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ReplayTV Software Description & Link Thread

post #1 of 26
3/17/04 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
I don't know how long it has taken me to actually discover some of the programs that are developed and discussed here on the forums and I'm sure there are many more that I'm missing out on since I don't have that much time to go through all of the threads. I'm asking for the guru's of the forums to help me out (along with other lurkers here on the forums) with a list of the programs that are available to us and what they do. With enough feedback, this thread will really save some people some time being located in a single thread. I'm going to edit this thread when I get home from work to link to the described programs that have websites for them, but it would be helpful if the developers of programs that don't have websites would also place links to their most recent releases here too.

DVArchive , .WinReplayPC & ReplayPC - A free program which allows a PC on the same network as a ReplayTV to emulate a ReplayTV which allows you to stream and download recorded shows between them.

mReplay - Is a free program like the ones above but for a Mac OS X platform.

RTVPatch - A free program that allows owners to write images of the ReplayTV operating system to new (and larger) hard drives for use in ReplayTVs

reVue - A free program that plays ReplayTV mpegs and also marks possible commercials in a timeline of the recording. This allows you to skip ahead past commercials and also integrate RTVTools to create newly edited commercial-less mpegs.

VideoLAN - A free program that plays ReplayTV mpegs. It's able to play streams from a remote ReplayTV or MPEG2 files from the local PC.

RTVrc - A free program that allows users to remotely access their ReplayTV's controls via a web browser(on a LAN or via the Internet) and displays actual screen captures to show you the menu. This allows you to set recordings instantly when out of the house.

MyReplayTV.com - A website dedicated to listing the actual set recordings and recorded shows of your personal ReplayTV. It also contains a program guide.

Poopli - A website that allows users to list their recordings to other ReplayTV owners and share them if desired.

WiRNS - Is a free substitute 'program guide' for your RTV.vWhen on the same network, you can 'point' your ReplayTV's to it (to use it as DNS server) and it will get it's guide update from there.

GetShellCommands plugin for WiRNS, Registry Mods - A plug-in that allows for remote registry manipulation of a ReplayTV from the PC hosting WiRNS. The registry mods are compliments of Jeff D which enable 'features' of newer ReplayTVs.

RTVTools - Are a collection of free command line utilities to work with MPEG-2 streams for the ReplayTV 5000 series Personal Video Recorder.

Personal Replay Guide - A package of Perl scripts and utilities to provide a local, personal, web-based tvlisting service directly integrated with ReplayTVs running the 5.0 software.

evtEdit 21a - A free program to aid in running the RTVTools for 5XXX owners on DVArchived files. It works off files generated by the rtvtool: evtdump. It displays the file in a graphical format and allows for tweaking it.

extract_rtv & Extract - Programs that let you take a drive out of a Showstopper or ReplayTV and put it into a PC and extract the shows recorded off of the hard drive.

TMPGEnc - A program to convert *.AVI files to MPEG. This can be used when ripping DVDs to an AVI format and then converting them to a MPEG file which can be eventually used on a ReplayTV after using RTVTools.



There are a bunch more which I still haven't really discovered how to use or what they do. If anyone else would like to help with listing a program and a simple description of what it does, please feel free. If anyone would like to revise the descriptions I already have, please do. I'm still relatively new to the possibilities ReplayTV has to offer for the techie geek community and I'd like to help other newcomers with this summarized thread describing what they have available to them. Please don't post to this thread with little comments that don't add to the purpose of this thread, I'd like to keep it concise and to the point so users don't have to read through pages of posts to get what they're looking for
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post #2 of 26
3/17/04 at 12:49pm
A thread is transient - sooner or later it will drop from visibility, so posting the answers to your questions here will provide only temporary relief.

This purpose is better served by the FAQ.

Look at the first page of the FAQ, there is a section in the lower right hand corner with links to most (all?) of the software you mention.

If your questions aren't answered there, you should work to get the FAQ updated, rather than putting it in a thread that will drop from sight at some point.

