How to Transfer TV shows from your TiVo to Your Computer

Wouldn't it be cool to be able to watch your favorite Tivo'ed shows on your laptop? Here's how to give it a thumbs-up using "TiVotoGo"...

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• TiVo Series 2 DVR and subscription to the TiVo service
• A personal computer running Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or XP with Media Player 10 (downloadable at microsoft.com)and DirectX 9.0 or later
• 233 megahertz processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 25 MB free disk space for TiVo Desktop download
• at least 500 MB free disk space for downloaded TV shows
• A wired or wireless connection between your TiVo and your computer (using the outputs on the rear of the TiVo box)

1. Using your TiVo remote, press the top button to get to the main menu. Scroll down to "Messages and Settings," then press the right arrow key. On the Messages and Settings menu, scroll down to "Media Access Key" and press the right arrow key. There will be a number there. Write it down.
2. Now, go to your computer and at TiVo.com, download (for free) TiVo Desktop 2.3 and follow the prompts to install. They'll ask for your Media Access Key. Enter the number you jotted down, click okay.
3. You'll want to double-check that your TiVo box is set to allow transfers. So go to the "Manage my Account" section at TiVo.com/manage, click on "DVR preferences" and make sure the "Allow Transfers" box has a checkmark.
4. Click Start/Programs/TiVo Desktop to launch. There will also be an icon you can double-click on the task bar at the bottom of your screen next to the clock and one on your desktop too.
5. Click on "Pick Recordings to Transfer."
6. Now, it'll ask you which TiVo DVR you'd like to transfer shows from. (If you only have one box, it'll show you that one automatically.) Pick your desired TV program from the list, then click the "Start Transfer" button.
7. Get ready to wait -- a long time. If the show is an hour long, it'll most likely take an hour to load, depending on the speed of your connections. Click the "Transfer Status" button to see how things are progressing.
8. After the transfer is complete, open the TiVo Desktop and click on "Now Playing." Select your show, click, play and enjoy--you've got TiVotoGo!

Tips & Warnings

• If you encounter any problems, go to TiVo.com/troubleshooting.
• Be patient. TV shows take a long time to download or transfer.
• If you want to burn the transferred recordings to a DVD, you have to download another piece of software. The link is on the TiVo website.
• Mac users don't despair--TiVo has transfer info for you too on their site.