Series3 PROM hack
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jan 30th 2007 9:46AM
posted Jan 30th 2007 9:46AM
The Series3 has been out for 3 or 4 months now and while it is great, everyone is still waiting for long awaited features like Multi-Room Viewing and TiVoToGo. Well Narf54321 of DealDatabase.com isn't waiting around and has figured out a way to hack the PROM chip which is very similar to hacking previous TiVos. Unfortunately this is less than the ideal way to hack a TiVo since it requires soldering and programming a PROM chip. Most people who hack their TiVo use a hacked Kernel instead to get around the TiVo's protections. Now before you run off following the read link, keep in mind that the DealDatabase developers forum isn't for n00bs and they won't take kindly to "how much to hack my TiVo" posts. While some hacks like TiVoWebPlus have been applied, others like content extraction are unconfirmed.
Hmm...dreaming of Tivo To Go on my series 3...
I still want to know why the frack the latest-and-greatest, high definition, dual-tuner TiVo comes with software a version behind that on the older Series 2 boxes?! (I've got the S3 -- love it, except I want my recently-deleted folder and TiVo to GO!!) You'd think for the obscene price they are charging they'd have included the same, if not *upgraded*, OS, rather than something a year behind their older units....
I'm in the same boat.
I also want multiroom viewing that works with the old Series 2 - just puts out SD instead of HD. I guess down res'ing is just too incredibly complicated. pffft.
I'd also like my online scheduling to work. That really pisses me off.
Hey Tivo, Still waiting for Tivo-2-Go on the series 3. If you would just implement it you could have my $$$. Until then, no money, not yours!
What other features are missing?
Why would you pay for the crazy price of a Series 3 + a monthly fee? Too expensive for my tastes.
You'd think Engadget readers would have *some* understanding of basic software development.
I guess not.
When you develop a new product you need to pick a starting point and branch your code base. The Series3 was branched off the main trunk around 7.1 or so, maybe 7.2 time frame. Developers need to take that code, then alter it to work with the new hardware, and add all of the new features for the S3 - revising the UI for HD, supporting the new tuners, new conflict resolution rules, all the CableCARD code, etc.
In the meantime, the main trunk doesn't just sit there, other developers continue to evolve it. And they added Recently Deleted, KidZone, etc.
You have divergent evolution of the code trees. So then you can either delay the new product for months as you reintegrate the code bases - which continue to evolve as you do, of course - or you ship the stable code you have, and then move forward, integrating the code bases for an update.
Originally TiVo said they were looking at an S3 update before the end of 2006 to integrate the features added to the S2 during the S3s development. Obviously that didn't happen. Most likely something came up during the regressing and beta testing, and, instead of shipping buggy code, they've extended the testing period to get it right. Keep in mind the holidays and CES were in there too, both of which cause havoc with their schedules as people are on vacation, preparing demos for the show, etc.
It is not uncommon for a new product to come out without features the old products had, because of this catch-up on integrating the code bases. I've worked for a few hardware vendors myself. It's also happened with past TiVo releases - or did everyone forget that the DVD units didn't get TiVoToGo and other features for months after release, for the same reason?
As for TTG and MRV on the S3, talking with TiVo people at CES, it may be released in a partial form. The issue is primarily CableLabs and CableCARD - they haven't approved transfer of any CC decrypted content. TiVo is evaluating allowing the transfer of other content - OTA & analog cable basically - but they need to evaluate the usability. Is it going to confuse the users and drive up support calls? "Why can I transfer X and not Y?" Especially as many cable systems do digital simulcast of analog stations, and when you use CableCARD you switch without it being obvious - so you may thing you're recording an analog station, but it is really recording the digital version via the CC, and hence it is restricted. Basically, they're working on a solution from several angles and we'll probably see something this year. TiVo's Jim Denney said as much on video: http://www.technologyevangelist.com/2007/01/ces_jim_denny_tivo.html
And Andy - yes, down-rezzing the video is a lot of work. You basically need another decoder/encoder pair to decode the recorded HD then re-encode it to SD. The current S3 hardware simply can't do it. If you really want that, instead of an S2 in the other room get a Slingbox and a SlingCatcher (when it ships this year).
Yes I am very aware of the "suck" CableLabs is causing for Tivo. I was at CES as well. It's tough for CableLabs, they're like the doctors that work for the whore brothels in Vegas.
...but I'm not bitter. ;-)
Well said MegaZone. Squishing ants is hard work.
Simple fix - Tivo wants it to work for us, cable labs has their heads up their asses (anyone get a load of what's required to shove a piece of shit cablecard into a media center! LAUGH!) we want it to work. Fix = leak the hack.
Those d00dz at dealdatabase will have it in .iso format in 2 days tops!