Transcribe a long TiVo recording file from a transferred recording to a transcript.
A 2.5-hour TiVo recording transcribes in about 5 minutes and uses 150 minutes of the $6 pack (500 minutes), once it is decoded and its audio extracted. A .TiVo file is encrypted with your box's Media Access Key, so decode it to MPEG first with a transfer tool, then upload the sound, about 144 MB for 2.5 hours as a 128 kbps MP3.
Off the box
A TiVo recording needs two steps before any tool can read it. After that it is an ordinary file.
What a .TiVo file is
Recordings copied from a TiVo DVR to a computer arrive as .TiVo files: MPEG video wrapped and encrypted with the Media Access Key (MAK) shown in your account and on the box. Whether transfers are possible at all depends on the model and its software, so check yours first.
Decoding it
TiVo's own desktop software in its day, and community tools such as kmttg with tivodecode, decrypt the file with your MAK into a plain MPEG file that VLC and ffmpeg open. Tool availability has changed over the years, so follow the current instructions for your box. Programmes a channel flagged as copy-protected cannot be transferred, and only recordings you have the right to use belong in a transcript.
Extract and upload
With the decoded MPEG, run ffmpeg -i show.mpg -vn -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 128k show.mp3, or use VLC's Convert/Save. The MP3 fits the box on this page; a file over 500 MB goes through the upload page, up to 10 hours or 5 GB.
What you get
Timestamps throughout, a brief with the main points, chapters, the names, numbers and dates said on air, and a chat over the transcript. Speakers are named in the summary, key quotes and chapters. Exports: TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT, JSON.
Recordings on a DVR
The broadcast you need is on a box under the TV, and the quote is somewhere in hour two.
✗ Left on the box
Recordings that only play on one device, from the start.
- Encrypted files no player opens
- HD recordings of several GB an hour
- Fast-forwarding to find a line
- Notes typed while watching
- Storage filling up
- A box that may be retired soon
✓ Decoded and transcribed
A plain audio file, then a full transcript in minutes.
- 2.5 hours in about 5 minutes
- Timestamped quotes
- Chapters by segment
- DOCX for notes and research
- A chat to find the moment
- 350 of 500 minutes left on the $6 pack
Illustrative transcript
A long recorded debate, transferred from a TiVo box.
Invented for this page; no real programme, debate or person. Times follow the decoded audio.
Export
One transcript. Five clean formats.
Every pack exports all five — no format is held back for a higher tier.
Plain text
De-ummed paragraphs. Ready to paste.
SRT captions
Timed to the speech. Every video editor reads this.
WebVTT
HTML5 player + YouTube uploads.
Show notes
Formatted with chapters and pull-quotes.
Machine-readable
Timestamped text for your own tools.
Pricing
Honest pricing, no surprises.
A pack from $6 (500 minutes) opens the full transcript. After that, no subscription and no auto-renew — every tier is a one-time minute pack, and credits never expire. Buy once, use the minutes whenever you need them.
Casual pack
$6/500 min
8 hours of audio — $0.72 an hour. One-time — credits never expire.
- 500 minutes of audio
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
- Executive summary & key quote
Best value
$12/2,000 min
33 hours of audio — $0.36 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 2,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
Bulk pack
$24/5,000 min
83 hours of audio — $0.29 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 5,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- API access for batch pipelines
- All export formats
FAQ
Long TiVo recordings: questions
Can I upload a .TiVo file directly?
No. It is encrypted, so neither the upload nor ordinary players can read it. Decode it with your Media Access Key into MPEG first, then extract the audio; if the upload refuses the result, convert to MP3 or MP4 with ffmpeg or VLC.
How big is a TiVo recording?
Standard-definition recordings are often around 1 to 2.5 GB an hour, and high-definition ones can be several gigabytes an hour, so a long HD recording passes 5 GB quickly. As a 128 kbps MP3 the audio is about 58 MB an hour.
How long does a 2.5-hour recording take?
About 5 minutes, at roughly 2 minutes per audio hour. A 4-hour broadcast takes about 8.
What does a collection of recordings cost?
Forty recordings averaging 1.5 hours are 60 hours, or 3,600 minutes, past the $12 pack's 2,000, so they go on the $24 pack of 5,000 minutes with 1,400 left. A first-time visitor's first 20 minutes are free; a longer recording is previewed and a pack transcribes the rest.
My box will not let me transfer a recording.
Copy-protected programmes are blocked from transfer, and some models do not support transfers. Those recordings cannot be transcribed from the box; look for the same broadcast as a public video link, and paste a YouTube or Vimeo link here if one exists.
Languages, exports and privacy?
99 languages are detected automatically. Advertisements and music beds are not transcribed as speech. Exports are TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT and JSON. Recordings are transcribed on our own servers and are never used for training.
Related
Related pages
A recording stuck on a TiVo. Decoded, extracted, transcribed.
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