# Possible to upgrade an HR22-100 to a THR22-100 w/ image?



## NGeorge (Feb 27, 2004)

Hey All--

I got a THR22-100s for my parents, and having knowing nothing else besides they old Series 2 boxes, are VERY happy. 

My question: DirecTV wants to charge $199 for each additional box, even though they have 2 other (non Tivo) HR22-100's in the house--would it possible to image the hard drive from the THR22 and install it in the non-Tivo units? They appear to be EXACTLY the same box... it even seems to have the same DirecTV bootloader which then kicks in the Tivo software. 

Has anyone tried this? The issue it seems would be the serial numbers, and DirecTV trying to constantly push their own non-Tivo software to the units. 

Just curious--it would be great if it worked reasonably, but even from a purely computer-geek standpoint it would be cool to know. 
--Nat


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

There is a difference on the mainboard which makes this not work.


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

Not possible.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

stevel said:


> There is a difference on the mainboard which makes this not work.


That's not true. They are identical.

The reason it's not *feasible* is because it would require flashing the PROM. which would be very difficult for most people to do. And even if you did, TiVo service would have to be activated by DirecTV and I'm not sure how'd you convince them to do that.


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

I would characterize a PROM difference as a "difference on the mainboard". There's no way for users to reprogram that PROM, so Steve is essentially correct. Bottom line is that it's impossible for users to turn an HR22 into a THR22, or vice versa.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

litzdog911 said:


> I would characterize a PROM difference as a "difference on the mainboard". There's no way for users to reprogram that PROM, so Steve is essentially correct. Bottom line is that it's impossible for users to turn an HR22 into a THR22, or vice versa.


It's not a hardware difference, it's software that isn't stored on the hard drive.

I don't believe ANY of the TiVo software is stored on the actual hard disk on this model.


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

I guess I think of the Programmable ROM IC as "hardware". And the fact that it's not stored on the hard drive, but rather in the PROM IC, makes it a "hardware difference" in my book. At any rate, conclusion still stands .... users can't convert these.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

It has the same ROM, it just has to be flashed with the different software.. Like a bios upgrade. It would all be a software solution, you wouldn't need special prom writers or anything like that. The box is identical, only the software is different. The directv DVRs work differently than the old TiVos, they don't run an OS on the hard drive, it's all stored in ROM.

It could be done, at home, without replacing any hardware. It would be pointless to go through the work and expense because DirecTV would never activate it.

(That, and you'd violate your lease agreement big time and most likely brick a few trying to figure it out...)


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## dcstager (Feb 16, 2002)

If the Tivo software is on the PROM, wouldn't that make drive upgrades simpler? My Motorola 3416 DVR cable box also has DVR software on the PROM and the hard drive is just a scratch drive basically. Maybe hooking up an external drive and formatting it, then swapping it into the main drive slot is all you have to do?


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## wedgecon (Dec 28, 2002)

Do we actually know that the entire Tivo OS is on the PROM? We know the DirecTV OS is but it is possible that the PROM in the THR22 is just used for the intial boot with the rest being read in from the HD?


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

ENTIRE OS? Stuff is saved to the hard drive besides recordings, just like the HR. But the OS is in ROM. When you plug in an esata drive it disables the internal drive just like the normal HR. When you replace the internal drive, it automatically configures the drive just like the HR.

Yes, drive replacements should be simpler, but why bother violating your lease when you can plug in an esata drive.


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## johnd01 (Dec 17, 2002)

If the OS runs like other D*tv boxes you should be able to replace the hard drive with a new 2TB drive, boot and go.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

And prepare your check for $470 for breaching your lease agreement.


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## wedgecon (Dec 28, 2002)

Adam1115 said:


> And prepare your check for $470 for breaching your lease agreement.


I have upgraded several dozen DirecTV DVR's and I have never had to pay a fee for breaching a lease agreement. In fact I know of nobody who who has replaced their internal drive who has had to pay a fee. The one and only time directv wants the money back is if you terminate the lease before two years and don't return the receivers.


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## JosephB (Nov 19, 2010)

Firmware on a soldered chip not a "difference on the mainboard"? Talk about splitting hairs. Anyone asking the question, especially here and not in the Underground or DDB is probably not even close to having the expertise to reflash the PROM, which by the way, no one out in the wild is doing to DirecTV boxes.

The entire OS is indeed stored in PROM on the board, not on the hard drive. Someone in another thread has stated they successfully swapped out the drive with a larger one, and without any transfer or prep of the new drive the box booted fine and formatted the drive. This is exactly how DirecTV DVRs with their in-house software works. It's also important to note that the THR-22 uses DirecTV's method of satellite-delivered firmware updates.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

JosephB said:


> Firmware on a soldered chip not a "difference on the mainboard"?


Nope, it's the same chip on the mainboard. There is no hardware difference.


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## JosephB (Nov 19, 2010)

Adam1115 said:


> Nope, it's the same chip on the mainboard. There is no hardware difference.


Please see the second sentence right after that. You're splitting hairs. There's no purely hardware difference, but there IS a difference on the main board, since it's what contains the software. It's not practical (or even possible at this point) to reflash the PROM. The chip is different in that it contains different code. The question was "is it possible to change the software in an HR-22 to a THR-22", and the answer is an unequivocal no, unless you work for Pace or DirecTV.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

JosephB said:


> Please see the second sentence right after that. You're splitting hairs. It's not practical (or even possible at this point) to reflash the PROM. The chip is different in that it contains different code. The question was "is it possible to change the software in an HR-22 to a THR-22", and the answer is an unequivocal no, unless you work for Pace or DirecTV.


In my first post in this thread I said it's not feasible. No disagreement that it's not practical.


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