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- Hacking the Tivo
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A popular project for somewhat technically savy Tivo owners is to
modify or "hack" their Tivo. Tivo hacking is not about getting
something for free, rather it is about modifying their Tivo and
customizing it to their needs. A Tivo hard drive upgrade is just
one example of tivo hacking.
There are a great abundance of hacking tools and
utilities that you can use to add new functionality to your Tivo,
including allowing it to download programming information via
your high speed Internet connection instead of tying up your
phone line and much more.
Setting aside all of its bells and whistles, a Tivo is
essentially a computer running a modified Linux operating system.
All programs and user options are stored on a standard computer
hard drive. Some Tivo hacks can be done with just a
little knowledge of the Linux operating system. some other
modifications however require a better understanding.
Some of the more popular utilities are outlined as
follows;
2.5Xtreme Hack
2.5Xtreme is one of the more popular hacks for the Directv with Tivo.
It is a modified version of the original Directv with Tivo 2.5 software
revision. 2.5Xtreme was developed by an individual known as
Surgeon in 2001. It adds a number of features including enabling
Directv with Tivo dual tuner support, upgrading the size of your
Directv with Tivo hard drives, installation of bash utilities and more.
Installation of 2.5Xtreme is fairly straight forward, it comes in
an ISO image format which you burn to a CD as an image and then
boot your computer from the CD and follow the prompts. You can
use 2.5Xtreme on your existing hard drives or write it to a new
larger hard drive with additional storage capacity. 2.5Xtreme
will also allow you to add a second hard drive to your Directv with Tivo
without the need to use seperate utilities.
Superzaps 2.5.2/3.1 Tivo Hack
One of the drawbacks of the original 2.5Xtreme software
revision is that it no longer allows local channels to be viewed
on the Directv with Tivo. However once you have 2.5Xtreme installed on
your Directv with Tivo and have it working, you can then proceed to
upgrade it to 2.5.2 or 3.1 which will enable your local channels
in addition to installing an additional number of utilities to
help you get the most out of your Directv with Tivo. Superzaps 2.5.2/3.1
upgrade is also an ISO image that is burned to a CD and then
booted to. Unlike 2.5Xtreme, Superzaps upgrade is not a complete
operating system, so you need to have Tivo version 2.0, 2.5 or
2.5Xtreme already installed before you can proceed to upgrade to
either 2.5.2 or 3.1. The Superzap utility package built into the
2.5.2/3.1 upgrade is called XPlusz. It installs many of the more
popular add-ons and utilities and allows your to turn the
individual utilities on/off using your Directv with Tivo remote
control.
Kraven 2.5 Upgrade/3.1 Tivolater Hack
The Kraven upgrade is another modified Directv with Tivo software
revision with added utilities. It is similar to the Superzap
upgrade, but it incorporates different utilities and uses a
different method to activate them. There are two seperate
releases, one will upgrade your 2.5Xtreme with the added Kraven
utilities and the other will upgrade you to software revision
3.1.
Turbonet Hack
Turbonet is a special add-on Tivo Ethernet card that allows
your Tivo to utilize a high speed Internet connection instead of
a tying up your phone line for the calls to Tivo. Driver for the
Turbonet card are included in Superzaps 2.5.2/3.1 upgrade or 3.1
Tivolater
Tivoweb Hack
Tivoweb is an add-on module for your Tivo that allows you to
communicate with the via a Internet browser. With Tivoweb you can
program and operate your Tivo remotely over the Internet and
more.
Tytool & Tystudio Hack
Tytool and Tystudio are utilities designed to extract programs
from your Tivo and save them to your computer.
Bash Prompt Hack
Bash Utilities are installed with 2.5Xtreme. A bash prompt
allows you to communicate with your Tivo, it is a Linux prompt
similar to a Windows DOS prompt. A bash prompt will allow you to
transfer files and make internal changes to your Tivo.
TivoFTP Hack
The Tivo FTP utilities will allow you to easily transfer files
to and from your Tivo. This is very handy when installing add-ons
and various modules.
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08/04/2008 11:20 AM
In order to give the website a better focus, we are phasing out the less popular areas of the site, including the high definition and digital video recorder areas and forums. This will leave the site focused on digital satellite television and satellite radio.
