Some Questions

[TLF]

Hello, looking at getting a TiVo from eksys soon and just wondering if I could ask a couple of questions. I apologise in advance if I’m repeating questions that have been answered before and I missed them.

1) Do I still need to get a serial cable if I’m going to be connecting via Ethernet? Is one required at any stage during the set up process?
2) What’s the difference between a dual head and single head IR blaster? And I read that one comes with the TiVo from eksys so is there a need to buy another one?
3) Are there IR codes available for a UEC Foxtel Digital STB?
4) Can you transfer any files over to the TiVO? Thinking about putting 2 hard drives in and using some of the space to store some backups from my main PC which is full.

Big thank you in advance to any help anyone can provide.

[Darren King]

Hi and welcome.


1) Do I still need to get a serial cable if I’m going to be connecting via Ethernet? Is one required at any stage during the set up process?

Cheap insurance if you just get one. You'll probably never use it if connecting via ethernet, but if you ever lose your ethernet connectivity then the serial login is one of your best friends in times of need.


2) What’s the difference between a dual head and single head IR blaster? And I read that one comes with the TiVo from eksys so is there a need to buy another one?

Single head = ability to control one device
Dual head = ability to control up to two devices

You can't connect two IR Blaster units up at once so unless you want another for a spare then it is not required.


3) Are there IR codes available for a UEC Foxtel Digital STB?

have you looked here?
http://minnie.tuhs.org/twiki/bin/view/Install/GuidedSetup30


4) Can you transfer any files over to the TiVO? Thinking about putting 2 hard drives in and using some of the space to store some backups from my main PC which is full.

No. The MFS filesystem won't like that. And you only get a max of around 14mb/s from the TiVo network card so not exactly the fastest transfer out there. Time to upgrade your PC hard disk too :)

[TLF]

Thanks Darren King for the answers, helps allot.

One last question if that's ok, which serial cable should I be getting from eksys? Unsure of the difference between a null serial cable and a serial cable.

[Wanted]

No need to worry when you order a serial cable for the TiVo from eksys he will send the correct one. It is a null modem cable but I believe that just means it has a certain pin configuration.