Skip Tivo Startup Animation [Text View]

KiNeL

08-02-2006, 04:26 AM

The TiVo startup animated video clip is very pretty and twee the first few times you see it but the novelty quickly wears off and it becomes an irritation and a waste of time.

If you press the TiVo button as soon as it starts then it skips it and goes directly to TiVo Central.

You'll all probably tell me you know about this but I've not seen it mentioned elsewhere.

Maybe there's a way to kill it completely ?

cwaring

08-02-2006, 04:50 AM

That's the only time you'll see it. Unless, like me, you have it in Tivo Central :D

smatson

08-02-2006, 06:22 AM

How do you get it in Tivo Central?

cwaring

08-02-2006, 06:59 AM

So taking an opposite point of view to the above poster does anyone know a shortcut key sequence from Tivo Central that can make the Tivo Guy movie play at will without having to reboot the whole Tivo machine?
I seem to recall hearing that, with the earlier version of the software 'Tivo+0' made the little guy appear. Doesn't work with 2.5.5 though.

How do you get it in Tivo Central?
There's a little script you can run. Not sure if I'm allowed to post it here, so check out the other place (aka the database of deals) :)

aerialplug

08-02-2006, 09:07 AM

I seem to recall hearing that, with the earlier version of the software 'Tivo+0' made the little guy appear. Doesn't work with 2.5.5 though.

There's a little script you can run. Not sure if I'm allowed to post it here, so check out the other place (aka the database of deals) :)

Just speculation, but I suspect they moved the shortcut because the animation has the "As Recommended by Sky Digital" logo in the top right hand corner. This went away (on most screens) with version 2.x software, presumably because Sky now had their own toy to recommend.

It would take many days to download an alternative animation over the phone so we're left with the sky recommendation only on boot.

I don't think there's anything dodgy about the script to put the TivoGuy animation as a programme in Now Playing - it doesn't contravene any of the rules about what can't be talked about here.

I tried it quite a while ago now - the animation appears as an extra programme at the top of the "do not delete" (green icon) programmes. Generally it's the only programme in my list that doesn't have a logo...

cwaring

08-02-2006, 09:35 AM

I don't think there's anything dodgy about the script to put the TivoGuy animation as a programme in Now Playing - it doesn't contravene any of the rules about what can't be talked about here.
Well I wasn't sure. However, I agree, so here it is then. Remember to remove the .txt :)

Upload to /var/hack then run from a Telnet session.

aerialplug

08-02-2006, 09:57 AM

Interesting - it wouldn't work on a series 1 TiVo and could do some serious damage aparently if the software didn't do a check first (which it does).

cwaring

08-02-2006, 10:53 AM

...it wouldn't work on a series 1 TiVo ..
I noticed that too, but can confirm that it does work on the UK Series 1s :)

Of course, there's nothing to stop you having it on your PC (http://www.telewestinfo.co.uk/tivo/TivoStartUp.mpg) too ;):D
(Gotta love a gratuitous plug!)

Pete77

08-02-2006, 12:05 PM

Well I wasn't sure. However, I agree, so here it is then. Remember to remove the .txt :)

Upload to /var/hack then run from a Telnet session.

Many thanks for providing this.

So what would the command under Telnet to "Run" this file be exactly? Also is the .txt extension retained when uploading the file on to the Tivo? Is any of that stuff with chmod 755 that I have had to do to add another couple of hacks also required?

cwaring

08-02-2006, 12:14 PM

1. Remove .txt extension
2. Upload to /var/hack (via FTP probably)
3. telnet in and change to /var/hack directory
4. type filename, including the .tcl bit, and hit [enter]

Job Done!

Pete77

08-02-2006, 12:42 PM

1. Remove .txt extension
2. Upload to /var/hack (via FTP probably)
3. telnet in and change to /var/hack directory
4. type filename, including the .tcl bit, and hit [enter]

Job Done!

Having trouble with point 4 (Points 1 to 3 no problem) because Telnet maintains "tivoguy.tcl: command not found" even though the "dirs" command confirms I am in the /var/hack directory and my FTP client shows tivoguy.tcl as being present in /var/hack.

Are you sure about trying to actually run the file by typing its name under Telnet? Isn't it in fact just a question of rebooting the Tivo and letting it then spot the new tcl and act accordingly on it in terms of the menus?

cwaring

08-02-2006, 01:07 PM

Sorry, but as far as I can recall, that's exactly how I did it. However, re-booting won't help as it won't just "see" the file and act accordingly. That much I do know!

I'm sure someone will be along any moment to tell me my memory's faulty. It wouldn't be the first time :D

Pete77

08-02-2006, 01:26 PM

you actually have to type /var/hack/tivoguy.tcl instead of typing cd /var/hack and then just tivoguy.tcl in the var/hack directory as I was previously doing.

It now reports "Finding the Tivo Guy...found him at FSID 153! Done! Check Your Now Playing List :)"

Sure enough at the top of the Now Playing list I now have "Dancing Tivo Guy!"

