Hacking TiVo 2

[retinali]

Hi, I have a TiVo 2, the normal TiVO brand DVR with Comcast, not DirecTV. Is there a GOOD, fairly straight forward tutorial with any kind of issues that I might face addressed? Or what would be best is someone who knows what they're talking about to help me in this thread.

What I want to do is be able to extract files from my TiVo to my PC by using TiVo's network. I have tried to access my now playing list by typing my tivo ip into firefox brower, i.e. https://192.168.2.203 (not my real ip so dont try, lol) and my MAC id as a password to no avail. I have tried to use both TyStudio or TyEditor, and TyTools both come up with errors not being able to find my TiVo which is connected to my network through a wireless adapter.

From what I can tell, there may be a few settings that I am missing in TyStudio and Tools.

I'm using a custom pc with windows media center.
(note: i cannot do anything INSIDE my tivo box, i really prefer doing most of it from menu's in the tivo, or on my pc)

--retinali

[stevel]

If you don't want to limit yourself to the features TiVo provides, you will have to open the box at least once in order to modify the internal software. Then you can sit back and control everything from your PC.

Read a lot more here, and/or consider the book "Hacking the TiVo, 2nd Edition", which gives you a lot of useful background.

As for your IP - even if that was your IP, it's a private network so nobody could use it anyway.

[eastwind]

Both TyTool and TyStudio require files to be running on the TiVo side (they're servers) to be able to extract anything over the network. If you aren't going to do anything inside the box, your options will be recording via a capture device and (possibly) TiVoToGo (from the TiVo website).

ew

[retinali]

Hypothetically, if I had to go inside my box what would I have to do? That MAY be an option, depending on the ease of use, so to say. Would I have to re-setup everything i have setup in tivo? Steve, is there supposed to be a link there?

[retinali]

Can anyone help me with this? . . .

[PlainBill]

We don't do guides here. They tend to cause problems when someone follows them blindly. I've never done anything with a SA TiVo, but the concept is the same as a DirecTiVo.

I'd start with Cheer's roadmap (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43599). He wrote this for 6.2, the 7.x thread (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40715) will help you with the differences.

PlainBill

[Narf54321]

Hypothetically, if I had to go inside my box what would I have to do? That MAY be an option, depending on the ease of use, so to say. Would I have to re-setup everything i have setup in tivo? Steve, is there supposed to be a link there?

I have standalone S2 units.

If you're familiar and comfortable with unix/linux (and have the correct screwdrivers to take the Tivo apart) it's not too difficult. If not, its a steep hill to climb. As PlainBill says, cheer's roadmap is a place to start, and Captain_Video's Tivo hacking 101 (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37058). The most important thing I can stress is pulling the drive and making a backup. Screwing up a new "experimental" drive is a lot less stressful than permanently munging your original Tivo drive.

[retinali]

Ok, I read the beginning of Captain_Video's Tut, and I am pretty sure that I can't remove my tivo drive and install it on my computer, then running it with linux to find a bash prompt. So if there is no other way, i.e. not running it on linux, but using windows, then I will not be able to hack my tivo.
Thanks for the help

[eastwind]

Ok, I read the beginning of Captain_Video's Tut, and I am pretty sure that I can't remove my tivo drive and install it on my computer, then running it with linux to find a bash prompt. So if there is no other way, i.e. not running it on linux, but using windows, then I will not be able to hack my tivo.
Thanks for the help
Are you saying that your PC can't boot from a CD-ROM? That's the way most of us use our PCs to hack our TiVos--boot from a Linux-on-a-CD-
ROM that has the tools we need for hacking the TiVo.

ew

[retinali]

No, it can boot from a CD, I am just not exactly sure how to use linux, or how to switch back to windows, etc. Heres the thing, im only 15, its not my tivo, and i can't risk screwing things up, and im not sure my parents would be too thrilled if i started digging around in the back of the tivo. It looks like you can get a bash prompt from a serial cable connected to the PC in linux, true? Maybe that is an alternative?

[PlainBill]

No, it can boot from a CD, I am just not exactly sure how to use linux, or how to switch back to windows, etc. Heres the thing, im only 15, its not my tivo, and i can't risk screwing things up, and im not sure my parents would be too thrilled if i started digging around in the back of the tivo. It looks like you can get a bash prompt from a serial cable connected to the PC in linux, true? Maybe that is an alternative?
No, that's not true. I suggest you read the two threads referenced above. It appears you do not understand their content.

IF you are smart enough to swap the hard drive in a pc, you can hack a TiVo. Usually we say 'If you think you can't do it, you're probably right'.

If you continue, I strongly urge you to try this only with parental permission. It would be a shame to miss your high school graduation ceremony because you were grounded. :eek:

PlainBill

[retinali]

Alright, thank you for the help all.

[mgoblue102]

you wont muck up anything if you simply get another hard drive and use it. This way, your original remains in tact completely. If it doesnt work, you plug your original back in before mom and dad get home and nobody will know anything. One thing though, absolutely take no shortcuts, follow guides to the T. Oh yea, Absolutely do not attempt anything while the unit is plugged in, you will get the zap of your life and not have anyone there to rush your but to the ER.

[fantmn]

Keep in mind that Mom and/or Dad might not be too happy if you open up the Tivo and void the warranty.

[Narf54321]

What I want to do is be able to extract files from my TiVo to my PC by using TiVo's network. I have tried to access my now playing list by typing my tivo ip into firefox brower, i.e. https://192.168.2.203 (not my real ip so dont try, lol) and my MAC id as a password to no avail.

Its not clear if you have a TCD240 or TCD540 model tivo. The 540's require a difficult hardware PROM replacement to do any useful hacking.

After re-reading your original post, what I think you want is the Tivo Desktop software (for your PC) and use the Tivo-to-Go feature. It works on any model Tivo running system software 7.x and doesn't require taking the machine apart.

Then you can try the DirectShow Dump or GraphEdit (http://www.zatznotfunny.com/ttg.htm) method to pull the MPEG file from the encrypted wrapper. Since this is a hacking forum, not many of us here have worked with the 'official' Tivo method of extracting files, I'd recommend checking out Tivo Underground (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24) over at David Bott's site.