TiVo Desktop Plus adds Pre to TV exporting; other options available for everybody else 38
Mon, 14 Jun 2010 8:33 am EDT 
Attention TiVo and Palm Pre owners (a minority of minorities, it would seem): TiVo Desktop Plus has received an update that bakes in exporting support for a number of new devices, the Palm Pre included. Version 2.8.1 exports in the most standard of standard video formats - mp4 - and shrinks the video down to the 320x480 resolution of the Palm Pre. Of course, usage of TiVo Desktop Plus is contingent upon your owning a TiVo box, and we know that most of you don’t have such things tucked away in your A/V cabinets. So you might be asking, what about me? After the break we break down a few of the options for the rest of us.
Handbrake, Free. [Mac] If you’re into a zillion options, open source software, and functional but not all that pretty interfaces, Handbrake is the option for you. Not only can Handbrake transcode videos that are already on your computer to webOS-friendly formats, you can also easily use it to rip your DVDs to your Mac for viewing and sharing in whatever way you see fit.
Any Video Converter, Free. [PC] As the name would seem to imply, Any Video Converter will transcode video for you from just about any format into just about any format, including the almighty mp4. While Any Video Converter does not have support for DVD ripping, if you’re willing to fork over the $29.95 for the Professional version, you do get the option to download videos from YouTube and Google Video.
Media Converter, Free. [browser-based] Lastly, if you’re not all too keen on installing somebody else’s software on your box (or you simply can’t), there’s an online solution: mediaconverter.org. The free-to-use service supports more than a dozen formats and can pull videos off of popular sites like YouTube, Facebook, MetaCafe, and more. Either way, you upload (or transload) your video file and the conversion takes place up in the cloud. The free-to-use side of the site offers up to 100 MB file size conversions and up to five per day, whereas the subscription side (prices range from $4 for a week to $150 for a year) offers higher quality and faster transcodings with more options for online video sites.
Of course, those are just a few of the options out there. Video converters in the comments, what’s your favorite tool?
Via: Engadget HD
Source: TiVo
Thanks to everybody that sent this in!
38 Comments
Now we need Netflix to join pre as well !!
Look for AppScoop and an App called NetPhlix. It's a tool for Netflix Users. Perhaps that is what you need ;).
I think he means Netflix streaming to the Pre.
++1
Yes, bring on NetFlix! And SlingPlayer Mobile!
Slingplayer for Pre...Yes please!
+1 (or does that mean 2?)
I use mencoder or ffmpeg for my video encoding/resizing needs. Because doggone it, I'm just a nerd like that.
I use "Super" for video encoding, its free and has a fairly intuitive interface:
http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html
Handbrake is aviable for all OS. Not only MAC!
Badaboomit for Windows is my favourite because it is the only Converter I know that uses Nvidia cuda for encoding. 10 times faster than normal converters.
That minority of minorities is even smaller when you consider that you have to take all subscribers to Time Warner's digital cable out of the pool. They block their TiVo customers from using the feature of TiVo Desktop that transfers media from the TiVo to other devices.
I did not know this. I suppose it blocks both the free version and the paid version of the TiVo Desktop application.
That hardly seems sporting now does it?
/john
Handbrake works on Windows also.
Use DVD Shrink for ripping encoded DVD and then convert via Handbrake.
This is only a suggested option and I do not encourage copyright infringement or piracy.
Handbrake also works in Linux, all platforms fully supported. Using DVD shrink is a waste of time since Handbrake will convert straight from a DVD to the format and quality/size of your choice. You're adding an unnecessary extra step.
Hmm..I have tried that unsuccessfully before. I will need to revisit this. Thanks!!
It would be nice removing DVD Shrink from the equation. Thanks again.
Derek - let's not forget about DoubleTwist! It can automatically convert video to the Pre size also and is free.
(http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Home/Index.dt)
Thanks! Good to know, as I had been debating going to double twist for music too.