Rick
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post #3 of 26
3/17/04 at 1:00pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestion Rick. I did notice the FAQ that has links to some of the more popular programs out there, but it also doesn't supply descriptions with that they do. It also doesn't update as fast as some of these programmers are releasing revisions. I hoped that with enough interest it could possibly become a sticky to keep it up on top. Even after posting this thread, I noticed not 10 minutes before I submitted it, someone requested "the software that sends shows from a ReplayTV to a PC". To newcomers, they don't really have an idea if DVArchive is what they want without the descriptions. Just trying to assist in saving newbs the time and embarassment of posting things that some of the veterans here think that everone should know. I'm also trying to learn a bit more while doing so as well.
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post #4 of 26
3/17/04 at 1:27pm
I think the best way for a newb to save time and embarrassment is to read the FAQ (which is referenced in a sticky at the top of the forum)

Of course the responsibility lies with "the community" to keep the FAQ updated.

It's not perfect and not always 100% up to date, but IMHO creating another sticky to deal with a topic that belongs in the FAQ doesn't solve the problem. If we go down that path, we'll end up with many stickies.

Again, my opinion, YMMV, but I think the time, effort and energy ought to go into improving the FAQ rather than creating another method.

Rick
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post #5 of 26
3/17/04 at 2:51pm
I read the FAQ, and I still don't know exactly what WiRNs does (or is). I tried to tackle the big WiRNs thread, and found out a lot, but a simple explanation sure would have helped. The FAQ is definately lacking with respect to basic desciptions of the software. Of course, it is fantastic on many other subjects.

My Replay TV is in shipment as I type. I'm excited to finally be able to throw away at least one of my VCRs.
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post #6 of 26
3/19/04 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
Links have been updated (evtEdit) and so have the descriptions. Most description excerpts have been taken from the 'readme' files of the programs themselves. Feel free to bump the thread if it drops too low.
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post #7 of 26
3/19/04 at 5:06pm
There's extract_rtv, a program that lets you pull out a harddrive from a showstopper (5xxx's too?) and put it in a PC then extract the shows to your PC harddrive.

For a more coherent description check here and see if the program has a readme

http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=17245
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post #8 of 26
3/20/04 at 7:40am
Here's some more gereral information about software that relates to replaytvs.
It is useful depending on how you want to go with this thin


j.m. has made a plugin for wirns that allows users to make changes to the registry of a replaytv 5000(4000?). It is based on a command line program written by someone else that I believe (follow up with your own research). j.m. has cited the name of the command line version in his 'plugin' thread. These programs can set the registry on a 5500 to enable Commercial Advance and IVS(file sharing)

JP1 Remote controls can be attached to a computer with a JP1 cable allowing the remote's buttons to be programmed. showstoppers, and 5xxx replaytvs come stock with jp1 remotes. 4XXXs don't come with jp1 remotes but you can buy jp1 remotes for them.
JP1 uses some software programs that coud potentially be listed

reVue uses windows media encoder (think it is called that) to recode replaytv mpgs into .wmv format (to make shows viewable on pocketpcs, for example)
maybe just put that link in the revue description


There's a program called rejig that could arguably be in there. rejig transcodes mpg files. it is unique because it works in the mpg enviornment. rejig makes mpg files much smaller. for more information ask jeff d.

There's some small batch scripts around that automate the commandline rtvtools. example, drag and drop a replaytv mpg on to the batch file icon (batch file configurable)


WiRNS has a small caps 'i'
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post #9 of 26
3/20/04 at 8:25am
Actually, I was just working on a section of the FAQ to carry better and more detailed information about the software and resources available...

Anyone who would like to lend a hand in submitting a writeup on one or more of these resources should PM me or drop me an email at admin@replayfaqs.com.
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post #10 of 26
3/21/04 at 10:13pm
Thread Starter 
Bump for WiRNs plugin entry and links. Still looking for the batch files that you can drag and drop shows onto to get RTVTools to crunch.
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post #11 of 26
3/26/04 at 8:29am
Thread Starter 
Bump for added TMPGEnc in links.
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post #12 of 26
3/26/04 at 11:00am
I'd agree with the thought that, while the FAQ has link to the various tools/utils I think there is a need to describe what they are.

