TiVoToGo DRM Sidestepped by TiVoDecode Media Access Key Hack

By | December 5th, 2006 comments icon (2) Comments


tivo logoIt’s a little complicated to explain how this hack works in a brief couple of sentences, but the bottom line is that a new software application for Linux and Mac PCs called TiVoDecode can take a .TiVo file and create an unencrypted MPEG-2 file using your TiVo’s Media Access Key (via TiVo Lovers, Digg). Of course, once you’ve converted your video to MPEG-2 you can use a bevy of video editors and transcoding applications to convert the video into other formats like DivX or MPEG-4 for your iPod or PSP.

Note: At this time TiVoDecode is a command line tool with no GUI front-end and requires users to compile the binary code using the make command. (This is a good example why learning to use Linux or other Unix inspired systems is a benefit to end-users.)

Sample command:
tivodecode -v -m 1234567890 -o ~/Desktop/output.mpeg ~/Desktop/Metalocalypse.TiVo





Filed in: Software

  • http://www.zatznotfunny.com Dave Zatz

    I’ve created a Mac guide, including steps needed and how to view on computer, iPod, or burn to DVD. I’ll be expanding it as the process evolves and is streamlined. Already we have a few scripts, workflows, and other automation widgets that are trickling out.

    http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2006-12…go-on-your-mac/

    Linux users who review this guide should have no problems duplicating the process by choosing appropriate apps.

    Please let me know if there’s something you don’t understand or something I’m missing!

  • http://fairnymph.livejournal.com/ Julia Noble

    THANK YOU for posting this. I was trying to use Automator (which I have never used) and kept getting errors…simply wouldn’t work. I did your command line, plugging in my data, and it converted the file rapidly.

    However, problem: NO AUDIO. Video is perfect and smooth and gorgeous. But I get no audio, nada, nothing at all in either VLC or QuickTime.

    I’m running OS X 10.5.3 on a dual-dual core 3 GHz Mac Pro with 6 GB of RAM and a over a terabyte of disk space…so it can’t be for lack of power. Any suggestions on how to produce a file with working audio? I no longer have Tiger installed.

    I also have VM Fusion with Windows XP Pro installed, but I’d really prefer to not go that route and couldn’t make any sense of the DDD app that everyone seems to use on PCs.

    I’d be very grateful for any hlep!