Hacking old DVRs

[yotsuya]

'Sup, guys? You were very helpful with my Wii issues, so I thought I'd throw this one out there.

Up until last week, I was a longtime TiVo subscriber. I have two Series2 boxes (non-HD) that got retired when I switched to my cable provider's DVR service. So now I have two unused boxes. Anyone ever hack one of these? I could see using them as a media player for older items in a game room (music videos, stuff like that).

[jennifer]

    Although Jenn has no experience with those, I have gotten into ROM dumping(and its really fun) ... Seems to me that would be a good place to start on that, at least look at the code and see what you can rewrite.

[yotsuya]

Actually, the research I've done pretty much indicated I'd be better off gutting the box and putting my own board in there. I want to set up my own Plex server, so this might be a good candidate for that.

[jennifer]

     Starting over with a empty box really makes little sense to me, It would be really hard to duplicate(from an engineering/design standpoint) should you want to duplicate it someday....Xboxes are pretty common.

[jennifer]

     Starting over with a empty box really makes little sense to me, It would be really hard to duplicate(from an engineering/design standpoint) should you want to make another someday....Xboxes are pretty common.

[jdbailey1206]

I used to work for Directv and really the only good thing you could pull out of Tivos is the hard drive.   And thats only on the new models.

[yotsuya]

I used to work for Directv and really the only good thing you could pull out of Tivos is the hard drive.   And thats only on the new models.

Yeah, that's what my research is showing me. More than likely, I'll cram a PC inside, run Plex, put in on my network, and promptly forget about it.

[Hoopz]

I have two servers at home that I recycled from work.  I spent a day getting one setup to be the media streamer.  Everything was done but I needed to run ethernet to a closet where I was going to store it.

Two years later, it sits on a shelf under my work bench in the garage.

[Mitkraft]

I used to work for Directv and really the only good thing you could pull out of Tivos is the hard drive.   And thats only on the new models.

this is only true for DirectTV Tivos and even then its not entirely true.  Before I upgraded to my current crop of Series 4 Tivos all of my Tivos where hacked.  I've had 3 or 4 original non-HD DirectTV Tivos, and 4 of the HR10-250's (DirectTV HD Tivos).  I'd still be a DirectTV customer if they'd not switched to MPEG4 (rendering the HD Tivos good for only SD DTV content and HD OTA) or ever released the new Tivo they teased us with for like 10 years..lol.

The one important note about re-using a Tivo is that pretty much everything except using it as a dumb DVR (i.e. recording only by day/time) is a convoluted process.  It can be done though and for an example you could:

1. upload stuff to it that you wanted to store to watch whenever or be able to watch from an appliance instead of a computer.  This idea as well as most of them would require adding network capability.
2. Use it to buffer/pause live tv and manually record
3. Use it to stream videos or music from your computer for playback on your tv or theater system.

On top of hacking the DVR itself there is also some server software you can run on your computer to enable some of this.  Your best bests on how to do some of this are the "Tivo Community" forum as well as "Deal Database".

[pbj]

Pack it in salt and dangle it in your garage for a month and see if you can eat it.

[Generic Eric]

I used to work for Directv and really the only good thing you could pull out of Tivos is the hard drive.   And thats only on the new models.

this is only true for DirectTV Tivos and even then its not entirely true.  Before I upgraded to my current crop of Series 4 Tivos all of my Tivos where hacked.  I've had 3 or 4 original non-HD DirectTV Tivos, and 4 of the HR10-250's (DirectTV HD Tivos).  I'd still be a DirectTV customer if they'd not switched to MPEG4 (rendering the HD Tivos good for only SD DTV content and HD OTA) or ever released the new Tivo they teased us with for like 10 years..lol.

The one important note about re-using a Tivo is that pretty much everything except using it as a dumb DVR (i.e. recording only by day/time) is a convoluted process.  It can be done though and for an example you could:

1. upload stuff to it that you wanted to store to watch whenever or be able to watch from an appliance instead of a computer.  This idea as well as most of them would require adding network capability.
2. Use it to buffer/pause live tv and manually record
3. Use it to stream videos or music from your computer for playback on your tv or theater system.

On top of hacking the DVR itself there is also some server software you can run on your computer to enable some of this.  Your best bests on how to do some of this are the "Tivo Community" forum as well as "Deal Database".

