TiVo Publisher Version 1.31

Version 1.31 is now available for download here. The following bugs have been fixed:

• Resolution is now properly determined for some files which prevented transfer (e.g., m4v).
• Large Music or Photo libraries should now work properly.
• Fixed The TV Db searches not working due to API change.
• Updated ffmpeg build to r13712

You will need to uninstall the previous version through the WHS Console, copy the MSI to the Software\Add-Ins folder, and install the new version.

• When prompted for credentials during installation, enter ".\Administrator" for the user and your Server password for the password. Note: If you receive a message that users cannot be mapped, then double check the username. It may be case sensitive.

The Frequently Asked Questions document contains more detailed setup instructions and a description of settings.

TiVo Publisher Version 1.3

Note: Version 1.31 is now available for download.

Version 1.3 is now available for download here. This update adds the following features:

• FLAC, OGG, M4A (AAC unprotected) audio formats are now supported.


• Video Aspect Ratios are preserved.


• Updated ffmpeg to newer release (2/5/2008, r11870).


• TagLib# library is now used to read audio file tags.


• Additional Video Metadata fields are now viewable on the TiVo (e.g., year, cast, ratings).


• Updated the Video Metadata Editor to support additional fields and added Search (using thetvdb.com, movie-xml.com, or Amazon). (See the previous post regarding the WHS data bug.)


• Re-arranged a few of the items in the Settings window.


• Added Audio Bitrate slider to the transcode settings.


• Better support for TiVo Series3/HD hardware.

The following bugs are also fixed:

• Encrypted TIVO files now transfer back correctly.


• Video folders work properly (1 subfolder down).


• Music shuffle now works properly.


• If a video transcoding error occurs (i.e., ffmpeg encodes no data), an error image is sent instead to notify that there was a problem; the ffmpeg error is also logged.


• Playlists now ignore missing files instead of stopping.

You will need to uninstall the previous version through the WHS Console, copy the MSI to the Software\Add-Ins folder, and install the new version.

• When prompted for credentials during installation, enter ".\Administrator" for the user and your Server password for the password. Note: If you receive a message that users cannot be mapped, then double check the username. It may be case sensitive.

The Frequently Asked Questions document contains more detailed setup instructions and a description of settings.

Video Metadata Editor and the WHS Bug

Microsoft has updated their entry on an unresolved data-loss bug that occurs on Windows Home Server. We Got Served also has an post on the bug.

Please be aware that using the Video Metadata Editor feature in TiVo Publisher's WHS console tab can trigger this bug. Note that your video file will not be corrupted, only the metadata XML file!

When this happens, the XML file will become corrupted and you will also see an error message in the log that there was an error parsing the XML file. The symptom of this bug when browsing on the TiVo is the video's title will display as filename.xml and the details will be blank.

Once the file is corrupted, you can use Explorer and right-click on it and use Previous Versions to restore an older copy if one is available, or you can re-enter the data.

I have have personally ran into this bug twice using the metadata editor, but have had no reports of the bug from other users. I have also had photos corrupted by Vista's Photo Gallery. Microsoft is working on the fix and hopefully it will be resolved shortly.

TiVo Publisher Version 1.2

Note: Version 1.31 is now available for download.

Version 1.21 is now available for download here. This update fixes a few bugs and adds the following features:

• Windows Firewall Port exceptions are added automatically when the add-in first starts.
• FLV and files with the .DIVX extension now appear in Videos.
• Playlists now show up in Music (they appear as folders). M3U and WPL playlist formats are supported.
• WMA audio format is now supported and transcoded on the fly.
• Improved the Music directory code to enhance stability when encountering unknown files
• Added Settings toolbar button in the WHS Console
• Added Video Metadata editor
• Folder names with a "%" symbol now work properly
• Pressing the "Play" button on an artist folder now plays the music in the sub folders

You will need to uninstall the previous version through the WHS Console, copy the MSI to the Software\Add-Ins folder, and install the new version.

• When prompted for credentials during installation, enter "server\Administrator" for the user and your Server password for the password. Note: If your server machine is not named "server", then substitute your WHS box machine name in "server\Administrator". If you receive a message that users cannot be mapped, then double check the username. It may be case sensitive.
  

The Frequently Asked Questions document contains more detailed setup instructions and a description of settings.

UPDATE (1/26/2008): An issue with the 1.20 uninstaller has been discovered. It inadvertently deletes a WHS file (qsmif.dll). If you uninstall TiVo Publisher and you find console tabs are missing or the add-ins tab in Settings is empty, download this file here and unzip it into the "C:\Program Files\Windows Home Server" folder on your WHS box.

