HD TiVo / HR10-250 FAQ and Tips

[alldeadhomiez]

Q: I just got an HD TiVo. Is it true that I need to modify the hardware just to get a shell?

A: No, there is now a software hack so socketing your PROM is optional (but can provide faster boot times). Search for "killhdinitrd" in the Series2 Development forum.

Q: Is this going to be a lot of trouble? I just want to extract HD shows. Is it worth the hassle?

A: If you're asking yourself that question, it's probably not worth it to you. If you don't enjoy troubleshooting, experimenting, reading long meandering threads that end abruptly, and dealing with software that breaks for no reason, perhaps you should look for a different project (or a different hobby).

Q: How come nobody posts anything about HD TiVo hacking? Is there a big conspiracy or cover-up?

A: There is no conspiracy; please ignore the trolls. The fact of the matter is that the HR10-250 is in very short supply, and at $1000 each there are only a few people who can afford them. Among these early adopters, only a small minority are even interested in opening up the case. When there is only a small handful of hackers out there, you just won't see a lot of hacking posts.

Q: What steps should I follow to hack the HR10-250?

A: Thoroughly read and understand each of these threads: 1, 2. Also, if you are concerned about software upgrades, read and understand this thread.

If you are interested in doing the PROM socketing yourself and you have not had professional SMD rework experience, read the instructions and hints in these threads: 1, 2, and 3. Please note that KRavEN is no longer offering a socketing service. You will need either a flash programmer or a non-HD TiVo to program the new image.

Q: Isn't there a simple HOWTO or a guide I can follow??

A: No. Write one and post it. Write something educational - try not to make it another useless "list of commands to type" guide.

Q: Does extraction work on an HD TiVo?

A: Yes, you may extract and archive any recording you wish, using any of the usual tools (mfs_ftp, tserver, etc.). However, it has been reported that only standard definition streams are consistently muxable / playable off the TiVo with the tools available at the time of this writing (2004/06/20).

Update 2004/08/03: bcc has posted a GPL utility to mux HD tystreams, and jdiner is developing HD support for tytool. Read this thread to keep up with their progress.

Q: Will the HR10-250's 3.1.5 software run on an HDVR2? If so, what are the differences from 3.1.1c?

A: Yes, it will run on many or all earlier models. 3.1.5 provides slightly friendlier error handling, LBA48 support, and a few other niceties. It does not provide folders or HMO.

[alldeadhomiez]

3.1.5 comes with the following kernel modules (which include basic "3.x" network support, no wireless, plus ehci):

af_packet.o   fan.o       ircatch.o   scsi_mod.o  tivoconfig.o      usbnet.o
ax8817x.o     fat.o       isofs.o     sd_mod.o    tvinput.o         vfat.o
brcmdrv-rb.o  fpga.o      kfirm.o     sg.o        tvinput_falcon.o
cdrom.o       i2c.o       modemtty.o  si9190.o    usb-ohci.o
cobra.o       ideturbo.o  oslink.o    sr_mod.o    usb-storage.o
ehci-hcd.o    irblast.o   pegasus.o   therm.o     usbcore.o

Network drivers are in bold. si9190.o is for the Silicon Image SI9190 HDMI controller (new in 3.1.5).

Kernel modules from 5.x should be usable with 3.1.5, as they were also built for the 2.4.20 kernel. Here are the modules that come with 5.1.1b:

af_packet.o   fpga.o           kfirm.o       rtl8150.o     tvinput_falcon.o
ax8817x.o     i2c.o            modemtty.o    scsi_mod.o    usb-ohci.o
brcmdrv-rb.o  ideturbo.o       msdos.o       sd_mod.o      usb-storage.o
cdrom.o       irblast.o        oslink.o      sg.o          usbcore.o
cobra.o       ircatch-atmel.o  p80211.o      sr_mod.o      usbnet.o
ehci-hcd.o    ircatch.o        pegasus.o     therm.o       vfat.o
fan.o         isofs.o          prism2_usb.o  tivoconfig.o  vnetusba.o
fat.o         kaweth.o         router.o      tvinput.o

WLAN drivers from 4.0+ might not work correctly with iwconfig. This could be a problem on 3.1.5, since myworld lacks a network configuration screen.

[vfr0092]

I have an HR10-250 that I purchased from ebay recently. It is on my account and does dial into DT* for updates. My problem is that it will not download the 6.3d update. I have had it dial in many times but the update never arrives. Currently it is at 3.1.5f.

The other HR10 I bought did do the update. Why won't this one? Both serial numbers are Very close.

[VaBeachGuy]

Originally Posted by vfr0092

I have an HR10-250 that I purchased from ebay recently. It is on my account and does dial into DT* for updates. My problem is that it will not download the 6.3d update. I have had it dial in many times but the update never arrives. Currently it is at 3.1.5f.

The other HR10 I bought did do the update. Why won't this one? Both serial numbers are Very close.

How long have you had it hooked up? It will eventually download the updates, which it doesn't have to dial in to do. Mine updates nightly around 2am but I have the upgrades turned off so the slices just sit there.