Tivo Hacks

TiVo Hacks helps you get the most out of your TiVo personal video recorder. Armed with just a screwdriver and basic understanding of PC hardware (or willingness to learn), preeminent hackability awaits. This book includes hacks for changing the order of recorded programs, activating the 30-second skip to blaze through commercials, upgrading TiVo's hard drive for more hours of recording, use of TiVo's Home Media Option to remotely schedule a recording via the Web, log in to the serial port for command-line access to programming data, log files, closed-captioning data, display graphics on the TiVo screen, and even play MP3s.Readers who use advanced hacks to put TiVo on their home network via the serial port, Ethernet, USB, or wireless (with 802.11b WiFi) will watch a whole new world open up. By installing various open source software packages, you can use TiVo for mail, instant messaging, caller-ID, and more. It's also easy to run a web server on TiVo to schedule recordings, access lists of recorded shows, and even display them on a web site. While TiVo gives viewers personalized control of their TVs, TiVo Hacks gives users personalized control of TiVo.Note: Not all TiVos are the same. The original TiVo, the Series 1, is the most hackable TiVo out there; it's a box thrown together with commodity parts and the TiVo code is running on open hardware. The Series 2 TiVo, the most commonly sold TiVo today, is not open. You won't see hacks in this book that involve modifying Series 2 software.

Krikorian offers 100 "industrial strength" tips and tools for using Tivo in this ultimate guide to the digital personal video recorder that's reinventing the way people view TV.

"100 industrial-strength tips & tools"--Cover.

Did it about kill you when “Cheers” went off the air? Want to make sure you don’t miss an appointment with Dr. Phil? Want to see anything and everything with Jessica Lange, Kate Winslet, or Clint Eastwood? Are your kids really into SpongeBob SquarePants, judo, gorillas, or the Civil War? TiVo to the rescue. TiVo lets you watch what you want when you want to. You can pause live TV, replay missed high points, skip commercials, and even get TiVo to find and record stuff you’ll be interested in! TiVo For Dummies shows you how, even if you’re one of the millions whose VCR clock is only right twice a day! You’ll discover how to: Choose the right TiVo for your needs and your TV service Get an “instant replay” with the click of a button Use a Season Pass to get TiVo to seek out and record all episodes of a favorite TV show, no matter when they air Create a WishList so you can turn on whatever turns you on; TiVo will find and record specified TV shows, movie titles, and programs with your favorite actors or directors Expand your WishList to include topics such as sports (there are 93 subcategories to choose from), opera, car repair, volcanoes, or whatever, and TiVo will record related programming Use TiVo’s Home Media Option (HMO) to play yourMP3 music files and view digital photos Fast-forward through commercials, sometimes cutting an hour show to 40 minutes Use Parental Controls to lock out specific channels or filter individual shows based on content TiVo For Dummies was written by Andy Rathbone, possibly the bestselling technology ever, and the author of thirty-five For Dummies books. It takes you from setting up TiVo to fine-tuning it to troubleshooting it with all kinds of info and aids including: A diagram of the TiVo remote with call-outs and descriptions of what all 26 buttons do Button shortcuts, live TV shortcuts, Now Playing screen shortcuts, and text entry shortcuts Suggestions about additional software you may want for TiVo HMO, including MoodLogic that becomes your personal disc jockey Web sites that give all kinds of TiVo information A glossary TiVo puts you in control of your TV viewing, and TiVo For Dummies puts you in control of TiVo!

A collection of unusual projects for computer hardware geeks of all ages explains how to create such projects as a personal Lojack system, Web-enabled coffee machine, cubicle intrusion detection systems, and a laptop battery extender.

Written by an avid TiVo hacker, and active TiVo community member, "Hacking TiVo appeals to both experienced tweakers and curious observers alike by walking them through the steps needed to do everything from increasing the storage capacity of their TiVos to connecting them to the internet. After completing this book, readers will enjoy being able to say that they have enhanced their TiVo, that they have larger TiVos than can be purchased, and that they have features that don' t exist for others. They will also know where to look for the latest developments, and know enough to start some serious tinkering on their own.Topics covered include: Secret TiVo backdoor codesIncreasing recording time with larger hard drivesGetting access to the TiVo operating systemTransferring files to and from your PCControlling your Tivo from the InternetAdding sports scores, stocks and weather featuresDisplaying your own photos and graphi cs on your TVHooking AOL Instant Messenger into your TiVoSeeing who is calling you on your TV screenReceiving your email from your TiVoDistributing TiVo video throughout your entire house

"Hacking the TiVo" provides a central, readable, and detailed guide to upgrading, maintaining, and enhancing TiVo systems. It clearly explains how to expand and upgrade the capabilities of both Series 1 and Series 2 TiVos from any Linux, Macintosh, or Windows PC.

Written by Leo Laporte, one of the most widely recognized voices in consumer technology today, along with Gareth Branwyn, a veteran "Wired" magazine writer, editor, and book author, this is a fun, lighthearted, easy-to-follow guide to all things TiVo. This book covers everything from the simplest remote control trickery, to upgrading hardware, to hacks that give you even more control over your television destiny.