Sonoshift.tcl: Music only channel timeshifting and recording on a directivo.

[AlphaWolf]

By popular demand, heres a script that will allow you to record and timeshift the Music Choice and other audio-only channels on a directivo receiver.

Upload it to your tivo, make it executable, and run it as follows:

sonoshift.tcl <channel#>

Where <channel#> is the number of the music channel you want to timeshift, without the <>.

Tip: Manual recordings don't have to be two hours long!

Note that its common to lose your audio while fast forwarding or rewinding if you are playing back a previously recorded audio stream. If this happens, simply press the left arrow, then press the right arrow again, and it will play from where you skipped to. If you are on livetv, press the 30 second skip every second or so until you get audio again, (otherwise it might skip to the end of the live buffer) then 8 second back to the spot that you want to be in. Generally while you are timeshifting, either on livetv or not, its best to just use the 30 second skip or the 8 second instant replay buttons only.

So far as extraction goes... These audio only streams are actually quite small as one would anticipate, for example, a 2 hour stream is only 228 megs There is a problem though; currently as of this writing, I haven't found any tystream conversion utilities that will convert these into a usable mpeg audio file. The reason why is because they look for video frames before they start the splitting process, and naturally, these audio only streams don't have any My copy of XBMP seems to play them, but its very glitchy when it does so, and seeking doesn't work.

This script should only be considered a temporary solution to this. Based on the nature of this hack, I believe it might be possible to have a small patch for tivoapp that will force it to treat audio only channels like any other channel when it comes to timeshifting. Somebody like MuscleNerd or PPChacker would need to look into that.

One more thing I must mention: I have NOT tested this script on any tivo other than my own. Hence, I am right now declaring this script to only be compatible with 3.1.0b. It might be compatible with other software versions. I really don't know at this time. It might even screw up your tivo on a different software version, so use care.

(note to vadim: add tcl to the allowed extensions list, also ensure unix style carraige returns aren't changed to win style)

EDIT: New version to incorporate changes suggested by MuscleNerd. Note to self: d/l count 11+ whatever is below.

[tweaky]

Way cool!!!!

Thanks..
(Now Go To Bed!)

[JJBliss]

Hey AW.....

OK. Did some testing.

First, it doesn't work on a S1 running 3.1.0

I looked through the script, and added a puts $spi so I could see what my "regular" channels where. They seem to be "1" not "2". Neither one works on MY unit as a replacement.

Both Spi replacements (1 or 2) cause the timeshifting buttons to work, but not record. Also, both replacement Spi numbers don't allow actual audio. I did the guide on and off thing, but to no avail.

Also, I think you had an extra terminating } when purposefully picking a NON music channel.

Anything you'd like me to try on my version on OS ?

[MuscleNerd]

Originally Posted by AlphaWolf

Based on the nature of this hack, I believe it might be possible to have a small patch for tivoapp that will force it to treat audio only channels like any other channel when it comes to timeshifting. Somebody like MuscleNerd or PPChacker would need to look into that.

A tivoapp patch was dumped to the irc channel last night..although it was targeted only at 4.0.

[MuscleNerd]

Also, a better way to find music-only channels is to look for ChannelDefinition.ServiceType=65. The Spi can be other values besides 12 for those channels...notably, several are 127.

[AlphaWolf]

JJBliss: Give me an mfs object dump of one of your music channels. Include all relavent subobjects as well. I will see what I can do.

EDIT: Ah, MN caught me off guard

[JJBliss]

Originally Posted by MuscleNerd

A tivoapp patch was dumped to the irc channel last night..although it was targeted only at 4.0.

Aww, cmon MuscleNerd....


You can post it here too.....

lol

[MuscleNerd]

heh I wasn't "keeping" it from here or anything...that's just where it was asked for...someone can repost it here if they want...but then they can assume liability

[AlphaWolf]

Patching tivoapp is a far better approach, b/c then you can also record what you are currently listening to (little trick to it though as you can't use the casual method. First you have to press guide, then press the record button.) and not only that, but you have to "prepare" the audio channel every time you want to timeshift or record.

