# Things I never knew (or forgot) and may surprise you too



## tonywalk (Sep 10, 2002)

When swapping a disc out to a completely different image, the Tivo will remember which remote control address (4 in my case) the Tivo was set to.

There is a deeper "bong" in the system than the deeper bong that you get at the bottom of a page for example. When I put the AltEPG image on my Dev Tivo it had some phantom progs in "Now Playing". Trying to play these results in the very deep and timbrous bong.

Looking at the chips on the mainboard I noticed that the MPEG2 chip is actually badged IBM. Add that one to the IBM PowerPC processor.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

Indeed, check these two motherboard photos taken at the Tivo user meeting in London - 9th Feb 2001.

http://www.morlocks.co.uk/stormpages/index.htm

Automan.


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## mercurial (Oct 17, 2002)

tonywalk said:


> When swapping a disc out to a completely different image, the Tivo will remember which remote control address (4 in my case) the Tivo was set to.
> 
> There is a deeper "bong" in the system than the deeper bong that you get at the bottom of a page for example. When I put the AltEPG image on my Dev Tivo it had some phantom progs in "Now Playing". Trying to play these results in the very deep and timbrous bong.
> 
> Looking at the chips on the mainboard I noticed that the MPEG2 chip is actually badged IBM. Add that one to the IBM PowerPC processor.


That wasn't a "bong" it was the cloister bell, there is trouble in the TARDIS.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

Picture from 2001









Picture from 2011









Automan.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

What have you been splashing on your TiVo?


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

OzSat said:


> What have you been splashing on your TiVo?


It is just bubbles / marks on the protective film that I never removed 

Automan.


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## Furball (Dec 6, 2001)

Crumbs I thought I was the only one that didnt remove the protective film off stuff 

Furball


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Wow, first thing that comes off for me. Leaving it on reminds me of a friend's parents who left the plastic wrap on their sofas so they didn't get damaged.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

This still has it's film on for easy return 

Automan.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

Automan said:


> It is just bubbles / marks on the protective film that I never removed
> 
> Automan.


Judging by the stains you get on your kit it is a good job the film is left on them  

Actually, I tend to leave it on too as less it is really naff looking - my first S-VHS player had to have it kept on so you could see the S-VHS logo.


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## Richard42 (Dec 27, 2000)

ok there's a coin battery on the motherboard that must have died by now, so what info is TiVo no longer saving on a power cycle reboot 
Should it be replaced ?


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

The clock, although I think that survives a power cycle, just not a sustained off.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Automan said:


> Indeed, check these two motherboard photos taken at the Tivo user meeting in London - 9th Feb 2001.
> 
> http://www.morlocks.co.uk/stormpages/index.htm
> 
> Automan.


It appears the UK version didn't have the braindead CMOS battery holder arrangement of the U.S. S1 models.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Richard42 said:


> ok there's a coin battery on the motherboard that must have died by now, so what info is TiVo no longer saving on a power cycle reboot


Those batteries normally last three or four years even when they are actively powering something (like a watch with no mains supply).

As this one is not normally subject to any current drain (if you leave the Tivo on 24/7) it might very well still not have gone flat even after 10 years.


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

unitron said:


> It appears the UK version didn't have the braindead CMOS battery holder arrangement of the U.S. S1 models.


Couple of battery things.

Normally on a powered PC (or TiVo) their will be no current taken from the battery. It is only there to keep the real time clock ticking when the system is powered off.

The shelf life of coin cells is usually quoted 5-10 years to 40-50% capacity.

We have a stores full of 2032 coin cells purchased in 1999 for a project that didn't happen and I measured them at only 50% capacity (100mAh rather than quoted 210mAh) after 12 years.

So probably good news for TiVo owners.


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

Does the Tivo user interface tell you if the battery in Tivo needs to be replaced or is missing?

Automan.


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## pengbo (Dec 21, 2005)

Do you think anyone actually thought these machines would still be going 10+ years after they went on sale? and hence even bothered to code for it?

Let alone the fact it was for Joe Public... a message to tell them a battery they wouldn't even know existed and could not easily replace would just confuse the poor people... mind you that probably has never stopped anyone in the past


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## tivotrebor (Oct 2, 2002)

Random thoughts!



> No user serviceable parts in side.


on something is just a challenge for me to prove them wrong!



> Only serviceable by qualified personal.


yes but what quantification do I need and where do I get qualified?

Brings to mind 
David Mitchell's Soap Box: Signs

TiVoTrebor


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