#303786 - 03/11/2007 13:43
Weird network behavior
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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This morning I set up an spare PC I have to act as a server for my Tivo (hooray! Tivo To Go on Series 3 Tivos!). Everything has gone pretty smoothly, but now I'm running into some odd behavior.
I have the computer tucked away under my desk with no monitor hooked up to it. I'm currently logged in with Remote Desktop Connection, which works fine as far as I can tell. I have added a shared folder to the My Documents folder on the Tivo computer (allowing users to write files). I have also added a shortcut to that folder on my desktop.
The weird behavior comes when I start transferring files to that folder. I drag items into it (or copy/paste), the progress bar...progresses, and then goes away. But then no file appears. Not if I open the folder on my PC, not if I open it in the RDC. The really weird part is that if I try to move those files in there again, I'm asked if I want to overwrite the files that are there...??
So the files are there, but they're invisible... Any ideas?
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Matt
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#303787 - 03/11/2007 13:49
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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Perhaps the Hidden attribute is somehow getting set? Is your PC set to show hidden/system files?
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#303788 - 03/11/2007 14:15
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Perhaps the Hidden attribute is somehow getting set? Is your PC set to show hidden/system files?
Definitely. Both are.
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Matt
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#303789 - 03/11/2007 19:17
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31600
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Is it due to permissions on the folder and the files within it?
Check the security settings on the folder itself (from an administrator login on the server itself). Make sure it's set so that the group "everyone" can view/read/write/execute files. See if that fixes it.
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#303790 - 04/11/2007 17:10
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I was working on TiVoToGo for my Series 3, too. I have the feeling that the TiVo Desktop software might be doing something funky with that directory. Try sharing a different directory and see if you can upload the files to it. Not that that will get your files to the TiVo, but it will take the TiVo Desktop software out of the picture altogether so you can see if it's the culprit.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303791 - 04/11/2007 21:46
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I'm still not certain what happened, but it appears that for some reason Ctrl+Shift+drag didn't result in a shortcut to the networked folder, it made a copy of the folder, but with the icon of a shortcut folder. Still, I have no idea where the files went.
So I did it the long way, right-clicking and typing out the network name of the folder, and that created a shortcut as desired.
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Matt
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#303792 - 04/11/2007 22:01
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
I was working on TiVoToGo for my Series 3, too. I have the feeling that the TiVo Desktop software might be doing something funky with that directory. Try sharing a different directory and see if you can upload the files to it. Not that that will get your files to the TiVo, but it will take the TiVo Desktop software out of the picture altogether so you can see if it's the culprit.
Bitt, how much luck have you had, if any, with "Tivo to Come Back"? Getting content ONTO the Tivo is extremely hit or miss (mostly miss). I've had three different errors for one file on three different attempts. The most frustrating is when I'll set it up to transfer, it starts, and I can even play the file while it's going, but then right at the end it'll claim there's an error. Argh.
I've been having better luck with Tivo to Go and using VideoReDo to edit out commercials, though (then transfer them back to the Tivo).
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Matt
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#303793 - 04/11/2007 22:42
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I don't know what "Tivo to Come Back" is.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303794 - 04/11/2007 22:53
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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Matt, which series 3 box do you have? I'm still using a t60 series 1 that I have hacked to allow me to use, FTP, Tytools, and TivoWebPlus. This works but it is not unusual for me to try to access the box only to find that my Hack folder is gone. It might last for anywhere from a day to a month. I've moved some of the files, scripts and ftp software from partiton 9 to partitions 4 and 7 and this seems to work so I can rebuild the system without removing the drive but it is a hassle. I think it's time to upgrade to a box that has these features built in.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#303795 - 05/11/2007 03:13
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
I don't know what "Tivo to Come Back" is.
"TTCB" is just what they call it when you transfer a video back to the Tivo, whether it was originally recorded by a Tivo or if it's some random file you have. As you might assume, I've had far more luck with original Tivo files (ones I've transferred off my own Tivo through Tivo Desktop). But my average Divx file, which it's supposed to be able to support, fails a little too often. I can't remember, but I think anything other than .tivo and .mpg files require Tivo Desktop Plus, but that might just be for Tivo To Go conversions.
When you have Tivo Desktop installed, and videos in your "My Tivo Recordings" folder in My Documents, if you go to Now Playing on your Tivo and scroll to the very bottom of the list, you'll see an option to see videos on your PC. Then you can choose videos to transfer from your computer. Give it a shot and let me know how successful you are. I've not had much luck.
