# How online scheduling sends requests to your Tivo



## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Hi All,
Has anyone ever figured out how the online scheduling services (tivo and yahoo) actually transmit new recording requests to the Tivo?

Ive been working on helping out AFN (Armed Forces Network) viewers around the world. Tivo natively does not support non-US areas. While the native AFN schedule is available in East Coast time, not all of the viewers have the same channel setup. 

If there was a way to manually schedule shows online, someone might be able to write a 3rd party app that would process the AFN schedule (published for the different time zones around the world by the Armed Services) and simply construct manual recordings matching the scheduled programs.

Unfortunately, it looks like there is no way to do a manual time recording online. 
I was hoping that someone might have analyzed how incoming requests are sent to the Tivo and maybe made some sense out of it so that it could be done by a third party. Thanks for the help!


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

Another option is that people have figured out how to provide the TiVo with guide data. So...somebody could write a program that would pull the AFN guide data, let you re-map chanels around and have the TiVo pull that. Wouldn\\\'t be all that hard to do actually.


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Well, according to the folks on the Tivo Forums, They can get the tivo to download the standard AFN satellite schedule based on East Coast time. 
The downside for OCONUS folks is that their Tivo time wont match their local time. But thats not really a big problem, as long as the schedule lines up. 
However, for a lot of people, they dont pull AFN right frtom the satellite. They pull it through cable on the wall, and typically, the channels dont match up with the standard satellite set. So the guide data wont work. 

As far as I know, theres no way to fake out the tivo to accept a hand generated schedule, or mix and match the channels of an existing tivo-provided schedule. 

Hence the question about remote programming of manual recordings.


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Combat Medic said:


> Another option is that people have figured out how to provide the TiVo with guide data. So...somebody could write a program that would pull the AFN guide data, let you re-map chanels around and have the TiVo pull that. Wouldn\\\'t be all that hard to do actually.


Im sorry, I just reread your post. Are you saying that people have figured out how to push custom schedule data to the Tivo? With or without hacks?


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

Yes, this capability was developed a long time ago. It is being kept out of distribution since this would be a very easy way to steal service from TiVo. And, since we all like TiVo, we dont want that to happen. As I understand it, this option is being kept alive though just incase TiVo goes out of business to allow power users to provide their own guide data.

What I would like to see happen is the development of some software that would sit in-between your TiVo and TiVo, Inc. that would allow you to adjust the guide data that you receive. For instance here I have AFN and Showtime Arabia mixed together on a cable line. With this software I could provide a special channel guide that would fit that situation since I could never expect TiVo to do that for me.

However I dont see that happening until I get to Germany and get my TiVo and get bored. But, it is possible. Oh, and this would be without any hacks to the DVR at all. It would be a network device, the TiVo wouldnt know the difference.

-Mike


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Im in Germany (Hohenfels) currently, dealing with the cable feed in Government housing. Id be willing to try and write something up if I had access to the details. Let me know.


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

RingoDot97 said:


> Im in Germany (Hohenfels) currently, dealing with the cable feed in Government housing. Id be willing to try and write something up if I had access to the details. Let me know.


I\'m trying to find details. I\'ll keep in touch.


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

Interesting quote from the TiVo Wiki:

TiVo enthusiast groups located in countries where the TiVo is not sold have been able to reverse engineer the television subscription service schedule files needed by the TiVo and the protocol used during the transmission of those files to the TiVo. This allows the TiVo to be supplied with television scheduling data not available by subscription from the U.S. In some countries, these groups operate a simulated TiVo central server to make and distribute the necessary files for programs broadcast within their country. In other countries, each individual TiVo owner operates a simulated server and makes his own files using software that obtains free television scheduling data from the Internet. Because the ability to supply television scheduling data to the TiVo without paying a subscription fee threatens TiVo\'s subscription-based business model in the U.S., these groups usually have strict controls over who can access the necessary software or join their group.


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Check. FYI, heres the main AFN topic at the Tivo Forums.

(Gotta post 5 times before I post a link


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaypost?postID=10272982


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Are we allowed to discuss Loading Schedule Slices here?


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

RingoDot97 said:


> Are we allowed to discuss Loading Schedule Slices here?


We\'ll find out.


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Well, I found some particulars regarding how to make a custom slice. But I didnt see anything regarding how one would load that without resorting to hacks (something Id like to avoid, Im a good paying customer, after all  )


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## Finnstang (Sep 11, 2003)

No Hacks != Good Paying Customer


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## RingoDot97 (Oct 9, 2006)

Finnstang said:


> No Hacks != Good Paying Customer


Sorry, good point


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

Well, I am going to look at this when I am reunited with my TiVo, but I am hoping to be able to do this without any hacks.


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