Using Tivo for delayed playback (only)

[Diving4fun]

Hi,

I'd appreciate any pointers to getting past Guided Setup (HDR112) to use Tivo simply for delayed playback. We just bought a used HDR112 and plan to use it for my daughters diving team. Seems to be in very good shape but I can't get past guided setup. I hear the modem call, negotiate, and sounds like it connects - then the call is dropped. I have basic phone service (no DSL, no VOIP) and can phone/fax generally with other devices without any problems. I've made 100-200 call attempts within guided setup trying various things that are posted but I'm not making any progress.

We want to use the tivo+camera+TV to support the dive team - point the camera at the diving board - pause for ~ 2minutes - then press play so girls can dive, get feedback from the coach, and then watch their dives immediately. So we don't need program guides or extended record time. Just have the basic tivo working for delayed playback. However I can't get past guided setup to get things configured.

I can do basic computer/electronics repair and am familiar with linux. It looks like I'd have no problem getting the tivo hard drive connected on an IDE chain on a pc and maybe boot with Dylans linux CD but I'm not sure if this gets me to a place where I can configure things and maybe avoid the guided setup.

Any clues would be really appreciated.

Thanks...Jim

[willardcpa]

Sounds like your modem may be toasted. They were prone to that in the HDR112s. Do a search in this forum for "external modem success" it tells you how you can set your box up with and external modem that you can usually get off of ebay for less than $20 and get yourself going.

[classicsat]

Or give serial PPP a try.

[Diving4fun]

Thanks for both ideas (external modem and PPP). I've done some reading on these and appears I need at least V3.0 in the Tivo. I don't see anywhere to determine what version the Tivo is at. SInce it has me locked into guided setup I can't navigate to any other screens and I don't see version number marked on the unit. I have opened it up and I don't see anything inside either. The unit did come with the stereo to 9-pin serial cable (I think intended for satellite box control). I did read that that DSS port might also act as a console (so called "secret tivo diagnostic mode") if you connect in and provide the proper incantations so I might try that and see if it will talk to me at all.

Any clues on determining version would be appreciated.

I also read about doing a "full reset" of the unit. I did fail to get trhough guided setup initially and have cycled power numerous times. I've read that can annoy it. Is there some way to get it back to some default/initial/clean state? There is absolutely nothing on it I need to save so if I can do some general reset it might help? Clues on this also appreciated.

[Diving4fun]

By the way, I'm looking through the cables that came with this unit. It came with a stereo jack to 9-pin cable and also a stereo jack to rj11 phone jack cable. Since these cables came with the unit might that imply I could at least do the serial modem? I'm going to borrow a US Robotics external serial modem tomorrow. I haven't run across the modem setup info yet but I'll do more looking. I guess the phone jack might be some satellite ba\ox connection I haven't seen so maybe wishful thinking.

[Diving4fun]

I tried the external modem and haven't gotten any activity out of the DSS port. I think maybe this unit is older than 3.0 but I don't know any way to tell. Based on the other posts if it is older than 3.0 maybe there's no support for external modem or PPP.

The procedure I followed (from another post) was :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well thanks to a little help from spankspank I have successfully got a TiVo running 3.0 to use an external modem without any hacking!

The modem is a US Robotics Sportster 33.6. It's connected to the TiVos using the original TiVo serial cable and a RadioShack DB9 -> DB25 adapter. What I had to do to get it working was...
I connected it to a computer using the modems original serial cable.
I then sent it these commands AT&D0&H0&I0&R1&W0 and AT&D0&H0&I0&R1&W1 using hyper terminal, which disable DTR, RTS and flow control.
I disconnect it from the computer and connected it to the TiVo.
I then flipped the modem over and switched the "Terminal Override" dip switch to ON. (I had to do this because the TiVo would not connect to the modem otherwise)
I set the TiVo dial prefix to ,#319 and did the test call, which worked.
Then I tried a daily call which also completed, and just finished successfully loading the data.
I know the connection speed is slow (i.e. 19,400), but it successfully downloaded and indexed two days worth of data that it didn't have before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm able to connect the modem to my PC and send it commands no problem. I can also send to "ATDT" and get a dial tone. But I don't see any indication of any activity out of DSS port (prefix code is set to ",#319"). I also tried getting a console and DSS port seems dead for that too.

Based on this I don't see any path to trying the PPP route.

I did see some tivo codes and tried to slow down internal modem with ",#034" (38.4 kb) and then ",#019" (19.2kb) but these don't seem to be recognized by unit. The dial attempts fail and when I snoop with another phone it seems the codes are being sent out of the unit and are seen as an error by the phone company so seems line needs to be hung up and obviously things have failed at that point.

Any suggestions? Any way to get current version of software in unit (given that I'm stuck in guided setup)? Any way to get a 3.0 image for a HDR112?