# Is there a way to install a home brew DVR app on an HR10-250 to record OTA?



## BigDawg (Sep 26, 2006)

Let me make it clear that I'm not talking about stealing the sattelite broadcast and I'm not talking about hacking the Tivo software.

I'm wondering if there are any "home brew" DVR applicatoins, like MythTV, that can run on the Linux OS on the HR10-250 that can record HD OTA.

Thanks.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Not unless they were specifically written to be used on the HR10-250 with it's hardware configuration.

Short Answer: No


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

I'm not aware of any "home brew" DVR applications that run inside the HR10-250. But check the "Tivo Underground Forum" at http://www.tivocommunity.com.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

It sounds like you're just trying to use the HDTivo platform without the DVR service. That constitutes theft of service no matter how you look at it. If you want to use something like MythTV for OTA recording then why not just use MythTV or something similar. There are several good HDTV tuner cards for PCs as well as some good software packages that will convert your PC into a DVR for OTA or QAM/digital cable recording. Do a Google search for Home Theater PC and see what you come up with.


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## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

captain_video said:


> That constitutes theft of service no matter how you look at it.


Why would it be theft of services if he's not using DTV's DVR service? If he owns the hardware, it sounds like what he wants to do would no more be theft of services than running Linux and a browser on an XBOX to browse this forum would be theft of XBOX LIVE service.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

ApK said:


> Why would it be theft of services if he's not using DTV's DVR service? If he owns the hardware, it sounds like what he wants to do would no more be theft of services than running Linux and a browser on an XBOX to browse this forum would be theft of XBOX LIVE service.


That's how I read the question. But I'm not aware of anyone that has successfully created and run their own application inside the HR10-250.


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## BigDawg (Sep 26, 2006)

Like I said, I'm not trying to steal anything thing. Like ApK said, to me its no different than taking an Xbox (basically a PC) and running Linux on it. The HR10-250 is a just a PC. 

I thought about MythTV, but the HR10-250 is in a nice little box and is a great DVR. Currently I don't have any PCs that would compare.

I thought about checking out TivoComm, but thought it would only deal with Tivo SW.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

The challenge is that it's got some specialized components that may be difficult to get required documentation for. It's certainly possible, but I've not heard of any work in this area.

With MythTV and the like, you buy PC hardware (MPEG decoders/encoders, video card, etc.) that come with device drivers and well-documented APIs.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

If I owned a HR10 and disconnected it from DTVs service (disconnected the cables), then cancelled that service...I still should be able to record OTA signals, but without the guide data. Is this a correct scenario? DVR functions would still work.

I have a SD DTivo that was disconnected but I've got MRV enabled. There's no SAT signal but I can still pull shows from other DVRs in the house and watch on that TV.


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## bwaldron (Oct 24, 2005)

Wolffpack said:


> If I owned a HR10 and disconnected it from DTVs service (disconnected the cables), then cancelled that service...I still should be able to record OTA signals, but without the guide data. Is this a correct scenario? DVR functions would still work.


You can still receive OTA on both tuners, and you can use the buffer trick play functions (Rew/FF/Pause), but no, you won't be able to do any scheduled recordings.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

BigDawg said:


> I thought about MythTV, but the HR10-250 is in a nice little box and is a great DVR. Currently I don't have any PCs that would compare.


Without the TiVo software, the HR10 is an obscure computer with unknown motherboard parameters and no native Ethernet capability.

Hacking and/or reverse engineering the existing software is a violation of the software license, so you are left with bootstrapping an entire operating system from scratch. Portions of the code (basically Linux itself)s are covered by the GPL, but the TiVo stuff is not. This is likely complicated by the fact that the operating system (and perhaps some or all of the BIOS) is stored, at least in part, in flash RAM.

Loading software is a fairly substantial issue as the system would have to be imaged from another machine. Getting Ethernet up and running through a USB port is certainly no small feat.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

bwaldron said:


> You can still receive OTA on both tuners, and you can use the buffer trick play functions (Rew/FF/Pause), but no, you won't be able to do any scheduled recordings.


Then how do I continue to transfer recordings from a "live" SD DTivo to a "not connected" SD DTivo? It must have DVR functions still turned on since it never received the turn off order from the mother ship.

If you disconnect the SAT inputs before cancelling service, wouldn't the DVR service still be turned on? Oh, and also disconnect the phone line.


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## bwaldron (Oct 24, 2005)

Wolffpack said:


> Then how do I continue to transfer recordings from a "live" SD DTivo to a "not connected" SD DTivo? It must have DVR functions still turned on since it never received the turn off order from the mother ship.
> 
> If you disconnect the SAT inputs before cancelling service, wouldn't the DVR service still be turned on? Oh, and also disconnect the phone line.


Good question. I know that an unplugged unit can play recordings...and you're using a hacked unit to do it...so, I dunno.

I have seen what things a de-authorized HR10-250 can do, and recordings are not one of them. But your plan about disconnecting in that order may in fact work. Would be an interesting experiment.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

> I still should be able to record OTA signals, but without the guide data. Is this a correct scenario? DVR functions would still work.


DVR functions may work after discontinuing the DVR service if you disconnect the sat feed prior to cancellation. However, the DVR tier on the access card will expire after a period and you will eventually lose the DVR functionality. The OTA tuners will still work and you'll get guide data but you won't be able to record anything.



> Then how do I continue to transfer recordings from a "live" SD DTivo to a "not connected" SD DTivo? It must have DVR functions still turned on since it never received the turn off order from the mother ship.


MRV is not a function that was ever supported by the DVR service for DTivos therefore it wouldn't be affected when you discontinue it. I've got S2 DTivos that have never been activated on my account that I use as remote viewing terminals networked with my main DTivo. Try recording a show via the OTA tuners after you've discontinued the service for a while and let us know how it goes.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

captain_video said:


> The OTA tuners will still work and you'll get guide data but you won't be able to record anything.


Without an active connection to the satellite, there will be no guide data.


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