Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Last I knew, TiVo ran a customized Linux base OS, the source of most of which was publicly available. The recording app is proprietary, though, I think. modified linux kernel + some other bits for booting. Anything interesting is probably proprietary. sources available from http://www.tivo.com/linux -- J. Eric Townsend -- jet spies com buy stickers: http://www.spies.com/jet/store.html to support the artcar: http://www.spies.com/jet/artcar.html Looking for vets who served with USASSG/ACSI/MACV in Vietnam, 1967-1970.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
At 0:24 -0700 2002/06/02, Marc wrote: To be honest, the complaints about this are excessive. The problem isn't that the TiVo recorded a promotional show, it's that it recorded a show that has some semi-adult content in it and parental controls don't restrict promotional recordings. ...and they did this at the request of the BBC who paid them to do it. yeesh. I don't think anyone came out of this looking good. UltimateTV surprisingly is less intrusive, it doesn't have to use the phone at all (except for standard DirecTV PPV calls) and uses the downstream from the dish to verify subscriptions. making it easier to bypass paying for service than it is on the TiVo, just activate the right tier and presto, UTV service. -- J. Eric Townsend -- jet spies com buy stickers: http://www.spies.com/jet/store.html to support the artcar: http://www.spies.com/jet/artcar.html Looking for vets who served with USASSG/ACSI/MACV in Vietnam, 1967-1970.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
At 0:24 -0700 2002/06/02, Marc wrote: To be honest, the complaints about this are excessive. The problem isn't that the TiVo recorded a promotional show, it's that it recorded a show that has some semi-adult content in it and parental controls don't restrict promotional recordings. ...and they did this at the request of the BBC who paid them to do it. yeesh. I don't think anyone came out of this looking good. UltimateTV surprisingly is less intrusive, it doesn't have to use the phone at all (except for standard DirecTV PPV calls) and uses the downstream from the dish to verify subscriptions. making it easier to bypass paying for service than it is on the TiVo, just activate the right tier and presto, UTV service. -- J. Eric Townsend -- jet spies com buy stickers: http://www.spies.com/jet/store.html to support the artcar: http://www.spies.com/jet/artcar.html Looking for vets who served with USASSG/ACSI/MACV in Vietnam, 1967-1970.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Sat, Jun 01, 2002 at 10:39:52AM -0700, Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] To be honest, the complaints about this are excessive. The problem isn't that the TiVo recorded a promotional show, it's that it recorded a show that has some semi-adult content in it and parental controls don't restrict promotional recordings. All the normal promotional aspects apply: It won't be recorded if it conflicts with a scheduled recording, it can be aborted if you're watching live tv at the time, it appears on the 'front page' of the menu, not with the other shows, and it's generally recorded in the dead of night keeping conflicts at a minimum. You can argue that they shouldn't be selling promotional ads on the TiVo, but that's going to fall into the mess of the reality that these things do in fact subsidize the hardware and software updates, at least for now. As for outgoing information, TiVo units are powerpc linux systems, and fairly easy to get a shell on the standalone units. They can be modified with a fair bit of unix knowledge to stop the logging, and verified by modem snooping or if setup to use broadband by just sniffing the network at the time the transfer occurs. DirecTiVo units are harder to get a shell, but can be modified to never call home at all. However such modification is the same modification to get the TiVo 'subscription' for free. If done, it also stops promotional recordings. UltimateTV surprisingly is less intrusive, it doesn't have to use the phone at all (except for standard DirecTV PPV calls) and uses the downstream from the dish to verify subscriptions. I don't know if it does promotional recordings now, but the OS can be updated off the stream so it could start doing so at any time. I think it has an inferior UI. For an open source PVR, probably the easiest way would be to rip anything not GPL from the TiVo and start from there. PC style setups exist in both Linux and Windows but suffer from system size and poor remote control integration.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
