HD Tivo hacked

[borghe]

From early last week but I have been too busy to post it. The HD Tivo has finally been cracked through a software only method. Details can be found over at //www.dealdatabase.com/forum/

With this hack and the appropriate software installed on your HD Tivo you can do things like:
Backup your HD programs to DVD-R to be later inserted and watched on your HD Tivo.

Backup SD shows directly to DVD-Video or downconvert HD shows to DVD-Video.

Control your Tivo remotely from a web interface.

Enable caller id on your HD Tivo.

Move shows between your Tivos (HD shows CANNOT be moved to SD Tivos)

Store files on your Tivo (hey, it's 1/2 a TB. You could certainly store some files on there)

that's all off the top of my head.

The file you are looking for is killhdinitrd. There is no foolproof way to install the hacks right now. It is basically 100% manual labor starting with running the hack on your initrd partition (usually /dev/hdc6) and editing your rc.sysinit.author file to include modules for your particular network drivers and load telnetd and ftpd.

Those waiting for the idiotproof install will likely have to wait a month or two for the script authors to create bootable install discs.

Note that none of what I am talking about is illegal. This is stuff you can do to the hardware you purchased and with the shows you are legally entitled to record and watch. I know nothing and won't answer any questions about doing anything illegal with your HD Tivo. If you like the product you should pay for the service.

That being said, this allows us to really extend the capabilities of our units.. Those enterprising enough will pretty soon even be able to convert HD streams from the Tivo to HD elementary streams and output those to DVHS if they wanted.. This has opened the world to true archiving of HD material to the HD masses (at least those not interested in $2000+ for 169time and required equipment).

[borghe]

just wanted to correct my post.. apparently HD streams already CAN be stripped down to elementary streams, meaning anything that is capable of playing or outputting HD elementary .ts streams on your computer (MyHD, DVHSTool, etc) can work with the files.

[sp44again]

I'd hack a $1000 item. Not!

[borghe]

the thing to note here is that this IS a software only hack. This means if something blows up you can restore from your backup (you did remember to back it up right?) and be back at square one. Even more it means that if a piece of hardware actually fails in the unit you can slap in the original 250GB hard drive reimage with a virgin image..

This is like adding a hard drive. There is no physical danger to your Tivo whatsoever, and no danger to voiding any sort of support you might need to get on it. The only danger you face is losing all of your recordings or blowing away the OS in which case you just restore from backup.

anyway, I will be doing this tonight most likely (was going to do it last night but got kidnapped). Will let you guys know how it goes. The first thing I want to do is try encoding an HD stream to hi-def Windows Media. You should be able to fit around an hour of video on a single DVD+R.

[sp44again]

That being said I would like to know how many people would do it. We need a poll.

[borghe]

Do you mess around with your computer? Install new software on it? Install new hardware on/in it? And more than likely your computer costs over $1000, but for some reason we believe a computer was meant to be messsed around with but other CE equipment wasn't.

Granted until someone comes out with an idiotproof install, doing this is more than clicking next->next->next->finish in a windows app, but the prinicple is the same. You are working on a computer (and in this case a relatively inexpensive computer) within the confines of its operating system. No different than getting an HTPC up and running on your TV, only the hard part has already been done for you.

[kjnorman]

I would do it if I was still single....

Alas I am married with 16 month old (love 'em both) and now our expenses revolve around retirement and college saving, and whether we should spend $2600 on a Rainbow Play System for our daughter :eek: (Which we won't because we would have to move home as our yard is too small )

Unfortunately get the HD Tivo and hacking it is little more than a pipe dream at the moment - but I would love to hack one and get the programming off it - if for no reason because Directv and the broadcasters don't want me to do it

Kerry

[borghe]

well, as you can tell from the other thread, I have hacked my HD Tivo... here are a few screenshots for those interested:

Info page 1
Info page 2
What's On channel list
FTP View of my shows

When I get some of the extraction stuff later on I will show you that as well.. though all in all it is pretty much the same as my posts from hacking my SD Tivos..

enjoy

[borghe]

just got external storage working on my box.. right now there are no easy apps to take advantage of this, but I can use mfs_stream to extract a show and write it directly to the USB2 hard drive (or DVD+RW if I had an external one). I can then use mfs_stream to stick it back into the unit and even start watching it pretty much immediately.

One of the guys out there is working on a script that will read show content on an external drive and list it dynamically in Now Showing. You can then select the show from now showing and the script will dynamically insert it back into the Tivo and begin playing it back immediately.

If anyone is interested in this let me know and I can give you more info.

It's not firewire out, but at least it lets me add storage beyond just the two hard drives supported internally by the HD Tivo. I am just messing around with a 10GB drive on the unit right now but plan on picking up another 250GB drive at the next sale...

That will give me about 96 hours of HD storage on my unit, not including DVD+R backups. :cool:

(for those wondering it will be something like 640 hours of SD storage.... LOL!!!!!!!! That's almost 2 and a half months straight of programming!!!)

[borghe]

well, for those interested, I have posted instructions and a script here that will allow you to backup files to external USB storage attached to your HD Tivo. In theory these methods will also allow you to use a SD Series 2 Tivo as well.

With these scripts you will be able to copy shows from the Tivo to an attached USB drive. When you wish to watch them you type a command to insert them back in. If the files are unencrypted you can watch them as they are being inserted.

I am working on a web interface to this setup and possibly will turn it into an actual UI setup with remote control capability and everything (using text onscreen display on the Tivo).

Anyway, this is as close as we will probably get to external storage on HD DVRs, at least for anytime in the near future. If you have an HD Tivo take a look and hopefully you will find this useful.