I finally got the TiVoToGo upgrade. Nothing worked for me.

  • The TiVo tells me to get TiVo Desktop.
  • The TiVo Desktop installer tells me that I don’t have a working codec, and that “older” computers “may” not have one. My computer is 18 months old. I guess that’s old. The installer tells me to get the Microsoft Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility.
  • Microsoft’s web site tells me to verify my installation of Windows XP to combat piracy. Um, why is piracy my problem to solve? And how is this going to combat piracy when there’s an option to bypass the check?!
  • The Video Decoder Checkup Utility tells me my codec is incompatible with Windows Media Player 10, and that I can go to the vendor’s site to get an update.
  • The vendor’s site link takes me to a generic page listing what DVD products I can buy. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do here.
  • I try continuing with the TiVoToGo installer. It now asks me for a Media Access Key, and it tells me two ways to get it.
  • One way is to go online. I don’t know how to log into their site; I don’t think I have an account.
  • The other way is through the TiVo: “Go to TiVo Central, select "Messages & Setup," select "Account and System Information," and then select "Media Access Key."” There is no such menu option on my TiVo.

So I have no codec, and I have no media access key. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do. It’s really not worth my time to figure this out. So no TiVoToGo for me.

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– Amit – Monday, February 14, 2005

1 comment:

Ben Darnell wrote at Monday, February 14, 2005 at 11:32:00 PM PST

I agree that between the DRM and the MPEG2 patent situation, this upgrade is way more complicated than it should be, and ultimately not very compelling once you've jumped through all the flaming hoops (maybe I'll feel different when it works on my Mac laptop).

But anyway, since I've already been down this path, I can fill in the codec gap for you: The free Media Player Classic can play the .tivo files without an additional codec (as long as you have the Tivo Desktop software installed for the DRM).

As for the MAK, I don't know what to say other than that it was there for me (Does the system information page show version 7.1? Is there an HTTP server running on your tivo now?). Also, if you've never logged in to tivo.com, I think you create an account with your Tivo serial number from the system information page.

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