While the Windows TiVo Desktop is up to version 2.6.2 and it has long had native support for TiVoToGo file playback, and more recently transcoding for TiVo Web Video, and more, the Mac TiVo Desktop has languished at version 1.9.3, lacking most of the newer features. Mac users looking for TTG playback have needed to purchase Roxio products, or use 3rd party applications such as TiVoDecode Manager or TiVo Butler.

However, TiVoCommunity user Dennis Wilkinson spotted a new version. 1.9.4, up for download a couple of weeks ago. It was pulled and the download reverted to 1.9.3, but he did find some interesting additions to the files included in 1.9.4.

/Library/Application Support/TiVo/BindTiVoFileToQTPlayer
/Library/Frameworks/mcac3dec.framework
/Library/Frameworks/mcmpegin.framework
/Library/Frameworks/mcmpgdec.framework
/Library/QuickTime/TiVo File Support.component
/Library/StartupItems/TiVoDesktop/TiVoHDPhotoServer

And the output of “strings /Library/Application\ Support/TiVoDesktop/TiVoDesktop” shows some interesting new strings:

StartHDPhotoServerAtBoot
VideoLibraryName
VideoDirectory

While the features don’t appear to be enabled in 1.9.4, it isn’t uncommon for future additions still in development to find their way, disabled, into releases. These additions seem to indicate the HD Photo Server, which has been part of the Windows TiVo Desktop for a while, will finally find its way into the Mac TiVo Desktop. And the ‘BindTiVoFileToQTPlayer’, QuickTime ‘TiVo File Support.component’ and MPEG encode and decode frameworks certainly seem to point toward native TiVoToGo file playback, and possibly transcoding to support TiVo Web Video and other file transfers to TiVo.

1.9.4 does fix TiVoToComeBack transfers, which was broken in 1.9.3.

On Friday user Lannister80 talked to a TiVo support person who said 1.9.4 was pulled due to a problem and that a new build would be available for download in “1 to 2 weeks”.

Picked up from TiVo Blog.

Roxio sent out an email today with a new set of coupon codes. Since Roxio makes the only officially sanctioned software with TiVoToGo support, they could be useful for TiVo users picking up the software.

Through 9/30/08 save 10% site wide on Roxio.com: SAVE10ROX
Through 8/15/08 save $20 on Roxio Easy Media Creator 10: C10SAVE20
Through 9/30/08 same $20 on MyDVD 10 Premier: MDVDSAVE20

And a couple of non-coupon deals:
While supplies last buy Popcorn 3 and get a free T-shirt.
Through 9/30/08 save $20 when you buy Toast 9 and the HD/Blu-ray Plug-in together.

Roxio Easy Media Creator is only commercial video editing tool for the PC officially listed as compatible with TiVoToGo files. Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 Suite has an MSRP of $99.99, currently $79.99 with a $20 rebate. But Buy.com is selling Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 Deluxe Suite for just $48.99 after a $30 rebate. The Deluxe Suite has an MSRP of $129.99, so that’s over 62% off MSRP! What makes it ‘Deluxe’, and why the higher MSRP? Because the Deluxe Suite is the full standard Suite plus a Dazzle USB video capture device. So you can buy Easy Media Creator 10 Deluxe Suite for $78.99, turn in the $30 rebate, and have it for just $48.99 - less than the standard, non-Deluxe, Suite. Good deal.

And for the Mac users, Roxio Popcorn 3 is one of the two officially endorsed packages for Mac (the other is Roxio Toast 9, of course). The MSRP is $49.99, but Buy.com is selling it for $29.99 with a $10 rebate - just $19.99.

The deals are only good through 7/20.

Alex over at TiVo Blog uncovered another nice TiVoToGo application for the Mac, TiVo Butler. I’m not a Mac user so I can’t try it out myself, but it looks like TiVo Butler has a lot of nice features, and TiVo Blog has a number of screen captures of the client.

As the cliche goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Since TiVo’s support for the Mac has lagged (far) behind their Windows clients, and the only official TiVoToGo solution for the Mac is paid-for software from Roxio, now the Mac probably has nicer 3rd party clients than any other platform.

Today through September 15th, Apple is offering a special promotion for college students and their parents, as well as faculty and staff. Purchase a new Apple Mac and get an iPod Touch or iPod Nano free (after rebate). You can purchase a MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro, then select an 8GB iPod Touch or 8GB iPod Nano, and receive up to $299 back after rebate. And that’s on top of the up to $200 Mac educational discount that is always available. You’re also eligible for up to $100 back on certain models of printer, which can net you a free printer as well. And free shipping.

It looks like the recent Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 1, which installs J2SE 6 v1.6.0_05, may break TiVoToGo functionality in Roxio products. MacFixIt has the details, which is based on user reports in the Roxio support forums and MacFixIt readers. The update is not supposed to change the system Java Preference setting, but it appears that it does, at least for some users. The solution, aside from not installing the Java update, appears to be setting the system Java Preference to the old version. At least until an update that corrects the problem is available. See MacFixIt for more info.

On Tuesday SuperSyn