Hooking up TiVo to a computer? (and other questions)
01-30-04, 09:09 PM
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Hooking up TiVo to a computer? (and other questions)
My friend recently bought a TiVo (model 240), and wants to download content on her TiVo to her computer. I don't know what version her TiVo software is (I can ask if that matters), and I seriously doubt she has the home media option, but she can obviously get it if it's applicable here.
When she bought it, the guy at Best Buy assured her it could be hooked up directly to a computer so that a program stored on the TiVo HD down to the computer, where she could watch on the computer, or more importantly, just have a saved copy.
But she couldn't figure out how to do this and when she called Best Buy for help, she was told the only way copy the saved program was to transfer it to a VCR.
I don't know jack about TiVo b/c I have no interest in it (I watch DVDs, not TV
). I've done some searching in this forum and spent a few minutes on the TiVo site looking for an answer for her, but I figured it would just be better to ask the TiVo experts here.
So, here are the questions:
- Can TiVo be hooked up _directly_ to a computer?
- Is there a way to download a program stored on her TiVo down to a computer (either directly or indirectly)?
- If the program content CAN be downloaded to the computer somehow, how much degradation?
- And I see a few blurbs about hooking TiVo up to a home network by plugging it into something like a Linksys router. Would that be another option here?
- Can her digital video camera be useful here? The issue would be transfering the source material to the digital video tape, and then to the computer, and I imagine that will degrade the video somewhat.
Thanks for your help.
When she bought it, the guy at Best Buy assured her it could be hooked up directly to a computer so that a program stored on the TiVo HD down to the computer, where she could watch on the computer, or more importantly, just have a saved copy.
But she couldn't figure out how to do this and when she called Best Buy for help, she was told the only way copy the saved program was to transfer it to a VCR.
I don't know jack about TiVo b/c I have no interest in it (I watch DVDs, not TV
). I've done some searching in this forum and spent a few minutes on the TiVo site looking for an answer for her, but I figured it would just be better to ask the TiVo experts here.So, here are the questions:
- Can TiVo be hooked up _directly_ to a computer?
- Is there a way to download a program stored on her TiVo down to a computer (either directly or indirectly)?
- If the program content CAN be downloaded to the computer somehow, how much degradation?
- And I see a few blurbs about hooking TiVo up to a home network by plugging it into something like a Linksys router. Would that be another option here?
- Can her digital video camera be useful here? The issue would be transfering the source material to the digital video tape, and then to the computer, and I imagine that will degrade the video somewhat.
Thanks for your help.
Last edited by DarkElf; 01-30-04 at 09:11 PM.
01-31-04, 08:37 PM
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I don't have a Tivo. However, as far as I know, there is no easy way to do what she wants. As usual, the Best Buy sales person was confused. She should have gotten a ReplayTV instead. The ease of transferring shows directly to a PC over a LAN with DVArchive is but one of many reasons that ReplayTV is superior to Tivo.