At 3:08 pm -0700 1/6/02, jet wrote: However, the show didn't take up any user space, but was stored in reserved system space that's kept around for use during software upgrades and whatnot. And adult material available to children before the watershed? And whilst the programme was being recorded the instant live replay facility was lost as the machine was recording spam. f
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
At 10:39 am -0700 1/6/02, Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] There is a commercial Windows package that does the same thing - circa $50, written in Edinburgh, called showshifter. They give you a choice of ways to access schedules that you buy seperately ie Digiguide so you can't be hijacked. http://www.showshifter.com/ f
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Steve Schear wrote: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders But viewers in the UK were surprised this week to find that the second episode of the little-known BBC sitcom Dossa and Joe had been recorded without their knowledge and added to the system's main menu screen. Hmmm. My Tivo didn't record it. Cheers, Ben. -- http://www.apache-ssl.org/ben.html http://www.thebunker.net/ There is no limit to what a man can do or how far he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit. - Robert Woodruff
Re: CDR: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Users of the TiVo digital video recorder have reacted angrily to a new sponsorship feature that automatically records certain programmes, adverts and other promotional material. One of TiVo's more innovative features is its ability to recommend programmes based on viewing habits, such as watching every episode of a soap opera or every film starring a certain actor. But viewers in the UK were surprised this week to find that the second episode of the little-known BBC sitcom Dossa and Joe had been recorded without their knowledge and added to the system's main menu screen. They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html
Re: CDR: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Last I knew, TiVo ran a customized Linux base OS, the source of most of which was publicly available. The recording app is proprietary, though, I think. jbdigriz
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Sat, Jun 01, 2002 at 10:39:52AM -0700, Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] To be honest, the complaints about this are excessive. The problem isn't that the TiVo recorded a promotional show, it's that it recorded a show that has some semi-adult content in it and parental controls don't restrict promotional recordings. All the normal promotional aspects apply: It won't be recorded if it conflicts with a scheduled recording, it can be aborted if you're watching live tv at the time, it appears on the 'front page' of the menu, not with the other shows, and it's generally recorded in the dead of night keeping conflicts at a minimum. You can argue that they shouldn't be selling promotional ads on the TiVo, but that's going to fall into the mess of the reality that these things do in fact subsidize the hardware and software updates, at least for now. As for outgoing information, TiVo units are powerpc linux systems, and fairly easy to get a shell on the standalone units. They can be modified with a fair bit of unix knowledge to stop the logging, and verified by modem snooping or if setup to use broadband by just sniffing the network at the time the transfer occurs. DirecTiVo units are harder to get a shell, but can be modified to never call home at all. However such modification is the same modification to get the TiVo 'subscription' for free. If done, it also stops promotional recordings. UltimateTV surprisingly is less intrusive, it doesn't have to use the phone at all (except for standard DirecTV PPV calls) and uses the downstream from the dish to verify subscriptions. I don't know if it does promotional recordings now, but the OS can be updated off the stream so it could start doing so at any time. I think it has an inferior UI. For an open source PVR, probably the easiest way would be to rip anything not GPL from the TiVo and start from there. PC style setups exist in both Linux and Windows but suffer from system size and poor remote control integration.