I used to read deal database.  TIVOs sounded neat, but I wouldn't pay the subscription fee.  Here I sit though, with Netflix and Amazon prime going to waste.  Thank goodness I stopped using xbox live.

[yotsuya]

I used to work for Directv and really the only good thing you could pull out of Tivos is the hard drive.   And thats only on the new models.

this is only true for DirectTV Tivos and even then its not entirely true.  Before I upgraded to my current crop of Series 4 Tivos all of my Tivos where hacked.  I've had 3 or 4 original non-HD DirectTV Tivos, and 4 of the HR10-250's (DirectTV HD Tivos).  I'd still be a DirectTV customer if they'd not switched to MPEG4 (rendering the HD Tivos good for only SD DTV content and HD OTA) or ever released the new Tivo they teased us with for like 10 years..lol.

The one important note about re-using a Tivo is that pretty much everything except using it as a dumb DVR (i.e. recording only by day/time) is a convoluted process.  It can be done though and for an example you could:

1. upload stuff to it that you wanted to store to watch whenever or be able to watch from an appliance instead of a computer.  This idea as well as most of them would require adding network capability.
2. Use it to buffer/pause live tv and manually record
3. Use it to stream videos or music from your computer for playback on your tv or theater system.

On top of hacking the DVR itself there is also some server software you can run on your computer to enable some of this.  Your best bests on how to do some of this are the "Tivo Community" forum as well as "Deal Database".

I used to read deal database.  TIVOs sounded neat, but I wouldn't pay the subscription fee.  Here I sit though, with Netflix and Amazon prime going to waste.  Thank goodness I stopped using xbox live.

My wife is the TiVo user. She likes TV and DVRing way more than I do. I'm going with my cable company because it's going to save me $30 a month. 

[jennifer]

Pack it in salt and dangle it in your garage for a month and see if you can eat it.

  WHATEVER!....Do you even buy this meat, or are just scraping it off the highway?

[yotsuya]

Oh HELL NO! The cable guy came over to do the new setup, and before he started he showed me an email that stated that they no longer did the type of installation we scheduled SEVEN DAYS AGO. He called Sales, and the lady told me it would be $80 a month more. I told her to ---fudgesicle--- off (well, not literally, but I cancelled the order).

---fudgesicle--- that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Any of you guys use DirectTV?

[jdbailey1206]

Any of you guys use DirectTV?

Yessir.  What would you like to know?

[yotsuya]

Any of you guys use DirectTV?

Yessir.  What would you like to know?

I mean, how is it? I've been with Cox for 17 years.

[jdbailey1206]

Any of you guys use DirectTV?

Yessir.  What would you like to know?

I mean, how is it? I've been with Cox for 17 years.

     

[Hoopz]

I had DirecTV from 97-14. Cut the cord last year or I'd still have it.  Never had issues and anytime I called them, I had great service.  If we werent cutting expenses, I'd still have them.

[jennifer]

    I have D/TV in my van, Its totally cool, It takes a few minutes to find the signal (mobile install, go figger) but once it does its locked on. It also records shows for me, And the service desk was awesome helping me over the phone... The downside, is the giant spy dome thing on my roof.

[yotsuya]

OK, so I have this Intel ATOM board I wanted to chuck inside the TiVo, but when I go to install Windows on it, the screen corrupts after a few minutes, usually on the Windows loading screen. Everything will be fine, then all of a sudden the screen freezes with lots of lines running down it. I have new matching RAM installed, so I don't think it's the RAM. I'm using the integrated video on this, as the board has no PCI slots (but it does do HDMI). This is a new one for me. I worked on computers for years and never seen this one before. Any thoughts?

[BobA]

The board is a low power unit so any PS should work.  What are you powering it with, I have done more than a dozen of them without the symptoms you are getting. Maybe it is a glichy board.

[yotsuya]

The board is a low power unit so any PS should work.  What are you powering it with, I have done more than a dozen of them without the symptoms you are getting. Maybe it is a glichy board.

I think it's just the board. I hooked it up to my TV via HDMI and got the same results. I'm using a CoolerMax PS made for ITX boards. It works fine with two other ATOM boards I have. I think the board I got was just a POS.

[jdbailey1206]

'Cox.'  Nobody?  C'mon. 

[JimmyU]

I've always wondered why Tivo subscriptions are so expensive. $12/month just for listings is pretty expensive. Do they not make enough money off of the hardware? I've thought about building my own HTPC with a Ceton 6 card.

