Tivo Series 2 as only a DVR/Player?

Info Please:

I just got a Series 2 Tivo Stand alone from a local Salvation Army
outlet store for $20 just to salvage the 40 gig HD out of it...then
strip and scrap the rest...but after opening it up..it appears
unused...so I googled around a bit and saw some stuff about hacking
it...so ordered and got a remote control to play with it...seems it
wants to call home...and can't do anything else with it but play a
demo...??
Then something about 4 hours to clear the files...so I unplugged
it...not sure what its trying to do?
At least it seems to work....?? Was it a virgin?

I am hoping this could be used as a stand alone DVR without
subscribing?
All I've read so far is that its supposed to be a DVR., why can't I
just use it as such?
What's the big deal?
I do not want to subscribe to anything...and don't have cable or an
antenna....don't watch TV, just DVD movies...why can't I just copy
all my DVD's I want to watch into the Tivo box then watch them that
way?

Is there any URL's to teach me an easy way just to use this box as a
stand alone DVR/DV player?
I do not want to spend much time learning Linux...but willing to try
something if the end result is I can record from my DVD player or
VHS tapes then after filling the Tivo HD up, play them back on my
TV.

I am not going to invest anymore $'s into it...either it can
function easily as a DVR or its history.....
and I've ended up with a nice 40 gig Maxtor...and some spare
parts.....

Any help is appreciated.

Gerry

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:31:31 +0000, G.E.M. wrote:

I am hoping this could be used as a stand alone DVR without
subscribing?

You're SOL. Strip it and get the parts out you want.

All I've read so far is that its supposed to be a DVR., why can't I
just use it as such?

Well, if you wanted to really hack the thing and load another version of
linux on it, you *might* be able to get it to work, but it wouldn't be the
Tivo software. I sure wouldn't waste my time on it. And without the
hradware drivers source, it might be close to impossible.

What's the big deal?

None that I know of.

I do not want to subscribe to anything...and don't have cable or an
antenna....don't watch TV, just DVD movies...why can't I just copy all
my DVD's I want to watch into the Tivo box then watch them that way?

Becasue it won't work.:-)

If you want one that works, get the free one they offer with a 1 year
subscription and save $20. After a year, you can strip the parts out of it
too.:-)
If you want to store your dvd's on HDD and play them, use a PC.

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org
http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
HD Tivo S3 compared http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/mythtivo.htm

Wes Newell wrote:

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:31:31 +0000, G.E.M. wrote:

I am hoping this could be used as a stand alone DVR without
subscribing?

You're SOL. Strip it and get the parts out you want.

Figured as much.....

All I've read so far is that its supposed to be a DVR., why can't I
just use it as such?

Well, if you wanted to really hack the thing and load another version of
linux on it, you *might* be able to get it to work, but it wouldn't be the
Tivo software. I sure wouldn't waste my time on it. And without the
hradware drivers source, it might be close to impossible.

What version of Linux? I read something about using the USB
ports...as I/O's
What hardware drivers source?
I don't care about the Tivo part...just turning it into a simple
recorder/player..


I do not want to subscribe to anything...and don't have cable or an
antenna....don't watch TV, just DVD movies...why can't I just copy all
my DVD's I want to watch into the Tivo box then watch them that way?

Becasue it won't work.:-)

So its not a true DVR or PVR?

If you want one that works, get the free one they offer with a 1 year
subscription and save $20. After a year, you can strip the parts out of it
too.:-)
If you want to store your dvd's on HDD and play them, use a PC.

I'm already doing that...just would have been nice having a cheapo
little blackbox dedicated video PC...with the nice remote too.. :-))

Thanks anyway Wes....

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org
http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
HD Tivo S3 compared http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/mythtivo.htm

"G.E.M." wrote in message
...

Wes Newell wrote:

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:31:31 +0000, G.E.M. wrote:

I am hoping this could be used as a stand alone DVR without
subscribing?

You're SOL. Strip it and get the parts out you want.

Figured as much.....

All I've read so far is that its supposed to be a DVR., why can't I
just use it as such?

Well, if you wanted to really hack the thing and load another version of
linux on it, you *might* be able to get it to work, but it wouldn't be
the
Tivo software. I sure wouldn't waste my time on it. And without the
hradware drivers source, it might be close to impossible.

What version of Linux? I read something about using the USB
ports...as I/O's
What hardware drivers source?
I don't care about the Tivo part...just turning it into a simple
recorder/player..

Even after you figure out what version of linux, and have compiled a kernel
compatible with the hardware (base), there is still "specialized" hardware
you will nmeed to source drivers for and compile.

Once all that's done, then finding a recording/playback software package
that will run on it, or can be compiled to run on it.

I do not want to subscribe to anything...and don't have cable or an
antenna....don't watch TV, just DVD movies...why can't I just copy all
my DVD's I want to watch into the Tivo box then watch them that way?

Becasue it won't work.:-)

So its not a true DVR or PVR?

What's your defition of DVR and PVR that would make this not a "true" DVR or
PVR. DVR=Digital Video Recorder. PVR=Personal Video Recorder. The fact
that it's tied to a service rather than being standalone/free doesn't make
it "un-true".

If you want one that works, get the free one they offer with a 1 year
subscription and save $20. After a year, you can strip the parts out of
it
too.:-)
If you want to store your dvd's on HDD and play them, use a PC.

I'm already doing that...just would have been nice having a cheapo
little blackbox dedicated video PC...with the nice remote too.. :-))

Thanks anyway Wes....

This would be a great application of a MythTV machine. Or, what I have (in
addition to my DirecTiVos) is an Avel Linkplayer. It's a DVD player that
will also stream media from my PC and one can even plug a USB storage device
in (like a portable hard drive) as a media source.

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:15:15 +0000, G.E.M. wrote:

What version of Linux? I read something about using the USB
ports...as I/O's

Forget it.

What hardware drivers source?

The source that Tivo wrote. I don't think you can get it. And even if you
could, it would probably take a few hundred hours to get it all working
the way you'd want it too.

I don't care about the Tivo part...just turning it into a simple
recorder/player..

Not going to happen without a subscription.

So its not a true DVR or PVR?

It's a boat anchor without a sub. Big paperweight or whatever you want to
call it.:-)

I'm already doing that...just would have been nice having a cheapo
little blackbox dedicated video PC...with the nice remote too.. :-))

So build one. mATX MB in slimline case with a dvd drive. Waste of time for
just that if you ask me. You could build a real HTPC with digital
tuners, etc. for not much more.

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org
http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
HD Tivo S3 compared http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/mythtivo.htm

G.E.M. wrote:
Info Please:

I just got a Series 2 Tivo Stand alone from a local Salvation Army
outlet store

I am hoping this could be used as a stand alone DVR without
subscribing? I don't have cable or an
antenna....don't watch TV, just DVD movies...why can't I just copy
all my DVD's I want to watch into the Tivo box then watch them that
way?


Now you know where the name came from. Ti. Vo. Get it? It was
designed to record "TV". It does a wonderful job of recording TV.

Doug