Re: CDR: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Users of the TiVo digital video recorder have reacted angrily to a new sponsorship feature that automatically records certain programmes, adverts and other promotional material. One of TiVo's more innovative features is its ability to recommend programmes based on viewing habits, such as watching every episode of a soap opera or every film starring a certain actor. But viewers in the UK were surprised this week to find that the second episode of the little-known BBC sitcom Dossa and Joe had been recorded without their knowledge and added to the system's main menu screen. They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html
Re: CDR: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
Steve Schear wrote: [This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Last I knew, TiVo ran a customized Linux base OS, the source of most of which was publicly available. The recording app is proprietary, though, I think. jbdigriz
BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
[This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Users of the TiVo digital video recorder have reacted angrily to a new sponsorship feature that automatically records certain programmes, adverts and other promotional material. One of TiVo's more innovative features is its ability to recommend programmes based on viewing habits, such as watching every episode of a soap opera or every film starring a certain actor. But viewers in the UK were surprised this week to find that the second episode of the little-known BBC sitcom Dossa and Joe had been recorded without their knowledge and added to the system's main menu screen. They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html However, the show didn't take up any user space, but was stored in reserved system space that's kept around for use during software upgrades and whatnot. -- J. Eric Townsend -- jet spies com buy stickers: http://www.spies.com/jet/store.html to support the artcar: http://www.spies.com/jet/artcar.html Looking for vets who served with USASSG/ACSI/MACV in Vietnam, 1967-1970.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Saturday, June 1, 2002, at 03:08 PM, jet wrote: They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html However, the show didn't take up any user space, but was stored in reserved system space that's kept around for use during software upgrades and whatnot. If TiVO works the same basic way my UltimateTV (Sony/DirectTV) works, having Bubba and Ram Dass, or whatever, always in my list of recorded shows for a week would be a massive annoyance. You said you worked for TiVo, as I recall. I suggest you point out to your corporate bosses the Law of Unintended Consequences. I foresee growing irritation, hacks to permanently interfere with TIVo's spam recordings, the Bubba and Doss show being unfavorably smeared by angry TiVO customers, and even a grass roots campaign to monkeywrench TiVO in general. By the way, so far my Ultimate TV hasn't tried any such Big Brother tricks on me. Though they may have their own corporate clowns looking for revenue enhancement. Downloaded ads that play before every recorded show can be viewed. Schemes to disable fast-forwarding through commercials. --Tim May The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of. -- Albert Gallatin of the New York Historical Society, October 7, 1789
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Sat, 1 Jun 2002, Tim May wrote: your corporate bosses the Law of Unintended Consequences. I foresee Everything has unintended consequences, the Law is spin doctor bullshit. -- When I die, I would like to be born again as me. Hugh Hefner [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.ssz.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.open-forge.org
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Sat, 1 Jun 2002, Tim May wrote: your corporate bosses the Law of Unintended Consequences. I foresee Everything has unintended consequences, the Law is spin doctor bullshit. -- When I die, I would like to be born again as me. Hugh Hefner [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.ssz.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.open-forge.org
BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
[This sort of thing is why I will never consider buying networked appliances that I don't feel are in my control. Has anyone considered reverse engineering Windows for an open source release?] BBC hijacks TiVo recorders By Andrew Smith Posted: 24/05/2002 at 23:22 GMT Users of the TiVo digital video recorder have reacted angrily to a new sponsorship feature that automatically records certain programmes, adverts and other promotional material. One of TiVo's more innovative features is its ability to recommend programmes based on viewing habits, such as watching every episode of a soap opera or every film starring a certain actor. But viewers in the UK were surprised this week to find that the second episode of the little-known BBC sitcom Dossa and Joe had been recorded without their knowledge and added to the system's main menu screen. They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html However, the show didn't take up any user space, but was stored in reserved system space that's kept around for use during software upgrades and whatnot. -- J. Eric Townsend -- jet spies com buy stickers: http://www.spies.com/jet/store.html to support the artcar: http://www.spies.com/jet/artcar.html Looking for vets who served with USASSG/ACSI/MACV in Vietnam, 1967-1970.
Re: BBC hijacks TiVo recorders
On Saturday, June 1, 2002, at 03:08 PM, jet wrote: They were even more surprised to find that they won't be allowed to delete the programme for one week, and that more sponsored recordings are on the way. ... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/25436.html However, the show didn't take up any user space, but was stored in reserved system space that's kept around for use during software upgrades and whatnot. If TiVO works the same basic way my UltimateTV (Sony/DirectTV) works, having Bubba and Ram Dass, or whatever, always in my list of recorded shows for a week would be a massive annoyance. You said you worked for TiVo, as I recall. I suggest you point out to your corporate bosses the Law of Unintended Consequences. I foresee growing irritation, hacks to permanently interfere with TIVo's spam recordings, the Bubba and Doss show being unfavorably smeared by angry TiVO customers, and even a grass roots campaign to monkeywrench TiVO in general. By the way, so far my Ultimate TV hasn't tried any such Big Brother tricks on me. Though they may have their own corporate clowns looking for revenue enhancement. Downloaded ads that play before every recorded show can be viewed. Schemes to disable fast-forwarding through commercials. --Tim May The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of. -- Albert Gallatin of the New York Historical Society, October 7, 1789