I don't see why it's not brought up here more often. It's literally a replica of iTunes except it is compatible with virtually all devices, not just apple products. Great to use if you have a family that needs music across multiple devices!
it very possibly could be better now, but last time I toyed with DoubleTwist it would mess up the ratio of the video and make my movies look stretched one way or another.
I can't handle watching movies that aren't in their normal aspect ratio... Anyone able to confirm that it plays better with the pre now?
I've not had any problems with video at all. I've dropped different types of videos into doubletwist and they all showed up full screen on the pre - I've not noticed stretched screens. I suppose if you have a video that's small, it would do that, but the videos I've converted were all larger.
right on, gonna have to revisit that method and check it out. Thanks.
Okay, three people beat me to the punch on the fact that Handbrake is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Personally, I use MediaCoder iPod Edition. It's free, fast, and a lot simpler than Handbrake. It doesn't offer as many options, but it offers all I need, and it produces high quality videos.
Another way to get video is to install the Multimod browser patch and search Veoh mobile, or any other mobile video site. Just find a video you want, and choose Download instead of Stream.
There are also a lot of mobile streaming video sites popping up. OVGuide Mobile has a nice list. Veoh is at the top of my list. Also, SyFy.com, collegehumor.com, and many, many more. I wish Crackle and Hulu would go mobile, but there are a lot of alternatives already.
Hats off to TiVo ... To bad SlingMedia missed the bus with SlingPlayer on WebOS. They will not comment on any development.
notimeoff
For saving YouTube videos, there's nothing better than the "Video Downloads" patch available in Preware. It adds an option to the Pre YouTube app to save videos on your phone for viewing whenever you want!
handbrake isn't just mac- it's windows and linux too!
anyone know of a program other than handbrake that converts ripped dvd_ts folder files into other video formats.. such as avi? or does anyone know of a free program that can convert my mp4 vids into avi?
dvd decrypter (only works for older dvds)
dvdfab (works with newer dvds)
both of these rip to a ts folder. video is outputted as .vob
for transcodeding to .mp4, joining, and/or changing resolution use mediacoder. It's free and has a wounderful GUI.
although if you want to rip and transcode to specific file size under 700MB I sugest looking into fairuse wizard.
thanks
for dvd ripping:
dvd decrypter,
dvdFab
for transcoding:
mediacoder
youtube download:
tubecaster,
mediacoder
mediacoder is the best transcoding platform out there imho. I used super
>I used super
Mediacoder allows you to use all of your processors cores for encoding/transcoding, in addition you can use the gpu for encoding/tanscoding as well. it has these neat
I used to use Handbrake for linux, but it turned into a load of crap with few options. Now I just use AcidRip.
I've never used it to convert to mobile, but super video converter is supposed to work well. It's free. http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html
For DVD ripping I use DVDFab to get a single VOB and then process it thru VideoRedo's QuickStream Fix to eliminate any time sync errors and finally I use WinFF to transcode to mp4 with ac3 audio.
DVDFab has several options to rip directly to ipod/iphone format directly, however I do not watch movies on my pre, I only watch on my TiVo using StreamBaby.
Um. Handbrake is not Mac. It's multi-platform. And bonus, open source. Linux, Mac, and Windoze. How can you guys screw up something so basic? Please edit.
I have a TIVO and a Pre. What I no longer have is a computer running Tivo Desktop all the time. My desktop used to be on constantly. It would connect to the Tivo and download a few series directly to my computer (for archiving - I've broken that habit thou). When I got a netbook, I turned the desktop off and only run it only rarely. With the Pre, I hardly ever turn on the Netbook.
Tivo, Pre, and computers can all download video podcasts but transferring podcasts from the Tivo to the Tivo desktop is blocked.
I'm curious what format the Tivo files for the Pre will be. On the PC, the Tivo files have a .tivo extension and container.
Opps, I've been exporting from Tivo to my Pre with Tivo Desktop Premiun since January. I guess I should have spoken up....
+1