# TiVo LCD Display



## KiNeL (Feb 6, 2006)

Is it me or is this a case of "The Devil Makes Work....!"

http://www.disneycorner.com/toddscorner/tivolcd/


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## Nebulous (Nov 28, 2005)

Hmm... That project does seem a little ott.

However, it set me thinking, one of the few things that has always annoyed me about the Tivo is the fact that it doesn't display its current channel number on the front panel. :down: 

I know this was a style thing when the tivo was originally designed, but I like to be able to glance at the Tivo when I know it should be recording something important and make sure it's behaving itself. OK, you can see it's recording, but you can't see what it's recording without turning the tv on to find out or fire up a web browser and check with tivoweb. 

In the early days of freeview (on-digital) the set top boxes had a channel number display  , but all the modern ones have skimped on the few pence worth of components and so we're back to square one.  

Anyway, I have the necessaries to be able to design and make small circuit boards. I could easily knock up a board to fit behind the existing window (and relocate the existing board). It would have a couple of 7-segment displays (I only use channels up to 99) and a Philips SAA1064. 

These would be much clearer when viewed from a distance compared with the LCD idea. :up: 

I could then tap into the tivos existing 2-wire iic bus to control the display driver. I assume I could then use iicsetw to write the relevant registers to it.

This is where I would need a little help from one of you guys. Although I am a programmer, I know nothing about programming tivos.  

How would I activate iicsetw in response to a channel change event and how do I gain access to the new channel number?

Any help on this would be appreciated.  

Is it just me or is this something that others want to?


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## KiNeL (Feb 6, 2006)

Now that might just be useful but I'm afraid I can't help with the programming side but I'm sure there will be someone here who can.


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## mjk (Mar 13, 2002)

Nebulous said:


> Anyway, I have the necessaries to be able to design and make small circuit boards. I could easily knock up a board to fit behind the existing window (and relocate the existing board). It would have a couple of 7-segment displays (I only use channels up to 99) and a Philips SAA1064.


Seems like a good idea, but I for one would need 3 digits.


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## Nebulous (Nov 28, 2005)

mjk said:


> Seems like a good idea, but I for one would need 3 digits.


The chip can actually drive up to 4 digits,  but it looks like only 2 will fit without requiring some drilling / filing of the metalwork behind the window.  
I don't relish the thought of little bits of loose swarf floating around inside my tivo.


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## Quinten (Jun 4, 2002)

Heh, I did this back in 2003: http://www.awooga.nl/component/option,com_gallery2/Itemid,29/?g2_itemId=18615


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## johala_reewi (Oct 30, 2002)

Cool. That looks like it is a standalone display, not one that will mount behind the Tivo window. How did the information get from Tivo to the LCD?


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## johala_reewi (Oct 30, 2002)

Nebulous said:


> The chip can actually drive up to 4 digits,  but it looks like only 2 will fit without requiring some drilling / filing of the metalwork behind the window.
> I don't relish the thought of little bits of loose swarf floating around inside my tivo.


You might also need an indicator showing if the channel is CAB or AER. With Freeview you can get two different channels on the same number (one analogue from Tivo tuner and one digital via AUX).


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## Quinten (Jun 4, 2002)

johala_reewi said:


> Cool. That looks like it is a standalone display, not one that will mount behind the Tivo window. How did the information get from Tivo to the LCD?


I did have a page explaining it all, but I accidentally deleted it when moving servers 

In short, the LCD display is a relatively normal serial character LCD which connected to the TiVo through the serial port at the back. It got it's power from the TiVo too by using the molex connector inside (+5V). On the TiVo I had a bit of .tcl script which did pretty much the same as what is posted on the Disney pages above (which in turn I had piched of someone on here).


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

Quinten said:


> I did have a page explaining it all, but I accidentally deleted it when moving servers


This the one?


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## Quinten (Jun 4, 2002)

BobBlueUK said:


> This the one?


You are a genius! Yes, thats the one... now to copy&paste the text


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Quinten said:


> You are a genius!


Can I quote you on that?


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## Quinten (Jun 4, 2002)

You sure can... I tried the archive myself and couldn't find anything back at all, so as far as I'm concerned he's one


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## BobBlueUK (Jan 4, 2002)

Glad I could help...


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## Quinten (Jun 4, 2002)

And now in all its glory, I present: the restored article.


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