Hey all, I was wondering if anyone here could give me a hand... my google-fu has failed me, and I've been unable to turn up any working solutions. Here's the situation:
The new version of iTunes lets you download TV shows. The format it is saved in is .m4v, which I am understanding (possibly incorrectly) to normally be just a MPEG-4 video stream. Anyways, plays great in the newest version of QuickTime... quality is semi-decent.

I have a TiVo series 2, and it is possible to transfer video content from your computer on to your TiVo. But, it needs to be MPEG-2. You can probably see where this is heading. What I'm looking to do is find a way to convert these new iTunes TV shows I'm buying to MPEG-2 so that I can transfer them to my TiVo and watch episodes I somehow missed on my Television :)

I've tried multiple programs, even just the trial versions of some, but none of them can seem to even open the m4v file (even when they say they support that format). Is this because they're protected for security reasons or something? Anyways, any help or points to possible fixes would be greatly appreciated... I've exhausted all my resources and came up with nothing so far =\

Just get the video Dock from Crapple and skip all the other BS!

I like submitting myself to BS to find inexpensive workarounds to situations :p

Anyways, does the video dock basically work like: Computer -USB> Dock -A/V> Television? If that's the case, I'm trying to do this over my network... my Television / TiVo are many rooms away.

yeah i like to know as well. i getting an ipod video next week.

1) Get iPod video cable
2) take iPod and connect to TV using above mentioned cable making sure to switch your TV to the appropriate input (probably "video")
3) Play video on iPod, view on TV

.m4v files are copy protected so they can only be played on your iPod or on your computer from iTunes. You could also connect your computer to your TV, but why?

This DRM crap must end. I'm sick to death of it and will never buy another DRM-crippled product... never. Apple's got a good thing going with the iTunes music store, and their DRM is about the most flexible available, but honest folk are the only ones getting screwed by it. Don't even talk to me about copy-protected music CDs and DVD. Its a total joke what they get away with.

hi all,

good news: tunebite (www.tunebite.com) now can convert itunes videos m4v to mp4 and m4v to wmv.

best regards, samba

Samba,
I've tried tunebite and it works well to covert audio but I can't get the video working despite following instructions.

http://www.dvd-tool.com/convert-m4v-to-avi-mpeg.html
It can convert m4v, but maybe doesn't support converting protected m4v files purchased from iTunes.

amielp,
Do you means tunebite converts m4p music to MP3?

Tunebite supports m4p to mp3.
http://www.topvideopro.com/guide/how_to_convert_protected_m4v_m4p...

I'm just hoping for the day where I can get iTunes video on to my TiVo :p

Tunebite just records the video and audio streams as they are being played on your computer. So the quality is highly substandard. I just won't buy any iTunes crap. Hey I don't mind paying for what I listen/watch but I don't want to buy one of those annoying little iPods give me a full featured PocketPC any day.

does anyone know how to convert the files on a mac?