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The Godfather, Part II
AMC
8:00 pm ET
The second -- and best -- installment of Francis Ford Coppola's Oscar-winning "Godfather" trilogy, based on Mario Puzo's novel, includes flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early days in 1920s New York. Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his performance as the young don. Al Pacino returns as Michael Corleone, now running the family's criminal empire from Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Frost/Nixon
MAX
10:00 pm ET
Skillfully directed by Ron Howard, Peter Morgan's adaptation of his own play recharged stage veteran Frank Langella's screen career through his masterful portrayal of former President Richard Nixon. As the ex-chief executive prepares to be interviewed by David Frost (Michael Sheen, also excellent) about the Watergate scandal, both sides jockey to be in the best light during the telecasts. Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt and Toby Jones offer top-notch support.
The Wanda Sykes Show
FOX
11:00 pm ET
The late-night talk show arena wasn't especially kind to Joan Rivers, but it's been good to Chelsea Handler, and now Wanda Sykes -- fresh off her funny HBO special and her recurring role in "The New Adventures of Old Christine" -- weighs into the fray with her own blend of comedy and topical commentary, which is set to include panels to discuss current events a la Bill Maher's HBO chatfest.
NASCAR Racing
ESPN2
12:45 pm ET
Kyle Busch can all but seal his first Nationwide Series championship down in Fort Worth with a win in today's O'Reilly Challenge. He won here a year ago on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, holding off a hard-charging Carl Edwards by three car lengths in the closing laps. But despite a series-leading 10 wins in '08, Busch would wind up finishing sixth in the standings, 671 points behind champ Clint Bowyer.
Horse Racing
ABC
1:30 pm ET
If the Triple Crown is the World Series of Thoroughbred racing, today's Breeders' Cup World Championship from Santa Anita Park in Southern California is undoubtedly the sport's Super Bowl. At stake are championships in, among others, the sprint, turf, ladies, mile, juvenile and classic categories, the last expected to be contested by Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and British horse Rip Van Winkle.
College Football
NBC
2:30 pm ET
Years of famine have given way to a modest feast of sorts for No. 25 Notre Dame, who lead the Independent standings ahead of Navy, their opponents today in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish are led by junior Jimmy Clausen, a Heisman candidate and, at this writing, the nation's top passer, who will be looking downfield for his favorite target, junior wideout Golden Tate. The unranked Midshipmen will be relying on the arm and legs of junior QB Ricky Dobbs.
The Prince & Me
ABCF
7:30 pm ET
The grammatically tone-deaf title is actually one of the lesser problems with this half-baked gender-switched reworking of the "Roman Holiday" premise, wherein a Danish prince (Luke Mably) charms a pre-med student (Julia Stiles) who thinks he's a "common" exchange student. It could have been worse without the two leads, but that's hardly royal praise.
Mercy
NBC
8:00 pm ET
Having just announced to her family that she is trying to have a baby, Veronica (Taylor Schilling) tries to save a pregnant woman in the aftermath of a car wreck. Dr. Harris (James LeGros) calls for a hearing to determine Veronica's future at Mercy Hospital. Sonia (Jaime Lee Kirchner) helps a sleepwalking patient and tries to take her relationship with Valentino (Charlie Semine) to another level in the new episode "You Lost Me With the Cinderblock."
Take the Money and Run
TCM
8:00 pm ET
Remember when Woody Allen movies were pure slapsticky silliness? Miss those days? Then don't miss this chance to see the first film that Allen not only wrote and directed but starred in, playing a hapless criminal who can't seem to buy a break ... or steal one. It's also an early example of the "mockumentary" style of storytelling that came into its own with "This Is Spinal Tap." Janet Margolin ("Ghostbusters II") is Allen's leading lady.
Robin Hood
BBCAM
9:00 pm ET
Robin (Jonas Armstrong) asks why Isabella (Lara Pulver) has made a pact with Prince John to become the new Sheriff of Nottingham. Defiant Isabella insists she works for herself. Not convinced, Robin offers her a deal to work with him for the rightful king of England, Richard the Lionheart, or discover what it is to be enemies. At a court hearing, Sheriff Isabella shows clemency to a young wench (Holliday Grainger) who has stood up to the men in her life.
Superhero Movie
SHO
9:00 pm ET
Love stories, horror films and gladiator epics have all had their sendups, so the likes of "Spider-Man" and "Batman" get theirs in this weak entry in the "cobble together random movie references and call it satire" genre. Drake Bell plays a young man bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, turning him into a superpowered hero known as -- of all things -- the Dragonfly. He pines for lovely Jill (Sara Paxton, "Aquamarine") while using his new abilitiesto combat the sinister Hourglass (Christopher McDonald).
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