Chapter 1. TiVo Remote Control Hacks

1.1 Hacks #1-19

Before we talk about popping open your box, let's focus on what we can get the TiVo software to do. Right out of the box, TiVo's software sports some hacks of its very own, which come in three flavors:

Shortcuts

TiVo has a slew of remote control shortcuts ”sequences of button presses on your TiVo remote control ”for navigating the TiVo menu system at high velocity.

Easter eggs

There is a cult of pride in software development, often manifested in Easter eggs ”silly surprises hidden strategically for chance discovery and amusement . Think of Easter eggs as hidden treasure , buried by the programmer for other programmers, and exploring users to find and admire. Easter eggs are traditionally benign , so you should feel comfortable playing with and passing on any you might find.

Backdoor hacks

The reasons for the existence of so-called "backdoor" hacks are not fully known, but a common theory is that they are installed so that the TiVo boxes can be fully tested while at the factory. They may also provide hooks for future development. Backdoor codes can fundamentally change how TiVo behaves, and they are sometimes so powerful that they render TiVo inoperable. Be very careful when using these hacks, and be sure to back up [Hack #24] before giving some of the more questionable ones a whirl.

Discovering TiVo's built-in hacks was by no means easy. People like "Otto" (a well-known member of the TiVo hacking community) have repeatedly poked and prodded at their remote controls to unveil these special sequences. Once a single code is discovered , all permutations are tried to see if any variants exist, and everything is painstakingly documented at http://www.dbsforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=003197. Please refer to that web page for the most up-to-date list, as Otto updates it quite frequently.

This chapter is a compilation of the remote control sequences and backdoor hacks discovered by the TiVo community thus far. There are a few documented key codes that we do not discuss in this chapter, just because nobody is exactly sure what the hacks do. All we can do is encourage you to explore ”but explore carefully ! Perhaps you should read about backing up your TiVo [Hack #24] first.

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1.2 Remote Control Hacks

The remote control hacks not only require a very specific sequence to enter on your remote control, but the context (what is on your TiVo screen) when you enter the sequence also matters a lot. For these hacks, go to any TiVo menu screen (except Live TV or watching a recorded program), and press the appropriate buttons in sequence on your remote control.

Note, however, that not all these hacks work on all varieties of TiVo. The automatic TiVo OS updates add further complications; any change in the software on the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) itself may prevent a hack from operating. Also, there are differences in the software that runs on the TiVo Series I, DirecTiVo Series II, etc., and these differences also prevent certain remote control hacks from working properly. We will do our best to note when a hack might not work on all TiVos, but keep in mind that things may have changed since the time of this writing.

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