# Moron Question: What Can You Tivo Fanatics Actually Do?



## SlaveToTheNeedle (Jan 22, 2007)

I am new to the forum but a Tivo user for 7 years. What can you end up "hacking" to enhance your unit? In other words what is possible and what is PRACTICLE? Are there any ways to "tweak" the S3 unit in any way to enhance its features etc?
Thanks!!


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## mphare (Jul 16, 2004)

I have 3 DirecTivos and a PC Media Server that operate in a networked cluster. With MRV and HMO and a few other tools I can share recordings, music and photos among all the TiVos and the PC.

Pretty sweet.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

If you have a stand alone tivo today the basic set of hacks won't mean anything to you, because you already have HMO. TTG, MRV, Remote scheduling, Caller ID, etc. DirecTv Tivo's on the other hand are NOT network enable by default. So in order to get this functionality that really makes Tivo a wonderful device we have to hack them and use other tools. Back in the day SA Tivo's needed to be hacked for this functionality as well.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

First off, 5xx and 6xx units need a PROM mod to hack the TiVo filesystem which yo need to to do dojust about all the hacks. As said, that isn't particularily practical, as the Series 2/3 Stadnalones are prettey well featured (with the exception if transfers on the Series3, for now).


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## SonicRanger001 (Nov 5, 2005)

You guys are so funny, the poor guy asked "What can you fanatics do?"

Then the few replies so far all INCLUDE "shop talk" that the NEW guy doesn't understand at all.

You have to remember back to the days that YOU TOO were a n00b and didn't have a damned clue about anything.

Maybe there is a thread somewhere for the "newbies" to reference but so far everything I've been reading ASSUMES that if you're on these forums then you are a computer-networking-hacking-software-genius...not to mention a TiVo FANATIC!!!


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

SonicRanger001 said:


> You guys are so funny, the poor guy asked "What can you fanatics do?"
> 
> Then the few replies so far all INCLUDE "shop talk" that the NEW guy doesn't understand at all.
> 
> ...


"Shop Talk"??? 
How is saying 


JWThiers said:


> If you have a stand alone tivo today the basic set of hacks won't mean anything to you, because you already have HMO. TTG, MRV, Remote scheduling, Caller ID, etc. DirecTv Tivo's on the other hand are NOT network enable by default. So in order to get this functionality that really makes Tivo a wonderful device we have to hack them and use other tools. Back in the day SA Tivo's needed to be hacked for this functionality as well.


Shop talk? 
If he has a stand Alone Tivo the basic set of hacks won't mean anything to him. 
If he has a direcTV Tivo the basic set of hacks will get you that functionality that the Stand Alones already have. The only thing that is even remotely "Shop Talk" is the use of the common acronyms used on this forum. If you don't know what one or all mean, ask and we will be more than happy to tell you that:

SA = Stand Alone
HMO = Home Media Option
TTG = Tivo-ToGo
MRV = Multi-Room Viewing

If he, or you for that matter, still don't understand what any of that is ask and we would try to explain but at that point I wouldn't recommend hacking in the first place, you won't miss what you don't know you have.


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## mphare (Jul 16, 2004)

I thought I said quite plainly what _could_ be accomplished:


> I have 3 DirecTivos and a PC Media Server that operate in a networked cluster. With MRV and HMO and a few other tools I can share recordings, music and photos among all the TiVos and the PC.


If that interests the OP, then we can discuss how to get there and in the process what HMO and MRV and 'other tools' mean.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

mphare said:


> I thought I said quite plainly what _could_ be accomplished:
> 
> If that interests the OP, then we can discuss how to get there and in the process what HMO and MRV and 'other tools' mean.


Whats the OP? too much shop talk there. LOL


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## mphare (Jul 16, 2004)

OP = Original Poster

I was agree with you.


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## ttodd1 (Nov 6, 2003)

SonicRanger001 said:


> You guys are so funny, the poor guy asked "What can you fanatics do?"
> 
> Then the few replies so far all INCLUDE "shop talk" that the NEW guy doesn't understand at all.
> 
> ...


Just how do YOU know he doesn't understand them?


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## Mr. Soze (Nov 2, 2002)

Apparently, there are people who have hacked their Directivos, networked them, and use programs like Bittorrent to download shows from the internet, and run Tivoserver on their networked PC to transport those shows to their Tivos. Or so I have heard.


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## Runch Machine (Feb 7, 2002)

I am not aware that CALLER ID is available on stand alone Tivo DVRs. Is it? If so, how do you activate it?


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## Da Goon (Oct 22, 2006)

Caller ID is not available on any "stock" tivo. It must be installed by the user. There are several different caller ID programs for tivo, NCID, yac, and elseed are a few. I believe that PTVnet configures elseed and yac, and the zipper will install NCID. Otherwise you would have to manually install and configure one of the aforementioned programs.


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## captain_video (Mar 1, 2002)

In response to the OP (i.e., Original Poster for all the smarta$$es out there), check out the Zipper thread in the Undergound forum for a synopsis of most of the hacks currently available for a series 2 Tivo. Note that there are lots of hacks available that can't be discussed in these forums due to constraints placed upon us by The Management. As a result, you will never get the complete picture by posting the question in these forums. 

I'm still amazed that many of the senior members here (i.e., those members with countless posts) still respond with "You can't do that with a Tivo" when the fact is that it most certainly can be done but that they don't realize there's intelligent life outside of these forums. It's kind of like when I kept trying to convince my Dad that there were actually computers available besides the TRS-80 at RadioShack.  The Tivo Community Forum is a nice place to socialize and chat about your Tivo but when it comes to serious hacking you really need to look elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of knowledgeable folks here but they have been hamstringed by the constraints placed upon them so they can't give you the real skinny on what's going down. The rest are just plain clueless. FYI - This is just an observation based on many years watching this forum. I was here long before my registration date.


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