Noob Needs Mentoring

[gbridgeman]

Hello Everyone.

I've been lurking for quite sometime prior to constructing my first post mainly because I didn't want to come off as a total noob. Alas, I think it's unavoidable!

I have been doing lots of research and come to the conclusion that I need a Sensei or Mentor to guide me through some of the more puzzling questions I have.

Here is the deal. I own the following:

Humax Series2 DT800
Software version: 7.3.1-oth-01-2-590
Wired USB/Ethernet Adapter

Also

Humax Series2 DRT400
Software version: 7.3.1-oth-01-2-595
Wireless USB/Ethernet Adapter

I'm networked and have plenty of Windows boxes both wired and wireless.

I have three main issues I would like to solve:

Issue Number 1

I've had some success running TiVoToGo, but even between tshe wired DT800 and the wired machines I find the transfers very slow. I thought that hacking the TiVo and using an FTP tool might speed things up a bit so I looked around.

When I checked the killhdinitrd forum (Can't post links yet) I find that there is support for 7.2.2-oth-K1 kernel but not 7.3.1-oth

Questions: Has anyone used killhdinitrd on the 7.3 kernel? Does anyone have any advice for me about this? Is there a way to hack a Series2 without using killhdinitrd?

Issue Number 2

Comcast recently, arbitrarily, and without any notice rearranged several of my channels. For instance, FoodNetwork used to be 76 and is no 72.

Tivo doesn't understand this and it's been a week since I reported this to them with no help. So, for instance, in the Guide, there simply is no channel 72 and it displays 76 as FoodNetwork even though 76 has no signal.

I found references to a TivoWeb module that remaps channels called "channelMap" and another called "channelmap.itcl" but all of those I've chased down don't seem to run on a Series2 TiVo. Even if I found the right app, I would still need to hack a Series2.

Questions: Anyone know how I can fix the problem or have any advice for me?

Issue Number 3

I want to go ahead and upgrade to larger drives on both Tivos.
I plan to purchase the the required brackets from Weaknees and go with 3 each Seagate 7200 rpm 250GB drives (1 for the DRT400 and 2 for the DT800).

I plan to follow the interactive instructions as posted on Weaknees.
I will use an old Windows 98SE machine to do most of the drive work so as not to put a signature on the drives.
I plan to take lots of digital photos as I go and fully document each upgrade process.
I will begin with the DRT400 while waiting for the DT600 brackets from Weaknees.

Questions: Should I hack the TiVo's before or after I do the drive upgrades? Anyone ever upgraded a Humax box or have any advice for me?

Any and all help greatly appreciated.



PS - can't post images or links yet.

[MungoJerrie]

First and foremost - consult the List of Unhackable Tivos. Both of your tivo models require a PROM modification (i.e., desoldering a chip on the tivo mobo & soldering a new socket/chip with hacked PROM code) for any hacking possibilities. To answer another of your questions, killhdinitrd (although it won't help you here) is an exploit that is possible on very specific tivo kernels. It does not work on the 7.3.1 kernel - however kernels within the same "generation" are interchangeable.

[classicsat]

Which ethernet adapters? The trick would be to puase the TiVos, and record a non-channel.

TiVo has a procedure on their support website to resolve lineup issues.

It doesn't matter if you expand or hack first.

[gbridgeman]

MungoJerrie

Thanks, uh, darn it. Okay, I went to the "other" forum and asked if I could pay someone to do the PROM update for me. THanks again.

Classicat,

I am using a TiVo brand Wireless G USB on the 400 and a LinkSys USB RJ-45 wired adapter on the 800. The wired box used to run on a Netgear WG111V2 which I am now selling in working order.

The network is very fast between PCs with a 100 backbone using low collision CSMA/CD 5 port switch off a wireless G 5 port USR router.

Sorry to be dense but I don't understand what you mean about recording a non-channel?

[classicsat]

Which linksys ethernet adapter? AFAIK, the USB200M is th oly USB2.0 one, the rest are USB1.1 (that are TiVo compatible).

A non channel is one that has no signal, or maybe just an audio only channel.