For 3.1.0b TivoApp ONLY
EDIT: Patch removed, its obsoleted by another patch now.


For any other version of tivoapp, you'll have to do a byte compare to figure out the proper offsets. It's probably going to be easy to do this to 3.1.0 tivoapp, but any 2.X versions might be so different that a simple byte compare wont get you anywhere. I recommend upgrading your directivo to 3.1.0b anyways if you haven't already done so though. IMO its faster than 2.X, and it fixes a dolby digital issue that 3.1 had.

If you don't want to patch tivoapp, well, theres always the script I posted above.

EDIT: Just updated the script in the first post to incorporate musclenerds suggested changes.

[AlphaWolf]

20 downloads so far and only one issue reported, which has already been resolved. Is there anybody who has had any compatibility issues or anything else that causes the script to not work?

If not, then I guess the moderators can move this thread to the general tivo hacking forum.

[splitsec]

I was one of the people who downloaded it. It worked on my Series 1 Dtivo with 3.1.0.

There are some issues with how Tivo deals with the streams, but the script does seem to work correctly in that it allows them to be recorded. (Wonder if it would work with HDTV channels?)

One other thing that doesn't work, is using vserver to stream it to WMP. (but you can't have everything.. )

Split

[AlphaWolf]

Ok, that last patch created a bug in tivoapp that would cause it to not allow you to record manual recordings, use the record button, or the "press select to record" feature. (It would tell you that normal showings were audio only channels, but treat audio only channels like normal ) If you applied that patch, remove it, and apply this one instead.

Heres the new one I got from IRC. Again, this one is ONLY for 3.1.0b:

3.1.0b offset      orig data   new data
------------------ ----------  ----------
4141316 (0x3f3104) 0x4186000c  0x4800000c
4141340 (0x3f311c) 0x41860024  0x48000024
4524348 (0x45093c) 0x8061000c  0x38600000

This patch also allows music channels to behave exactly like normal channels. Namely, you can record from live by pressing select then record without having to go through the guide, etc.

[AlphaWolf]

Here are some S2 equivalents:

Music channel patches:
3.1.1b offset      orig data   new data
------------------ ----------  ----------
3062972 (0x2ebcbc) 0x50400010  0x10000010
3063064 (0x2ebd18) 0x1040017d  0x00000000
4967840 (0x4bcda0) 0x93a20018  0x00001021
3.1.1c offset      orig data   new data
------------------ ----------  ----------
3062924 (0x2ebc8c) 0x50400010  0x10000010
3063016 (0x2ebce6) 0x1040017d  0x00000000
4967792 (0x4bcd70) 0x93a20018  0x00001021
4.0 offset         orig data   new data
------------------ ----------  ----------
4045196 (0x3db98c) 0x50400010  0x10000010
4045288 (0x3db9e8) 0x10400181  0x00000000
6954244 (0x6a1d04) 0x93a20018  0x00001021

[wierdo]

Thanks for the S2 offsets and original data.

For 3.1.0 s2 the offsets to patch are (in your order):

3060908
3061000
4959856

Seems to work fine for me, except for a loooong delay after hitting the record button before getting control back.

There are a lot of UI issues, though. Pause takes a long while to take effect, and shortly after it does pause, it resumes on it's own (still displaying the pause symbol) some of the time, among other things.

[acr2001]

Hey AlphaWolf! I just tried the script on my hdvr2 (3.1.1b) and for one thing I couldnt get the audio to play for the life of me! (on live tv with timeshifting). I tried to record it which worked, but as soon as I pressed "stop recording" the recording dissapeared off the face of the earth. (I even checked deleted shows in tivoweb and it didnt appear in there either)
I just figured id let you know.

You Rule! Thanks!