TiVo Legacy Series1 SA Video Extraction Thread

[VideoJedi]

If you're like me and have ancient (2+) year old videos sitting on your TiVo series 1 SA unit and would like to extract them, please join in on this thread. I recently discovered the modern tools out there to extract don't work with the older recordings. In this thread I would like to discuss methods and techniques to manipulate these types of streams. Since I am a newbie, any help is appreciated.

First thing to do is look in the CVS repository, find some useful older code and hopefully successfully compile it to help us out (though I am pretty infantile on compiling programs and could use a hand).

[FreydNot]

Whats the problem? I believe TyDemux version 3.x and 4.x will decode SA version 1.x and 2.0 streams just fine.

Are you having problems extracting the ty files or converting the ty into mpeg?

[VideoJedi]

No problems extracting the SA 1.x stream TY files.. it is the converting to mpeg giving me problems. I will try TyDemux and hopefully my next post will be a request to delete this thead.

[VideoJedi]

I tried tydemux and still got 0-byte mpegs. It looked like it was working:

G:\TiVo>tydemux -t2 -i wh.ty -a wh.m2v -v wh.mpa
......... 100......... 200......... 300......... 400......... 500
......... 600......... 700......... 800......... 900......... 1000
......... 1100......... 1200......... 1300......... 1400......... 1500
......... 1600......... 1700......... 1800......... 1900......... 2000
......... 2100......... 2200......... 2300......... 2400......... 2500
......... 2600......... 2700......... 2800......... 2900......... 3000
......... 3100......... 3200......... 3300......... 3400......... 3500
......... 3600......... 3700......... 3800......... 3900......... 4000
......... 4100......... 4200......... 4300......... 4400......... 4500
......... 4600......... 4700......... 4800......... 4900......... 5000
......... 5100......... 5200......... 5300......... 5400......... 5500
......... 5600......... 5700......... 5800......... 5900......... 6000
...

Perhaps the version of tydemux I found in this forum was either too old or too new? Can you post some links to the 3.x and 4.x versions? Thanks!

[RxMan]

I'm not sure there is a solution for shows recorded without the noscramble mod.

[el jefe]

Originally posted by RxMan
I'm not sure there is a solution for shows recorded without the noscramble mod.

SA TiVo doesn't scramble, so this isn't an issue..

Originally posted by VideoJedi
No problems extracting the SA 1.x stream TY files.. it is the converting to mpeg giving me problems. I will try TyDemux and hopefully my next post will be a request to delete this thead.

Streams below 2.0 are not supported by newer version of tyDemux, and I have tried to extract some old 1.3 (and maybe 1.2.1?) streams unsuccessfully with the older version of tyDemux that is supposed to work (if you try the newest version it will tell you which version to use for older streams, I think it's 0.4.2).

You should be running it like this for pre 2.0 streams:
tydemux -s 1 -i infile -a outfile_audio -v outfile_video

I remember I looked at it and saw where in the code it was failing for me, but never pursued it any further to find out how to fix it, etc.
Let me know if this version works for you, I'm not sure if mine isn't working because of something specific to me or something that can be fixed.


By the way, if you don't have that version of tyDemux you can get it here: http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/sh....4.2#post73603

[Fugg]

have you tried the old, reliable vsplitmux2c?

vsplitmux2c wh.ty wh.m2v wh.mpa

then mux using the old, reliable mplex

mplex -f 8 -o wh.mpg wh.m2v wh.mpa

Good Luck!

Fugg
also old and reliable, except during naps

[el jefe]

Originally posted by Fugg
have you tried the old, reliable vsplitmux2c?

vsplitmux2c wh.ty wh.m2v wh.mpa

then mux using the old, reliable mplex

mplex -f 8 -o wh.mpg wh.m2v wh.mpa

Good Luck!

Fugg
also old and reliable, except during naps

I don't think jdiner's tools work with pre 2.0 streams as he didn't think it'd be worth the time since they are so rare.

http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/sh...threadid=14749

[Fugg]

woops! missed that one!