"The Resurrection" "He's back... Although a little saddle sore from David Bott! Brought to you by AlphaWolf_HK and" (DatabaseofDeals)

This recording will be saved until at least Fri 4/8 at 1.00am"

And playing this item indeed plays the Tivo Guy movie.

My only question is does this now start moving down the Now Playing list or continue to stay at the top? I assume if I delete the item I would have to run /var/hack/tivoguy.tcl using Telnet in order to get it back.

Also does it stay at the top of the Now Playing list? Surely not as Tivo seems to treat it like a normal recording with a time and a date that will presumably gradually age and /or indeed exprire and be overwritten unless I change it to "Save Until I Delete"?

Pete77

08-02-2006, 01:32 PM

You can even fast forward and rewind through the Tivo Guy movie as it is playing -truly excellent.

I wonder if you can do this when the TivoGuy video plays on the normal boot up sequence too. I never tried but I suspect that you probably can't as its not then being treated as a normal user controllable recording.

cwaring

08-02-2006, 01:54 PM

you actually have to type /var/hack/tivoguy.tcl instead of typing cd /var/hack and then just tivoguy.tcl in the var/hack directory as I was previously doing.
Whoops! Sorry :o In my defence, I did say that I'd probably forget something ;)
My only question is does this now start moving down the Now Playing list..
Yes.
..change it to "Save Until I Delete"?
That's what I did.
...but I suspect that you probably can't as its not then being treated as a normal user controllable recording.
Indeed.

Pete77

08-02-2006, 02:08 PM

Thanks Carl.

I have a horrible feeling that we could well have driven poor KiNeL in to deep depression at the thought that there are those of us here who are sad enough to want to watch the TivoGuy movie repeatedly because we feel that that we don't normally get enough if it! My only excuse is that I'm still relatively new to the whole Tivo phenomenon.

And coming back to KiNel's original question I don't think anyone has yet found out how to stop the TivoGuy video on machine startup not least because most of us are perfectly happy to see the little guy now and again. However I have often found that during a real Tivo restart one doesn't actually get the whole TivoGuy movie from the start anyway but only the last few seconds worth (one of my reasons for asking if there was a way to force it to play the whole thing on demand). I don't know if this perhaps has anything to do with my machine having the 300Gb drive and the Cachecard rather than a bog standard original configuration?

smatson

08-02-2006, 03:07 PM

Thanks nice to have tivoguy back :)

Pete77

08-02-2006, 03:40 PM

Thanks nice to have tivoguy back :)

Did you find you never saw him or only the very end of his video after a normal Tivo reboot then?

cwaring

08-02-2006, 04:08 PM

Thanks Carl.
You're welcome!

I have a horrible feeling that we could well have driven poor KiNeL in to deep depression at the thought that there are those of us here who are sad enough to want to watch the TivoGuy movie repeatedly because we feel that that we don't normally get enough if it!
LOL! Poor guy; KiNel, that is :p

My only excuse is that I'm still relatively new to the whole Tivo phenomenon.
I wish I had that excuse :rolleyes:

..And coming back to KiNel's original question I don't think anyone has yet found out how to stop the TivoGuy video on machine startup..
You probably can't, any more than you can stop the Windows logo from appearing on your PC :D

Nebulous

08-02-2006, 05:29 PM

...I don't think anyone has yet found out how to stop the TivoGuy video...
You probably can't...
I bet deleting the original file would stop him. :D
Mind you it'd probably crash Tivo when it tries to find it next time :o .

KiNeL

08-02-2006, 05:37 PM

I have a horrible feeling that we could well have driven poor KiNeL in to deep depression at the thought that there are those of us here who are sad enough to want to watch the TivoGuy movie repeatedly because we feel that that we don't normally get enough if it! Absolutely, but I've just come back from the pub and 4 pints of Guinness is quite enough to cast aside any fellings of depression...hic...!

Who'd have though one little tip would generate this lot..................................?

sanderton

08-02-2006, 07:03 PM

KiNel, the animation only plays on reboot, so it you're seeing it a lot you may have a problem!

Actually, any remote button skips it.

KiNeL

08-03-2006, 03:48 AM

I've been playing about and experimenting with a spare box and various HD's/Turbonet/Cachecard so booting frequently which is why I got fed up with the animation.

The only plus point is that the TiVo is in a different room to my PC(s) so when I hear the jingle I know it's finished.

I was only passing on a tip............................................

Pete77

08-03-2006, 05:07 AM

I was only passing on a tip............................................

Yes I realise that but despite your allergy to the little Tivo guy sequence many of us love it so its good to have a way now to play it on demand without going through a full reboot.

As with so many things in life this only goes to show the very different tastes of different people.

aerialplug

08-03-2006, 06:19 AM

The TiVo Guy animation works even better on a US machine (on my US Philips anyway). It actually segways into the animation that happens in the background of the menus. In fact, KiNel would probably hate the US screens as you can occasionally see TiVo Guy scooting past in the background animation (which mainly consists of cogs turning)!