[yotsuya]

I've always wondered why Tivo subscriptions are so expensive. $12/month just for listings is pretty expensive. Do they not make enough money off of the hardware? I've thought about building my own HTPC with a Ceton 6 card.

I was with them so long I was grandfathered in with a $6 a month rate. The hardware I have was great back in 2005, but with the advent of HD TV, not so much.

'Cox.'  Nobody?  C'mon. 

[pbj]

I lived less than half a mile from the Charter corporate headquarters and they still couldn't give us decent service.

Went cable-less for years with my coat hanger antenna.

Now I'm back on AT&T's teat with UVerse.  It's fine, I guess.  Doesn't look like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- like all the Xfinity setups I've seen.  Antenna in the garage still gives a sharper target when I'm aiming beer cans at Tony Romo.

[lilshawn]

OK, so I have this Intel ATOM board I wanted to chuck inside the TiVo, but when I go to install Windows on it, the screen corrupts after a few minutes, usually on the Windows loading screen. Everything will be fine, then all of a sudden the screen freezes with lots of lines running down it. I have new matching RAM installed, so I don't think it's the RAM. I'm using the integrated video on this, as the board has no PCI slots (but it does do HDMI). This is a new one for me. I worked on computers for years and never seen this one before. Any thoughts?

there is an issue with some atom boards that iv'e seen during install...you have to switch the hard drive interface from ACPI to IDE mode in the bios.. i think what happens is windows reloads during install and boots up the drivers drivers....but loses the ability to access the harddrive because it's in an incompatible ACPI mode. then all kinds of weird things happen. You can switch out the stanadrd IDE drivers for ACPI after install.

[yotsuya]

OK, so I have this Intel ATOM board I wanted to chuck inside the TiVo, but when I go to install Windows on it, the screen corrupts after a few minutes, usually on the Windows loading screen. Everything will be fine, then all of a sudden the screen freezes with lots of lines running down it. I have new matching RAM installed, so I don't think it's the RAM. I'm using the integrated video on this, as the board has no PCI slots (but it does do HDMI). This is a new one for me. I worked on computers for years and never seen this one before. Any thoughts?

there is an issue with some atom boards that iv'e seen during install...you have to switch the hard drive interface from ACPI to IDE mode in the bios.. i think what happens is windows reloads during install and boots up the drivers drivers....but loses the ability to access the harddrive because it's in an incompatible ACPI mode. then all kinds of weird things happen. You can switch out the stanadrd IDE drivers for ACPI after install.

Interesting - I could try that. What's odd is that it wasn't consistent at first. I was trying to use it with an SSD, but I then switched to a SATA drive. Same results on both. I used a Linux Bootdisc, it's fine on the loading screen, but once it goes to the command prompt screen, same results. I hooked the board up to my TV via HDMI, same issue, even with a different drive. It almost reminds me of a video card out of sync.

[lilshawn]

OK, so I have this Intel ATOM board I wanted to chuck inside the TiVo, but when I go to install Windows on it, the screen corrupts after a few minutes, usually on the Windows loading screen. Everything will be fine, then all of a sudden the screen freezes with lots of lines running down it. I have new matching RAM installed, so I don't think it's the RAM. I'm using the integrated video on this, as the board has no PCI slots (but it does do HDMI). This is a new one for me. I worked on computers for years and never seen this one before. Any thoughts?

there is an issue with some atom boards that iv'e seen during install...you have to switch the hard drive interface from ACPI to IDE mode in the bios.. i think what happens is windows reloads during install and boots up the drivers drivers....but loses the ability to access the harddrive because it's in an incompatible ACPI mode. then all kinds of weird things happen. You can switch out the stanadrd IDE drivers for ACPI after install.

"AHCI" I meant, not ACPI...sorry if i caused confusion. remembering things is not my forte'.

[Mitkraft]

I've always wondered why Tivo subscriptions are so expensive. $12/month just for listings is pretty expensive. Do they not make enough money off of the hardware? I've thought about building my own HTPC with a Ceton 6 card.

They don't make much money on the hardware.  Their business model is based on making money off the subscriptions.

[yotsuya]

I ended up getting a used Core2Duo with 4 GB Ram for $25 off CL. Made it a Plex Server, runs fine. Ordered a 3TB HD to throw in the sucker.

[SciFiJunkie]

Miss my Tivo have about 4 sitting in the garage. Should look at doing something with them. But cut the cord and not missing the bill that lost.