I found another jdiner mention of a 1.3 stream
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/sh...+1.3#post63927

Wow. Someone just sent me a 1.3 clip that VSplit couldn't do anything with. And now I know why. The constructs I have been using for 2.5 and up are just not there in the old streams. Nothing is as "it should be"... Wild. With the lack of PTS values I am amazed much of anything worked...
--jdiner

for some reason, I thought the newer vsplits worked on old files.

oh, well, if that does'nt work, I guess it's time to take a trip in the way-back machine....

You can try the old TyConvert program:
http://www.armory.com/~charlie/TyConvert/TyConvert.html

it should at least be able to give you the elementals.

once again,

Good Luck!

[VideoJedi]

I tried 0.4.2 and here is the result:

G:\TiVo>tydemux -s 1 -i wh.ty -a wh.mpa -v wh.m2v |more
Probing TyStream .....

Tystream recorded on:
SA Tivo Series 1
Software rev 1.3

Tystream recoding audio stats:
MPEG Layer II audio
Average tyrecord (audio) size: 864
Audio frame size: 864
Audio frame time: 3240 (ticks)

Tystream recoding video stats:
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

Seeking TyStream start of MPEG Layer II audio
Found start of MPEG Layer II audio
Skipping to chunk 1 - reseting chunk numbering

Starting demux process
......... 100......... 200......... 300......... 400.Init of Tystream
ild!!
Init of Tystream faild!! This message alot of times

Eventually the result is:

Init of Tystream faild!! 1 chunk(s) in a row skiped
Init of Tystream faild!! 2 chunk(s) in a row skiped

Demux process finished

A/V Sync Offset: 0ms (The -O option is not needed in mplex)
Return value 0


I am not sure what to do. I don't see what version of tydemux I should be using. If worst comes to worst I will have to cap these shows via my Pinnacle DC10+, but would prefer to have the digital source material in a workable format.

[el jefe]

Originally posted by VideoJedi

Starting demux process
......... 100......... 200......... 300......... 400.Init of Tystream
ild!!
Init of Tystream faild!! This message alot of times

Eventually the result is:

Init of Tystream faild!! 1 chunk(s) in a row skiped
Init of Tystream faild!! 2 chunk(s) in a row skiped

Demux process finished

A/V Sync Offset: 0ms (The -O option is not needed in mplex)
Return value 0

This is the same problem I had, and it also seems to use up all memory on the PC when it does it. Maybe we can look at it and figure out what the problem is, maybe it's just something that's special for 1.3 and tyDemux is looking for 2.0 data. I don't really know how the program works, but I do remember I was able to determine what it was looking for and not finding that caused this error. I was going to ask Olaf about it, but this was when tyStudio was first released and he was pretty busy so I didn't bother. When I get a chance I'll look again and post the what the exact problem was and what routine it was in, and maybe one of us with ancient streams can figure out what should be there and get it working.

[FreydNot]

TyDemux 0.3.x can be found starting in the second message in this thread: http://dealdatabase.com/forum/showth...threadid=20056

[el jefe]

Originally posted by FreydNot
TyDemux 0.3.x can be found starting in the second message in this thread: http://dealdatabase.com/forum/showth...threadid=20056

Well, I just did a short clip and that seems to have worked. I wonder why I never tried this version before? Or maybe I did and had sync issues, I don't remember. Anyway, I think I'll try a few streams and see what's up with it, thanks.

[VideoJedi]

Fantastic! It worked for me too! Of course I am using a terminal connection at the moment, so I cannot expect to mux and play them back from this remote connection, but I didn't get 0-byte files this time. It appears to have worked. Can't wait to check the a/v files I converted out from the Ty file to confirm success.

For reference (and for anyone that may come into this thread exclusively for working with legacy recordings), Here's the direct link to the tydemux you need:

tydemux_w_0.3.0.zip

[el jefe]

Ok, I must have tried that version before and had sync problems, because I tried a few more files and it was way out of sync. Maybe something was fixed in 0.4.2 that took care of this, but something else seems to have broken. If I can tell why there's no error in 0.30 and there is in 0.4.2 maybe I can change it, but it's very doubtful I'll be able to tell anything as my knowlege level is very low on these things. But I guess it wouldn't hurt to try...