & cropping while streaming. Simply turn it on in preferences. Your MPEG4 crop settings are used when streaming. This makes it easy to preview how your final MPEG4 movie will look. You don't have to wait an hour only to realize there is a 1 pixel line of noise across the bottom of the screen. Simply stream what you plan to encode first and tweak as necessary.

•Various minor bugfixes, cleanups. Added some debugging for the outstanding bugs probably related to international tivos, or other model related issues. In a short while there will be sections in the wiki for each model number of tivo. Organizing information by model will be encouraged in the coming weeks.
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-25T04:41:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/6298a044cfe0bd85e4079ad8be6996a0-23.html#unique-entry-id-23http://www.tivotool.com/files/6298a044cfe0bd85e4079ad8be6996a0-23.html#unique-entry-id-23 What's New-
- List nearby devices in prefs using Bonjour. Note: As far as I know, only Tivos with software version 7.x support this.
- Can now output .m2v/.wav for iMovie compatibility
- VOB output for easy editing->burning
- A new dialog when starting a burn: you can select the burn order.
- Bandwidth meter should be 4 chars wide now
- Internal code cleanups for any developers checking out the source
- Some GUI tweaks.

Thanks a lot for your continued support. If you want to contribute to the MacTivo community, check out the Tivo Wiki and add some information to the topics, or add your own topic. When you started exploring, it was pretty daunting, wasn't it? Pulling that drive out the first time is really stressful, and many won't try it. We should try to lower that barrier of entry if we aren't going to get TTG on the Mac. To that end heres a good site listing a lot of guides.

[Link to guides] ]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-22T17:55:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/4f2f86a323d9ac31958e621705c485a3-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.tivotool.com/files/4f2f86a323d9ac31958e621705c485a3-16.html#unique-entry-id-16New methods to display ads, GM and WB appear happy. Still no TTG for Mac, and Tivo Desktop is still broken in Tiger. Will they have to push a new software version for this feature?
[Story]
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-22T00:02:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/e852150b8ceebc4d79f0a5076af6e40a-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.tivotool.com/files/e852150b8ceebc4d79f0a5076af6e40a-15.html#unique-entry-id-15There were some problems with the 0.2.1 file in the downloads section. That has been fixed.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-18T17:03:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/fe47c113a5a4531c2a47594bafa6a215-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.tivotool.com/files/fe47c113a5a4531c2a47594bafa6a215-13.html#unique-entry-id-13You can now download vserver from our downloads section. This program needs to be started on the Tivo for Tivotool to work.

If you are interested in editing recordings, I have created this Wiki page:
EditingMPEG2

The internal development build now has support for .m2v/.wav. These two files can be dropped into iMovie if you want to use that for editing. The next released version will include this feature. Please read the above article for all editing caveats.
]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-16T01:44:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/5ea52c4c134bd9aff91b7a6af70c0d16-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.tivotool.com/files/5ea52c4c134bd9aff91b7a6af70c0d16-9.html#unique-entry-id-9Saving to remote volumes should work much better now.

Here's what else is new:
- Fixed: Couldn't use iTunes integration after downloading MPEG4.
- Compatibility fix for some Series 1 Standalone units.
- Bandwidth status should show 4 digits now.
- Save location now accomodates more text and resizes for long directories.

]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-15T00:30:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/ae236c51b6982192f5cc6ca8ccbc00f0-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.tivotool.com/files/ae236c51b6982192f5cc6ca8ccbc00f0-8.html#unique-entry-id-8This is a bugfix release for some S1 and S2 DTivo owners.]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-14T20:21:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/98064ef234dc40a95645ba7b903363d6-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.tivotool.com/files/98064ef234dc40a95645ba7b903363d6-6.html#unique-entry-id-6A wiki has been added for Tivotool support and any Tivo "hacking" knowledge you want to add to it. I will add some of my notes shortly which should be a good start. If you don't know what a wiki is, it's a sort of webpage where anyone can change the content. Be bold; start adding to it any notes you've gathered. The Tivotool documentation and support will also reside in this Wiki. Feel free to add to these sections as well.

More information about Wikis and Wiki syntax >>]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-12T06:33:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/582b0f82fbe99fb325b89172b82837b6-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.tivotool.com/files/582b0f82fbe99fb325b89172b82837b6-3.html#unique-entry-id-3I know you guys and gals can't read this yet, but I just finished the MPEG4 stuff. You have options for de-interlacing, cropping, resizing, and one/two passes. Something of note, there is no intermediary file required for this process, the video is converted on-the-fly to MPEG4. That adds MPEG4 to the list of video types we can save to. That rest of that list is MPEG2, .m2v/.m2a, and .ty. In DVD burning mode you can also save a .DMG of the video, or videos you select (without committing to a burn).

You might be curious about the iTunes integration. Right now you need the Quicktime MPEG2 component for this to work. When turned on in options, it sends your videos to a special "Tivo Recordings" playlist. From there, play the video right inside iTunes, make your own playlists, rate your videos, give them more metadata for searching, etc.

]]>tivo@johnsolo.netNews2005-07-09T18:40:00-05:00http://www.tivotool.com/files/ddcc8fcc6096811ad818c669bddd02e8-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.tivotool.com/files/ddcc8fcc6096811ad818c669bddd02e8-0.html#unique-entry-id-0couple more things to add ]]>