pyTivo Discussion Forum

[lesmoore]

Just migrated to Windows 7.

PyTivo runs in console, but trying for the service option it gives me:

Installing service pytivo
Error installing service: Access is denied (5)

I installed python 2.7 (32 bit) and then build 216 of pywin32 2.7

[Belated thanks to whoever worked up the all-encompassing windows installer working a few years back. It installed painlessly. This time around has been difficult. But at least I got it running.]

[lesmoore]

Just wanted to add, that after this pytivo install, some of my Tivo sounds are different. Which is kind of disconcerting after using Tivo for something like 10 years.

[wmcbrine]

Well, I don't think you can blame pyTivo for the sounds, it's just a weird bug on the TiVo. I've heard it too, recently (not only due to pyTivo use, IIRC). Premiere, right? I think putting it in Standby resets them.

The install error is telling you that you need admin permissions to do that.

[lesmoore]

Tivo is an S3. Software 11.0.

Anyway, I'm a bit stumped on the permissions thing. I'm the only user, and I seem to have ownership and permissions at the level of the C: drive, and I checked the folder of the pytivoservice.py file as well, and it's not under program files or any weird W7 directories like that. So what do I need to do here?

[lesmoore]

Okay I got the service to run in Windows 7 by right clicking on the CMD icon in the start menu and selecting run as administrator, navigating to the appropriate directory and typing in the service command.

Then I had to go into services > pytivo and hit start.

Now I'm getting 2 "shares" in my now playing. One is MyMovies, which has the shares, and the other is "Now playing on xxxx-PC" which has nothing.

How do I get rid of the extra "Now playing"?

[wmcbrine]

I've never seen anything like that from pyTivo. Are you sure you don't also have TiVo Desktop running or something?

[lesmoore]

Desktop is not running. Checked my old computer and I have the pytivo service disabled on that one, so that shouldn't be doing anything.

After rebooting the PC and the Tivo, the MyMovies folder (and only the MyMovies folder, like I want) is now showing up, but intermittently. I'm going to hope it's just a network problem for now as the connection was lost for a moment.

And after rebooting the Tivo, normal sounds are back.

[lesmoore]

Oh well. I was hopeful, but the current problem persists.

Now I'm getting the blue "Now playing on xxxx-PC" folder, which has no shares and the MyMovies folder is not showing up. In the web configuration the only thing that is set up is the MyMovies folder, and when that shows up on the TV, it works.

The pyTivo service is listed as running (started, automatic), so that "seems" okay.

This is a brand new Windows 7 PC and the only thing that seems a bit off to me is that with the current settings it goes into hibernation a lot. But when I last checked the TV I had been on the computer continuously for hours.

[wmcbrine]

"Desktop is not running." But it's installed, right? Check the process manager. It's not that easy to turn it off.

[lesmoore]

It is installed. I thought that was required.

In Process Manager, what's running is
TivoNotify
TivoService
TivoTransfer

Which all seems familiar. Then again I seem to remember in XP TivoBeacon or something. EDIT - I see, now running on Bonjour.

[wmcbrine]

No, it's not required. pyTivo is completely independent of TiVo Desktop. But they don't conflict, either. However, they're kind of redundant.

The point is, "Now Playing on xxxx-PC" is simply not a format that's generated by pyTivo, ever, unless you explicitly wrote that out in the share name. But it is the format used by TiVo Desktop. Which means, when you see that on your TiVo, that TiVo Desktop is still running. And now you've confirmed that with the process manager.

As far as the intermittent pyTivo folder, that usually seems to relate to some problem with the multicast beacon packets getting through. Is either end on WiFi? Is your router set up to pass multicast? You could try disabling Zeroconf in the pyTivo config.

[lesmoore]

Uninstalled Tivo Desktop, ran ccleaner for good measure, although I didn't see anything jumping out at me in the registry entries for cleanup, and that's gone, and along with it the "Now playing" thing. Check.

I am running via wifi, but the old set up was as well. No idea about multicasting and the router, just that pytivo/tivobeacon used to work fine.

Zeroconf is not listed in my pytivo.conf, not much in there.
[Server]
port = 9032
ffmpeg = C:\1Utilities\PyTivo\wmcbrine\bin\ffmpeg.exe

[MyMovies]
type = video
path = E:\1Tivo

EDIT:
Had been alternating rebooting the PC and the tivo and not getting the MyMovies folder, as described.

added
zeroconf = False
to the Server section, rebooted the PC, and saw the MyMovies again.

hopefully that will do it. Thanks.

[lesmoore]

Nope. The MyMovies made a temporary appearance after adding the
zeroconf = False
line in the Server section, then disappeared again. Power options have the computer on never sleep, I additionally upped the extra settings where available to require 24 hours idle (which is never).

[lesmoore]

Typically a reboot will make the MyMovies appear again, but eventually it goes away. One yet more frustrating thing is that occasionally the MyMovies will appear for a moment, teasing me, and then disappear, as if cached from before.

[smelchionda]

I've run Pytivo several times before on other machines, hoever this time I cannot seem to get it to start automatically. If I start the service manually it will run... It just doesn't start on it's own.

My goal is to get it to run in the background if the computer is on... Even if no one is logged in.

How should I have the service configured? I have it set to start automatically with the local account radio button selected.