How to Extract TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder that offers higher picture quality and more navigating options than a typical DVR. It can control live television as if it were a movie and record multiple programs, saving over 45 hours of video. With appropriate software, you can extract these recordings from the TiVo and download them to a computer.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Connect the TiVo to the Internet using a USB adapter for a wireless connection or an Ethernet cable for a wired network connection. The USB and Ethernet ports are in back of the TiVo.
-
2
Select "Messages & Settings" from the TiVo central screen to check the version of your TiVo operating software, which must be 7 or higher. Click "Account & System Information," "System Information." The version number will be displayed.
-
-
3
Download "TiVo Desktop," which is provided free for both Mac and PC. You can also pay for other options such as "Roxio Toast" for Macintosh based computers and "Roxio Creator" for PC computers. (See Resources.)
-
4
Launch "TiVo Desktop" after it is installed.
-
5
Select "Pick Recordings to Transfer," and a window will open. If there is more than one TiVo on the network, the names will appear in a drop-down menu. Select the TiVo you will be using to generate a list of recorded video on that DVR.
-
6
Check the box next to each recording that you will transfer. Click "Start transfer." A status bar will appear next to each recording being transferred with estimated time remaining until completion. The next recording will start transferring once the previous has finished extracting.
-
7
Click on "TiVo Recordings," "Now Playing List." All video that you have successfully extracted from the TiVo to the computer will be displayed in this list.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Transfer times vary depending on the recorded quality of the video and the video length. Transfer rates of the data are faster with hard-lined connections than with wireless.
To transfer videos that are part of a series, activate the "Auto transfer series" option. TiVo Desktop will then automatically download any recorded video in the series.
Videos with a red circle slash next to them cannot be transferred from the TiVo.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Huntstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Comments
-
Unfortunately, this article is not 100% accurate for Mac users. TiVo Desktop for Mac does not allow you to extract shows from your TiVo to your Mac. To transfer shows to your Mac, the TiVo supported option is to use Roxio Toast Titanium software version 8 or above. Version 8 has some issues, so I'd go for something higher. There are other solutions available for Mac which are not officially supported by TiVo, e.g. iTiVo
