TiVo Recording File Formats

Overview

The shows extracted from a TiVo can be in any of several formats. The page describes the differences between each of these formats.

*.tivo files

*.tivo files are shows that are extracted from a StandAlone TiVo using the TiVo ToGo feature in TiVo Desktop. These are encrypted mpeg files and can only be played back on a Computer that has a MPEG codec installed and also has the required Media Access Key specific to the TiVo from which the file was extracted.

The Plus version of TiVo Desktop can be used to convert these files into other formats so that they can be played back on other devices.

DirectShow Dump can be used on a Windows PC to extract the contents of a .tivo file to a standard MPG file.

TiVo Decode Manager is a tool for Macintosh. It is a free Applescript Studio interface (i.e. "wrapper") for the tivodecode program that automates the process of downloading of standalone TiVo Series 2 files to your computer and decoding into MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 files. It is not for Series 1 (ever), Series 3, or DirecTiVos (unhacked or hacked).

*.ty files

TiVo stores recorded shows in an internal MFS database in Ty format. Recordings are broken up into smaller chunks and stored in the database. When shows are played back, the Ty chunks are pulled from the database in sequence.

Ty files can be extracted from a TiVo using a program such as MFS_FTP. When MFS_FTP pulls the Ty chunks, it combines them to one large Ty file using binary join. The Ty files may be encrypted/scrambled if encryption has not been disabled on the source TiVo. If so, they can not be played back on a PC or converted to any other format.

Ty files do not contain any metadata describing the show title, recorded date, show description, channel, etc.

*.ty+ files

Ty+ files are the same as Ty files extracted from a TiVo with the addition of show metadata appended to the end of the file. Otherwise, the are identical to Ty files. When extracting from a TiVo, it is better to use Ty+ files since they contain the information needed to reinsert the file and full shows details back into a TiVo.

Ty+ files may be encrypted/scrambled if encryption has not been disabled on the source TiVo. If so, they can not be played back on a PC or converted to any other format.

*.tmf files

TMF files are Ty files that were extracted from a TiVo using MFS_FTP. The biggest differences is that it is a TAR ball that contains several different files. The files it contains are the individual TY chunks as they were stored together on the TiVo. It also contains a file with the show metadata for the recording.

TMF files are not as useful if recordings are to be converted to other formats, but are ideal for shows that are to re-inserted back into a TiVo because it contains the individual Ty chunk information. TMF files can be converted to TY files but un-TAR-ing the TMF file and performing a Binary Join on the individual TY chunks. Alternatively, Tmf2ty_cfg can be used.

TMF files may be encrypted/scrambled if encryption has not been disabled on the source TiVo. If so, they can not be played back on a PC or converted to any other format.

*.mpeg files

Mpeg files are industry standard files. In regards to TiVo, the most common format is Mpeg version 2, or Mpeg2. All of the other file formats (.tivo, .ty, .ty+, .tmf) are based on the Mpeg2 format. Various utilities are available to convert TiVo-specific files into standard Mpeg2 files as long as they are not encrypted.