Two questions for you, though: what software version are you running? 9.1 or 9.2? And how is your Tivo/PC networked?
Quote:
Matt, which series 3 box do you have? I'm still using a t60 series 1 that I have hacked to allow me to use, FTP, Tytools, and TivoWebPlus. This works but it is not unusual for me to try to access the box only to find that my Hack folder is gone. It might last for anywhere from a day to a month. I've moved some of the files, scripts and ftp software from partiton 9 to partitions 4 and 7 and this seems to work so I can rebuild the system without removing the drive but it is a hassle. I think it's time to upgrade to a box that has these features built in.
I have the "Series 3." That's what most people (on the Tivo boards) call the original Hi-Def Tivo, and the newer one is just referred to as the "Tivo HD."
I think you might find the capabilities of the new Tivos a little watered down compared to what you're used to. I really wish that Tivo would build in something like TivoWeb. Online Scheduling, as they call it, is nothing like TivoWeb. Essentially it's just a way to call your Tivo and leave a message for it to record something. There's no way to confirm that it's gone through, you can't see what's recorded, and you can't manage anything on the Tivo.
However, I think Tivo To Go (or TTG) is excellent. Now I essentially have unlimited recording capability, as it's extremely easy to get content back onto the Tivo (well, easy when it works...).
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Matt
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#303796 - 05/11/2007 05:42
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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Thanks for the info Matt, I guess I have some research to do.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#303797 - 05/11/2007 12:46
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I actually spent the $25 on TiVo Desktop Plus, as before then it wouldn't even recognize any .avi files at all. I did manage to get it to recognize an MPEG-1 file, but, other than .tivo files, that was it. Once I upgraded to Plus, everything was recognized. That said, I still can't transfer a lot of things. Most prominently, I have some, uh, online backups of some British TV shows and they won't transfer. But other things seem to work fine. My network setup is a little odd. I have a Squeezebox that's connected to my wireless network, which is then bridging its ethernet port to the wireless network, and I have the Series 3 connected to that. I was having some networking problems, but I changed some wireless config parameters on my access point, and those seem to be fixed now.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303798 - 05/11/2007 13:29
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 599
Loc: Florida
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pyTiVo can convert some videos that don't work with TiVo Desktop Plus to the correct format for the TiVo.
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Chad
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#303799 - 05/11/2007 16:39
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Attack]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
That said, I still can't transfer a lot of things. Most prominently, I have some, uh, online backups of some British TV shows and they won't transfer. But other things seem to work fine.
What kind of errors are you getting? I've gotten a few different ones.
I have a slightly less odd network set up. My main PC is connected directly to my Airport Extreme, but the Airport then feeds into a Netgear powerline ethernet adapter, which talks to another on behind my home theater. I then have my Tivo and a networked DVD player connected on that end. I think there's a latency problem that screws up Tivo Desktop. I tried moving the PC I've set up for serving the Tivo downstairs so that it's also plugged into that Netgear powerline adapter (it has four ports), but I'm still getting some errors on transfers.
Quote:
pyTiVo can convert some videos that don't work with TiVo Desktop Plus to the correct format for the TiVo.
Do you know if that will work with Tivo Desktop running at the same time?
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Matt
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#303800 - 05/11/2007 17:32
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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The only errors I'm getting are the failure to transfer -- mostly just nothing happens -- and in the "Recording History" it says "because of a transfer error". I think I'm still having networking problems, though, so I'm not sure where the problem lies.
Sometimes the folder from TiVo desktop just disappears. I suppose I should run an ethernet cable directly to the TiVo to see if the bridging is the problem.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303801 - 05/11/2007 18:30
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
Do you know if that will work with Tivo Desktop running at the same time?
Yes, but I can't see any reason to run both. So far, pyTivo works better. Well, it might be a little slower. Maybe. Okay, it doesn't support the pictures feature of TiVo Desktop. Whoop-tee-doo.
Edit: Um, oops. Of course, the reason to run both is so that you can get videos from the TiVo.
