mencoder_tivo.pl

When TiVo released version 7.2 of the TiVo software and version 2.2 of the TiVo desktop software, they added a feature which allows the TiVo to retrieve video from a home network. Unfortunately, the TiVo can't play all formats. mencoder_tivo.pl will read any video file and convert it into a format which the TiVo can play.

mencoder_tivo.pl requires MEncoder to be in the path. MEncoder is part of the MPlayer system, which can be downloaded from http://www.mplayerhq.hu/. Make sure that all of the codecs are installed in order for mencoder_tivo to work properly.

Download mencoder_tivo.pl here, or check it out of this Subversion repository.

mencoder_tivo.pl filename [filename [filename [...]]] --output=filename arguments

Arguments:

• filename [filename [filename [...]]]
  A list of one or more input files must be specified on the command line. The input files will be stitched together into one output file.
• --output=filename
  One output filename must be specified.
• --low-quality (optional)
  Create a smaller, low-quality file. By default, mencoder_tivo.pl produces a 480x480 file with video bitrate of 4000 (maximum 12000). The low-quality option will reduce the resolution to 352x480 and set the bitrate to 1000. This option will override the --resolution and --bitrate options.
• --very-low-quality (optional)
  Create an even smaller, lower-quality file. This reduces the bitrate even further (to 750), the framerate to 24000/1001 (default is 30000/1001) and the audio sample rate to 64 (default is 96). This option overrides the --low-quality option.
• --widescreen (optional)
  Set the aspect to 16/9. (The default aspect is 4/3.)
• --resolution=[720:480|704:480|544:480|480:480|352:480] (optional)
  The default resolution is 480x480, but one of the other TiVo-supported resolutions can be used instead.
• --bitrate=4000/12000 (optional)
  By default, files are encoded with a bitrate of 4000 and maximum bitrate of 12000. This option will override that default.
• --omit-lavcresample (optional)
  Omit the '-af lavcresample=48000' option, which will cause some versions of MEncoder to crash.
• --print (optional)
  This option tells mencoder_tivo.pl to print the MEncoder command instead of executing it.
• --help (optional)
  Display a help message.

This software is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

If you have questions, comments, patches, or bug reports, please contact mencoder_tivo@stellman-greene.com.

Thanks to Martin Frankel at TiVo!

• v1.0.1 -- 03-Oct-2005
  Added --very-low-quality and --widescreen features
• v1.0.0 -- 26-Sep-2005
  Initial version, all features seem to work