Use TiVo without guide data as a dumb VCR

[Doitsujin]

Yes, I know that using a TiVo without guide data means using only 50% of its capabilities, but since there's no ready-made guide data for Germany and I'm not sure whether I'd be able to get a service emulator running, I'd like to use it for manual recording only. What would be the best way of doing this?

Can I still use the ozTiVo image and simply skip the Guided Setup and somehow manually add generic channels (e.g. Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3 ...) using the add-whole-channel.tcl script?

AFAIK, I'd also have to set the date and time manually. Do the backdoor codes work in the ozTiVo image or is there a better method?

AFAIK, the TiVo will also display a nag screen and send nag e-mails when no guide data is present. I read that there's several methods to counteract this. E.g. using a slice with an event on channel 4 in 2011 (ga.slice) or special scripts or daemons. What is best (=easiest) method?

One more question: I bought a HDR312, which contains two "married" hard-drives. Do I need to connect both to a PC or only the master drive when I apply the OS image?

I'd be grateful for any pointers.

TIA,
Wolfgang

[petestrash]

Hi and welcome to the group.

Could I ask that you update you profile to show that you are from Germany, this will help with people answering your questions.

Yes, I know that using a TiVo without guide data means using only 50% of its capabilities, but since there's no ready-made guide data for Germany and I'm not sure whether I'd be able to get a service emulator running, I'd like to use it for manual recording only. What would be the best way of doing this?

Can I still use the ozTiVo image and simply skip the Guided Setup and somehow manually add generic channels (e.g. Channel 1, Channel 2, Channel 3 ...) using the add-whole-channel.tcl script?

In basic terms yes. This will give you PAL support. It's been a while since I've needed to do any of this manually, but there are scripts around that will fool the tivo into thinking GS has been completed. try tivocommunity or dealdatabase.

AFAIK, I'd also have to set the date and time manually. Do the backdoor codes work in the ozTiVo image or is there a better method?

If you will not have an access to the net, then you will need to set the clock manually.

Backdoor codes work fine with our image, but are not enabled as a default. Backdoors seem lower the uptime of TiVo's.

AFAIK, the TiVo will also display a nag screen and send nag e-mails when no guide data is present. I read that there's several methods to counteract this. E.g. using a slice with an event on channel 4 in 2011 (ga.slice) or special scripts or daemons. What is best (=easiest) method?

Loading a future slice is probably the easiest.

One more question: I bought a HDR312, which contains two "married" hard-drives. Do I need to connect both to a PC or only the master drive when I apply the OS image?

You need to always have both drives connected, think of it like a raid 0 array. One drive is useless without the other.

Peter.