What non-TIVO things can u do with a TIVO dvr?

[jim redfield]

I have a TIVO Series 2 DVR and the hard wire lash up from it to an XP computer (through a LAN router) but we aren't going to use the set up for anything TIVO-related anymore.

The dvr seems like a nice piece of equipment that might be repurposed for other things tv, file storage, and/or Windows-computer related. Before we, sigh, dumpster it, is there a site or forum thread someone can point me to that discusses non-TIVO uses for the dvr? Thanks in advance.

[jmoak]

I don't know of any websites or forums that discuss non-TIVO uses. Since it's made up of proprietary hardware there's not much you can do with it that's not tivo related, especially without a sub.

If it's a model 240 (black face, non "nite-lite") I'll give you $50 plus shipping. It'd break my heart to think of an old 240 ending up on a trash heap.:o

Heck, I really would not mind if you kept the hard drive! (I'm replacing an old series 1)

Let me know!

[rdrrepair]

Since it's made up of proprietary hardware there's not much you can do with it that's not tivo related, especially without a sub.What would you do with an old Sony SVR2000 S1 mfg. date 12/00 with a working remote?

Heck, I have 6 others TiVo's with Lifetime on it... My wifes looking for storage space - can't justify keeping it for anything anymore... What to do, what to do? ;)

[debest]

could you pull the hard disk out of it and use it for extra storage in your PC?

[yelapa]

What would you do with an old Sony SVR2000 S1 mfg. date 12/00 with a working remote?

Heck, I have 6 others TiVo's with Lifetime on it... My wifes looking for storage space - can't justify keeping it for anything anymore... What to do, what to do? ;)

I had one of those and couldn't even *give* it away on craigslist. Donated it to Goodwill and took the deduction.

[Chester_Lampwick]

Give 'em to me? They are still hard for anybody to get if they live on this side of the border.

[alansh]

The TiVo is specialized enough that it's not really practical to convert it to another purpose. The CPU is underpowered (the heavy lifting is done by the hardware video chips), and the memory is tiny. The older models will have 20-40GB hard drives -- you can't even buy drives that small any more.

[GoHokies!]

The TiVo is specialized enough that it's not really practical to convert it to another purpose.
Now that isn't true at all!!!! You can to plenty of non Tivo things with your box: ;)


Tie a rope to it and stop your boat from drifting away
Keep a door open (or closed!)
Stop papers from blowing away
See what happens when you drop it off the roof (be sure to get a video if you do that)
Put a leash on it and take it for a walk
Try and teach it new tricks


OK, so maybe not all that many useful things - the previous posters are right. If you can't get it to someone that would like to use it, it's pretty much worthless.

[MickeS]

You can rip out everything and build a nice-looking HTPC in it maybe? :)

[Chester_Lampwick]

I don't get it. It will work just as good at recording your favorite programs as it did when it was new.

I'll still use one until SDTV stops being broadcast.

[ZeoTiVo]

there are underground forums, what a deal, that will show you how to put a bash prmpt and FTP on the unit.

then it might become near line storgae for files you want to back up like photos and music - though I have not followed that train of thought to see if the preoprietary file system has a hurdle to overcome as well.


other thoughts - rip your DVDs to it as an archive of ready to watch. - if you have kids this could be useful and the SD quality not an issue to them.

You could alos copy your home movies to it as a palce to store those- most people are not using HD cameras just yet.

[jim redfield]

Thanks everyone. Seems like anything useful I could do with the box could be better done with cheap hardware from any CompUSA. The beast is dumpster bound, just another road kill on the highway to bigger and better tech.

[mattack]

I had one of those and couldn't even *give* it away on craigslist. Donated it to Goodwill and took the deduction.

are you serious? Did it have lifetime? you could've transferred lifetime
*free* to a newer tivo.

[jmoak]

If it's a model 240 (black face, non "nite-lite") I'll give you $50 plus shipping. It'd break my heart to think of an old 240 ending up on a trash heap.:o... The beast is dumpster bound, just another road kill on the highway to bigger and better tech.:confused:

[rdrrepair]

The beast is dumpster bound, just another road kill on the highway to bigger and better tech.There are two other people that posted here that said they would take it off of your hands. And one is willing to give you $50.00

1)Chester_Lampwick
2)jmoak

Why would you throw it out? :confused:

[PrimeRisk]

There are a lot of things you can do with an old TiVo if you have a want to learn the technology. The TiVos are easily hacked (see the underground forum) and you can play with linux and gain an understanding of the overall system. Yes, you could go to compusa (or wherever) and find cheap hardware that would run linux faster, but it won't be free and you won't gain an appreciation for how efficient the OS can be.

If you're not interested in that, sell it to one of the people on the board, they'd be glad to give it a new home.

[barbeedoll]

are you serious? Did it have lifetime? you could've transferred lifetime
*free* to a newer tivo.
I didn't think you could transfer Lifetime Subscriptions except for Series I Tivos, or the now expired opportunity to move a Series 2 Lifetime to a Series 3.

But I'd love to be wrong.

Barbeedoll

[a68oliver]

I once read about a dive team using a Tivo for automatic unattended instant replay of practice dives. Set it up to take a live feed from a camera (like you would a satellite box) and then delay the playback buffer for 5 minutes or so. Let the diver do his dive, walk to the monitor, wait a moment, and there he is watching his just completed dive. Of course, they could do slow mo and repeated instant replay as long as the buffer doesn't run out. This woudl work for many sports where you want to see your "form" for instant critique and analysis.

This is probably not something you woud want to do, but perhaps a school would like the donation instead of the dumpster.

[PrimeRisk]

I didn't think you could transfer Lifetime Subscriptions except for Series I Tivos, or the now expired opportunity to move a Series 2 Lifetime to a Series 3.

But I'd love to be wrong.

Barbeedoll

You can't transfer lifetime between units unless you bought lifetime on your S1 TiVo before 1/20/2000. If you have one of these TiVos, you get a one-time transfer to any other TiVo.

[boman2005]

I'm looking for info and new to dvr world. Can the Tivo series 2 dual tuner box be used like a vcr to record from basic cable ? I live in central America and no tivo service here, I'm just trying to replace my old vcr with something better. Or do you have to have tivo service for the box to record ? :)

[ZeoTiVo]

I'm looking for info and new to dvr world. Can the Tivo series 2 dual tuner box be used like a vcr to record from basic cable ? I live in central America and no tivo service here, I'm just trying to replace my old vcr with something better. Or do you have to have tivo service for the box to record ? :)
sorry, but you have to have service for the box to record for a sereis 2 and, of course, there is no service in Central America.

two options
1. harder option - scout around on the internet for Autralians using TiVo. there is no TiVo service in Australia but they have setup some informal system.

2. easier and better (I think)
I know a series 1 TiVo that shipped with version 1.3 or lower can record mnually by time and channel. I think everything else as far as electricity adn TV signal is the same in Central America adn North America so that a series 1 that can record manually would do what you want.

other than that perhaps some Home theater PC solution would work for you like MythTv

[classicsat]

You can also check out your domestic electronics marketplace for HDD based video recoder/players.

[ChuckyBox]

The beast is dumpster bound
Please recycle it properly. Electronic components have toxic substances in them that should not be put in landfills.