The download has updated to version 1.21. This update corrects the uninstall problem, as well as correcting the problem with pressing "Play" on an artist folder and the "Flatten Video Container" option.

TiVo Publisher for WHS FAQ

A copy of the Frequently Asked Questions is now available online.

Adding Port Exceptions to Windows Firewall

When setting up the TiVo Publisher add-in you need to open two ports in the firewall. These ports need to be open on the Server, not the clients.

To add a port to Windows Firewall, log into the Server using Remote Admin.

• Start > Run > mstsc.exe
• Connect to “server” (or whatever your server is named)
• Use the username “Administrator” and the WHS admin password
• In the Server Remote Desktop:
• Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall
• Click the Exceptions tab
• Click Add Port
• Add the two port exceptions:
• Name: TiVo Publisher, Port: 6103, TCP
• Name: TiVo Beacon, Port: 2190, UDP
• Close the Windows Firewall
• Click Start > Log Off to close the Remote Desktop (do not shut down!)

Note: If your network router has a built-in firewall, you may also need to open the ports in your router's setup utility.

Video Formats

I've had a few questions about the video formats that TP/WHS can handle. The TiVo hardware can only handle MPEG-2 (mpeg2video codec) encoded video and supports 720, 544, 480, or 352 x 480 resolutions. It works with either MP2 audio codecs. DVD models can also handle the AC3 audio codec.

If a video file is not encoded with mpeg2video MP2/AC3 audio with one of the supported resolutions, TP/WHS will use ffmpeg to encode the video. It encodes the video on the fly into MPEG-2 720x480 with MP2 audio.

ffmpeg supports many video formats and codecs, including h264, m4v, mp4 (includex xvid/divx), mpeg1, mpeg2, wmv. The only format I have had trouble with his WMV-HD and a couple of old QuickTime MOV files.

TiVo Publisher for WHS

The TiVo Publisher Add-In for Windows Home Server (TiVo/WHS) is an implementation of the TiVo HMO "Calypso" protocol for Windows Home Server. The add-in installs as a service, which makes your WHS music, photos, and videos shares browsable from any TiVo that supports home networking.


Send me an e-mail if you have any questions or suggestions or run into any problems.


Note: Version 1.31 is now available for download.

Installation

Download the installer here (updated 7/14/2007).

Copy the MSI file to your \\SERVER\Software\Add-Ins folder.

Use the Add-Ins tab in the Console Settings to install it.

When prompted for credentials, enter server\Administrator for the user and your Server password for the password. Note: If your server machine is not named "server", then substitute your WHS box machine name in "server\Administator". If you recieve a message that users cannot be mapped, then double check the username. It may be case sensitive.

After the Console closes, restart the Console and open Settings.

Go to the TiVo Publisher for WHS tab and verify your settings (see the next section).

Click the "Start Service" link

Close Settings and go to the TiVo Publisher for WHS tab.

Select Clients and click Refresh. The list should populate with the TiVos and any TiVo Desktop PCs on your network.

Settings

Port - this is the port that TiVo/WHS uses to communicate with the TiVos

Cache Photo Thumbnails - this option saves a thumbnail version of the photo for quicker retrieval and browsing. I recommend creating a share something similar to "\\server\cache\photos" and allowing it to save there.

Use XML files for metadata - this option creates xml files that can be used to set the metadata when you view or play a video on the TiVo. You can use these files to set the Title, Episode Name, Description, etc. I have my metata folder set to "\\server\cache\metadata". If you leave the folder blank, the XML files will be created in the same folder as the video. I plan on adding the ability to edit the metadata from the Console in a future revision.

Known issues to be fixed:

You will need to manually open UDP port 2190 using the Windows Firewall control panel, in addition to the port that TiVo/WHS uses, which is 6103 (TCP) by default. (See here for instructions.)

The service may bind to the wrong address if you have multiple network cards.

Some video formats may not play back properly, or the aspect ratio may be messed up in this version.

I do not have a Series 3 yet, so I do not know how the HMO options work on the HD box.

If TiVo Desktop is installed, you should stop the TiVo Beacon service or TiVo/WHS may not be able to send/receive beacons.

If you change any of the settings in the Service Settings section, you will need to Apply and then stop and restart the service for them to take effect.

There appears to be a bug with the now playing list not refreshing properly when browsing videos. Usually moving into another PC or the deleted items folder and then back out will fix it.

All of the TiVo commands and parameters in the HMO specification should be implemented, but if you run into any problems, contact me.