Hi and welcome. Answers as follows:

Quote Originally Posted by TheEdge
1. I am going to connect a digtial STB for FTA and Foxtel to the TiVo. However I cannot seem to find a picture of the inputs (& outputs) on the back of the Series1. Anybody got a picture handy? I just want to see where things will connect to the TiVo
My website has pictures. It will also show you the necessary "2nd audio mod" you will need to have had done to your TiVo to allow two external STB's to be hooked up at once. See this page: http://www.members.westnet.com.au/ki...ndaudiomod.htm

The two audio connectors highlighted in pink are the additional ones that are not on a stock TiVo and will have to be on yours for your requirements to work. Without this mod you can have only one external input.

2. Will the TiVo do 5.1 as an output? Is this S/PDif / Coax / Optical?
No. 2 channel analogue (L/R) is all you will get. The hardware does not support anything else.

3. I realise I can only record a single show at a time. But just to be sure. The IRBlaster can select the appropriate channel on the STB or Foxtel *and* the TiVo choose the correct input?
Yes. That is correct.

4. Getting things on and off the TiVo via CAT5 seems doable. Just wondering what version of Linux or OS is running on the TiVO?
This is the biggest misconception about TiVo. While they run on a "sort of" stripped down linux OS the application (called "My World") is proprietary to TiVo, inc. If we had the source for My World we could do a whole lot more hacking and customising wise.

Hope that helps answer some things.