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Can Tivo be used to monitor and/or log computer activity?

1682 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  replaytv, 
T
Recently I have discovered that my roommate bought a Tivo Series2 DT component which he had connected to his tv and had a wireless network adapter hooked up to my computer. I know a feauture of the component is to be able to record movies from the internet. Seeing as how this is possible, could it also be configured to view my computer activity? If I'm using the internet or working on my computer in any way, can that be seen? whether it's recorded or real-time? :confused:
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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classicsat
Not without deep hacking.

It would be much easier to use a PC as an Internet activity monitor though.
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dianebrat
If he has the password to connect to your wireless internet he has access to everything with a laptop if he's savvy enough, and you're unsavvy. (hint, read up on Firesheep)

However this has nothing to do with the Tivo, and everything to do with giving out access to people you don't trust.
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wmcbrine
No.

"Recording movies from the Internet" doesn't work that way.
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O
Back in the day, Duck Creek Software, Inc. had a java program called Remote Control v0.5.5 that allowed you to view (but not record) a computer's desktop. The xml contained in remotecontrol.jnlp points to a url that is no longer available, so that program is now useless. VLC player can output computer activity using the screen:// keyword. I think I have used that keyword successfully in HME/VLC (url=screen://), but I have not tried it recently.
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temp_user said:
Recently I have discovered that my roommate bought a Tivo Series2 DT component which he had connected to his tv and had a wireless network adapter hooked up to my computer. I know a feauture of the component is to be able to record movies from the internet. Seeing as how this is possible, could it also be configured to view my computer activity? If I'm using the internet or working on my computer in any way, can that be seen? whether it's recorded or real-time? :confused:
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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My initial reaction to this is "no way in hell."

Unless your roommate happens to be Bill Gates then what you are suggesting would be extremely difficult. And I do mean EXTREMELY difficult. As in 99.999% of people would not be able to do it.

If they were smart enough to use a Tivo to monitor your activity then they would be smart enough to monitor your activity without a Tivo. There are much simpler ways to go about that.

TC
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wmcbrine
Note that what orangeboy is talking about requires access to install things on the PC. The TiVo by itself does not in any way, ever, help anyone to monitor your PC.

I think most of the replies here are in a nerdy vein of "hmm, how could I make that work?", when really, the OP is just a technophobe in need of some very basic reassurance.
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T
Thank you everyone for the input and info. I really appreciate it.
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appleye1
wmcbrine said:
I think most of the replies here are in a nerdy vein of "hmm, how could I make that work?", when really, the OP is just a technophobe in need of some very basic reassurance.
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Right, but I don't think I would go as far as to call the OP a technophobe. He may well be, but he's obviously not a Tivo user himself and probably has no idea what the capabilities of a Tivo are. More likely he's just trying to gain some basic information to see if there is anything to worry about.

I think the bigger problem might be the existence of some serious trust issues between him and his roommate! :)
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dlfl
appleye1 said:
I think the bigger problem might be the existence of some serious trust issues between him and his roommate! :)
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Not wanting to share everything on your PC with the average roommate seems rather prudent to me! :cool:
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ZeoTiVo
True Colors said:
My initial reaction to this is "no way in hell."

Unless your roommate happens to be Bill Gates then what you are suggesting would be extremely difficult. And I do mean EXTREMELY difficult. As in 99.999% of people would not be able to do it.

If they were smart enough to use a Tivo to monitor your activity then they would be smart enough to monitor your activity without a Tivo. There are much simpler ways to go about that.

TC
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even Bill Gates could not do it
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replaytv
He could connect a spy camera pointed at your computer screen and record that on his Tivo. Course he would have to have access to your computer area to install the spy camera. If he access to your computer then it would easier for him to plug a flash drive into one of your back of the computers USB ports and remove the flash drive when he wants to 'harvest' your passwords and such that were collected.
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