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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael About two and a half years ago, I introduced the TiVo box here (Rundbrief 05/2001), Rundbrief 05/2001 the device that has caused a second Big Bang in the history of television in the USA. I would estimate that by now almost 50% of all Americans know what a TiVo is. Do you know? If not, I would suggest that you quickly look it up in the old newsletter, otherwise you might miss the revolution.
In Germany, miracles always take a little longer, but in the meantime, I have learned that the device is now being showcased there as a new exhibition feature! Welcome to the future, dear friends!
Anyone who now believes that they can catch up with us by purchasing a TiVo is mistaken: The Americans have used the two and a half years of technological advantage to crack open the box, inject all sorts of self-written software into the computer-like (Linux!) platform under the hood, and expand their TiVos with the most outlandish functions.
The whole thing is called "TiVo Hacking," but I need to elaborate a bit. In the media, there's this term "hacker." In the common understanding of the average person, this is someone who illegally breaks into other people's computer systems and steals data or causes other damage. Professional programmers, on the other hand, use the term appreciatively for honest, talented colleagues, while they refer to the troublemakers as "crackers."
"TiVo Hacking" is somewhere in the middle: you need some tinkering and programming experience to technically upgrade a standard TiVo and customize it with unofficially developed software to suit personal needs. "Modding" is currently very trendy, not just with TiVo, but also with gaming consoles like the "PlayStation" and "Xbox". The company TiVo raises a warning finger and voids the warranty if you crack open the box--so you're always playing with the risk of turning your TiVo, along with its lifetime program service, into a $500 piece of junk. On the other hand, TiVo looks at it with a wink, because the wealth of talent that high-caliber people accumulate in TiVo internet forums to exploit the revolutionary technology is something the small company could never afford to pay for. There are even books available on the topic now (see illustration 2)!
On the online auction site ebay.com, professional TiVo enhancers offer their finished products for sale. These individuals purchase new TiVos, modify them according to the latest underground insights, and then sell them to the highest bidder. Thanks to the modifications (which I, of course, carried out myself following the above instructions), our TiVo can record 140 hours of television and is connected to the internet, allowing me to program it remotely from the office or a hotel room if necessary. And illustration 1 shows how our TiVo can even display an instant message (AIM) received on my computer directly onto the ongoing TV program. This way, you don't have to go through the hassle of getting up from the couch to see who wants something again!
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