# Why hack my TiVo?



## BigT4187 (Jul 24, 2006)

Please forgive me for asking. I just ordered my 180 hour S2 Dual Tuner TiVo after lurking here for awhile.

Can someone please explain to me or point me to a link that gives the reasons for "hacking" my TiVo and what benefit it would give me?

Thanks.

Tony


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Sounds like you are like me and want some functionality for not a lot of pain.The DT is new and still "being hacked" so it is not one I would try yet unless you were deep into hacking things. 

I am about to hack my 240 model TiVo though as that has been around for a while and lots of info obtained on how to hack it. Funny thing is when I first got it thee was not a lot of info on how to hack it nad everyone said to get a Series 1 if you want to hack it.


so anyhow I am looking at TiVoWebPlus for my 240 and naybe this new external access thing TiVoUpgrade has cooked up. read about those to find out what you can get from hacking.


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## cs8100 (Aug 18, 2006)

Similarly I think, I'm just trying to figure out how to backup my season passes & WL entries before I do a 'reset' or replace the HD on my 540...& 590... Tivos. It seems the right tool to use is TivoWebPlus, but the instructions either imply or state there is an expectation that you know how to do a bunch of stuff that I don't know how to do. I need to find the steps I need to know before the 'instructions' start such as how to 'put the .tar.gz file on your Tivo', 'unzip the tar.gz file to ...', 'telnet to your Tivo...'. Anyone have link to the hacking abc's post? FWIW, my PC runs WinXPsp2. ...desperately trying to get up to speed...

Thanks,
CS


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## BigT4187 (Jul 24, 2006)

cs8100 said:


> Similarly I think, I'm just trying to figure out how to backup my season passes & WL entries before I do a 'reset' or replace the HD on my 540...& 590... Tivos. It seems the right tool to use is TivoWebPlus, but the instructions either imply or state there is an expectation that you know how to do a bunch of stuff that I don't know how to do. I need to find the steps I need to know before the 'instructions' start such as how to 'put the .tar.gz file on your Tivo', 'unzip the tar.gz file to ...', 'telnet to your Tivo...'. Anyone have link to the hacking abc's post? FWIW, my PC runs WinXPsp2. ...desperately trying to get up to speed...
> 
> Thanks,
> CS


From what I have read, you can use TiVo desktop to back that up and then use "Go Back" to put it back on the TiVo.


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## Gunnyman (Jul 10, 2003)

cs8100 said:


> Similarly I think, I'm just trying to figure out how to backup my season passes & WL entries before I do a 'reset' or replace the HD on my 540...& 590... Tivos. It seems the right tool to use is TivoWebPlus, but the instructions either imply or state there is an expectation that you know how to do a bunch of stuff that I don't know how to do. I need to find the steps I need to know before the 'instructions' start such as how to 'put the .tar.gz file on your Tivo', 'unzip the tar.gz file to ...', 'telnet to your Tivo...'. Anyone have link to the hacking abc's post? FWIW, my PC runs WinXPsp2. ...desperately trying to get up to speed...
> 
> Thanks,
> CS


Without a non trivial PROM mod, which means soldering and EEPROM replacement, you can't do anything with those model tivos except expand their recording capacity.


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## cs8100 (Aug 18, 2006)

BigT4187 said:


> From what I have read, you can use TiVo desktop to back that up and then use "Go Back" to put it back on the TiVo.


FAIK, you can move video from now playing list to PC & back, but not season passes & WishLists. ??

CS


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## cs8100 (Aug 18, 2006)

Gunnyman said:


> Without a non trivial PROM mod, which means soldering and EEPROM replacement, you can't do anything with those model tivos except expand their recording capacity.


Interesting! I think I've seen posts about hacking DTIVOs, which I was taking to mean dual-tuners which are newer than mine. So, I think I'm wrong and the DTivos are Dish or E* sat boxes. So out of curiosity, a Tivo after what three digit prefix cannot be hacked???

Thanks,
CS


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## MungoJerrie (Mar 30, 2006)

See the List of Unhackable Tivos.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Hey the Toshiba SD H400 is not on that list - must be because it is 240 like. This makes things interesting


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## MungoJerrie (Mar 30, 2006)

ZeoTiVo said:


> Hey the Toshiba SD H400 is not on that list - must be because it is 240 like. This makes things interesting


Yes, the SD H400 is hacked like ordinary S2's (like the 240). Normal killhdinitrd, etc.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

cs8100 said:


> Interesting! I think I've seen posts about hacking DTIVOs, which I was taking to mean dual-tuners which are newer than mine. So, I think I'm wrong and the DTivos are Dish or E* sat boxes. So out of curiosity, a Tivo after what three digit prefix cannot be hacked???
> 
> Thanks,
> CS


DTiVos are the DirecTV (only) DVRs that run TiVo software, which most of them are based on the Series 2 platform, and are software hackable.

The new DT is a standalone Series 2.5, or Series 2.6 if you will, and is unhackable by software alone, as are all TiVo powered DVRs beginning withe the TSN of 5 or 6 (they all have a 3 digit model code).

JMO though, the begining with at least 7.2, the stock software features ar rich enough to not warrant hacking, in most cases. My DVR is running the software in its stock condition. The only hacks to the DVR are the larger HDD and the UHF remote receiver.


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## cs8100 (Aug 18, 2006)

classicsat said:


> ... JMO though, the begining with at least 7.2, the stock software features ar rich enough to not warrant hacking, in most cases. My DVR is running the software in its stock condition. The only hacks to the DVR are the larger HDD and the UHF remote receiver.


Agreed - mostly. 'cept I think it is a real pain that Tivo does not 'allow' a means to save season passes & wish list entries. Certainly there are no DRM issues there. A USB drive, save to PC, almost anything would be acceptable. It seems pretty user UNFRIENDLY that the 'hoops' one needs to go through (MFSTools, LBA48 bootCD, backup, test, restore, etc.) make the tradeoff decision for an HD upgrade saving SP & WLs between 1) do Weaknees, PTV instant cake & manually re-enter all the SP & WL entries, vs. 2) 'the hoops' - NOT clearly a decision in favor of 'automation'. 

YMMV,
CS


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