This is an ongoing problem in the Tech world, those that use the tools have no problem understanding what they do or why they are needed. But anyone new to it, well they just don't get it. Try to explain double click vs single click and when the need to use one or the other to someone new to computers
We take it for granted when to use one or the other.

I appreciate the idea behind explaining all the tools/utils available and more important What can be done with them. Probably as important, why you would use the tools.

I saw explanations as to what the tools do, but at first I wasn't sure WHAT I could do with them, or what to use them for.

I think it is a great idea to have a complied list, not just to name and link to the tools but to explain what they are and what they can be used for.
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post #13 of 26
3/31/04 at 8:28pm
Quote:


Originally posted by f2000Keith
Bump for WiRNs plugin entry and links. Still looking for the batch files that you can drag and drop shows onto to get RTVTools to crunch.

Look for Dropfilehere.cmd at

www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=314017&perpage=20&pagenumber=12
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post #14 of 26
8/21/04 at 10:07am
Were the excellent summaries in f2000Keith's OP ever transferred to a FAQ somewhere? (If so, LINK please...)

Thanks f2000Keith!
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post #15 of 26
8/22/04 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
No problem! I was surprised someone hadn't done it long before I got around to doing it.

Here it is!
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post #16 of 26
5/27/05 at 10:11am
BUMP to prevent archiving...
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post #17 of 26
5/28/05 at 3:04pm
Well, since this thread has been bumped, ReplayNT should be included in the list of software. It has many features that go above and beyond just ReplayTV capabilty. It does download from both ReplayTV 4xxx and 5xxx models, has protections built in so that you can specify the highest transfer rate without worrying about whether that will crash your ReplayTV or PC, has guide data from TMS, can schedule recordings on both networked ReplayTV models, PC capture cards, and with an optional IR emitter/learner just about any device in your setup.

'Course I'm prejudiced, I wrote the software.

I do like the idea of creating a sticky that would list the software available for ReplayTV.

BTW: ReplayNT 3.6 will hopefully be released this weekend. It is a significant improvement over ReplayNT 3.5.
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post #18 of 26
9/30/05 at 3:04pm
BUMP to prevent archiving...
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post #19 of 26
12/20/05 at 12:20am
Bump
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post #20 of 26
12/20/05 at 5:54am
I'm looking for software that will playback downloaded ReplayTV files, will run on Windows XP, and:

1. Will work with just a keyboard
2. Has a large interface for ease of use
3. Will automatically skip commercials
4. Has a 30 second skip key press, and 8 second reverse
5. Remembers the last place I was in a show

I currently use Snapstream's BeyondTV and it does everything above except for #3. Any ideas?

I'm looking for something different because the Snapstream software has started to crash a lot lately.
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post #21 of 26
12/20/05 at 6:57am
You may find what you are looking for with Video Lan Client. There is a special verson available at http://replayguide.sourceforge.net/v...ha1/index.html that supports ReplayTV commercial skip.
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post #22 of 26
12/20/05 at 7:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nded View Post

You may find what you are looking for with Video Lan Client. There is a special verson available at http://replayguide.sourceforge.net/v...ha1/index.html that supports ReplayTV commercial skip.

I think Video Lan will only take care of the commercial skip. I don't think it covers the other 4 points. The automatic commercial skip is the least important as long as it has the 30-second skip.
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post #23 of 26
12/20/05 at 8:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrusch View Post

I think Video Lan will only take care of the commercial skip. I don't think it covers the other 4 points. The automatic commercial skip is the least important as long as it has the 30-second skip.

Take another look at VLC. I use it all the time, using only the keyboard. It has shortcuts for instant replay (I believe they are 7 and 30 secs) and skip (30 and 60 secs). And these might be configurable - never tried since I'm happy with the way it works.

It also has a bookmarking feature, although I never tried it. It's not quite like automatigically remembering where you left off, but I won't split hairs.

That takes care of 4 of your 5 points. As for #2 - completely subjective. Give it a try and decide for yourself.

- A
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post #24 of 26
3/28/06 at 5:45pm
VLC now supports commercial advance
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post #25 of 26
10/3/06 at 3:44pm
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post #26 of 26
2/19/07 at 11:20am
Bump....
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