Edited by wfaulk (05/11/2007 18:31)
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Bitt Faulk
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#303802 - 05/11/2007 21:25
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I think I found my problem. The Squeezebox is not dealing with broadcast packets, apparently at all, not even forwarding them to the TiVo. Since the TiVo apparently finds the TiVo Desktop server by receiving network broadcast packets, it's not working properly. But with pyTivo, I can tell it to send those packets straight to the TiVo instead of to a broadcast address. So far, it's worked perfectly, other than these weird second-long skips in the videos I'm playing, something like one every half hour. That might be an ffmpeg problem. But otherwise, it's transcoding PAL-resolution video to TiVo-resolution video without a problem. I should try HD content just for yuks.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303803 - 06/11/2007 03:50
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I tried pyTivo as well and it seems to be working on all the videos I was having a problem on. Thanks for the suggestion, Attack! pyTivo does seem a tad slower, but that might be due to the quality settings I've made in the config file.
Now I just need to figure out why VideoReDo is suddenly giving me all sorts of errors when I'm dealing with .tivo files...
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Matt
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#303804 - 08/11/2007 17:14
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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You supposedly can use pyTivo to send .tivo files. I haven't tried. I made a patch for pyTivo that transcodes videos to an appropriate resolution based on the original video's resolution. With the currently released version of pyTivo, if you wanted your 720p videos uploaded at 720p, it would transcode 480p video to 720p as well. My patch fixes that. You wanna give it a shot and let me know if it works okay for you?
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Bitt Faulk
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#303805 - 08/11/2007 18:11
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 599
Loc: Florida
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Since the video is getting transcoded it might be slow due to CPU usage or even disk I/O. Are the media files on the same machine as pyTivo?
I'm glad pyTools helps, I haven't used it myself since every TV that has a TiVo also has a PC connected to it. I use the PC for playing non TiVo media and DVD's.
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Chad
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#303806 - 08/11/2007 20:26
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
You supposedly can use pyTivo to send .tivo files. I haven't tried.
Do you mean send .tivo files to the Tivo? Yeah, I assumed you could. Though Tivo Desktop has never given me much trouble with those files, just anything else I've tried.
Quote:
I made a patch for pyTivo that transcodes videos to an appropriate resolution based on the original video's resolution. With the currently released version of pyTivo, if you wanted your 720p videos uploaded at 720p, it would transcode 480p video to 720p as well. My patch fixes that.
You wanna give it a shot and let me know if it works okay for you?
Ooo, I'll try it out. Thanks! I'll let you know when I've had a chance to do so...
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Matt
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#303807 - 08/11/2007 20:28
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Attack]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Since the video is getting transcoded it might be slow due to CPU usage or even disk I/O. Are the media files on the same machine as pyTivo?
Yeah, they're all on the same PC. Though I assume that Tivo Desktop was transcoding the files too.
Quote:
I'm glad pyTools helps, I haven't used it myself since every TV that has a TiVo also has a PC connected to it. I use the PC for playing non TiVo media and DVD's.
Like I said, because of network issues, I've moved my "Tivo Server" into my home entertainment system, so I'm thinking of just starting to use its media center capabilities (and now I can test Hugo's IR adapter).
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Matt
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#308387 - 19/03/2008 10:05
Re: Weird network behavior
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Sorry to drag up an old thread, but they released Tivo Desktop 2.6 today. Here's the post I made on the Tivo community forums: Wow, what a big disappointment.
I too couldn't make heads nor tails of the whole "webcast" thing, and Tivo has absolutely no information of it on their site. Like others have said, I gather that the extent of it is that you can set up another podcast catcher, and now Tivo Desktop has a way to auto-transfer files in folders you specify. That's a pretty sneaky way to claim that you support RSS feeds.
But it doesn't matter. I was happy to hear that they were going to open up and support a wider variety of formats. One of the main reasons I use pyTivo is because I watch the Totally Rad Show in high-def Quicktime, and I was optimistic that I would be able to just have a single program to do all my Tivo stuff. No such luck.
One of the reasons I moved to pyTivo in the first place was because Tivo Desktop kept failing on file transfers, and things were no different this time. The entire file was converted and transferred to the Tivo, but at the last moment there was a "transfer error" and the file was immediately deleted.
I'm not necessarily saying that this isn't my computer's or my network's fault, but I am saying that I've had a 100% success rate with pyTivo. Furthermore, I watched some of my video while it was transferring, and I have to say I wasn't pleased with the video quality. I don't know what settings Tivo Desktop was using for its conversion, but it looked a whole lot worse than it does when pyTivo converts it.
Bottom line: I'm still using pyTivo for all my TTCB needs.
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Matt
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