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Opening Tivo Case
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Posted by: WebAgents

I know this has been explained before, but I can't find it using search.

How do I open my TiVo? I want to see whether it has 1 or 2 drives so that I can 'edit' hinsdale for my particular upgrade.

Regards

Bryan

Posted by: dspreadbury

You need a Torx-10 (or is it Torx-15?) screwdriver. There are three screws on the back of your TiVo. Unscrew all three, and then pray you'll be able to slide the top of the TiVo back, away from the faceplate, and lift it off.

Even though I've opened up my TiVo several times, I always find it a right pain in the neck to get the case off, so a bit of patience is required, as is some elbow grease!

Posted by: guydewdney

remove screws from back, and slide lid / sides back - its very very tight.

Posted by: WebAgents

Am I mistaken when I recall something about prising the front forward slightly and then sliding it up/down first?

Regards
Bryan

Posted by: Mark Ward

quote:
Am I mistaken when I recall something about prising the front forward slightly and then sliding it up/down first?

My Thompson case slides BACK a little before lifting off.

Mark.

Posted by: iankb

Don't see how sliding the front up and down would help at all.

Some people recommend placing the front feet over the edge of a table and using rubber gloves to pull the lid towards you. I found the rubber gloves made it worse.

I turned mine upside down and stuck a small-bladed screwdriver in the rear corner slots formed by the folding of the case. I then waggled the screwdriver and that eased the lid back.

If you use a thin screwdriver to prise between the rear of the lid and the case, make sure that you also press on the edge of the lid to stop the metal bending out. Tricky to do, tricky to explain.

Good luck. ;)

Posted by: sanderton

quote:
Originally posted by WebAgents
Am I mistaken when I recall something about prising the front forward slightly and then sliding it up/down first?

Regards
Bryan

That's to remove the front panel, so you can try to peer though the holes and count the disks!

What's the serial number of your TiVo? It should end 60xx yyyy if xx starts with a 1 you probably have a 2 disk Tivo; if its 20 then it's a toss up, anything over 20 and it's probably single disk. Not foolproof due to factory refurbs being re-serialised.

Alternatively, reboot the TiVo, swich on backdoors and use the backdoor code to view the kernel log and look for references to "hda" and "hdb" - if you see any hdbs then you have a two drive TiVo

This is from my single drive machine:

quote:

Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: IDE: Setup IDE dma engine call back function completed
Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: set maxFrags and initialize fragp for h=0
Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: hda: IC35L120AVV207-0, TiVo-realtime enabled ATA DISK drive
Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: ide0 at 0xffd00400-0xffd00407,0xffd00438 on irq 32
Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: idinfo 82=74EB 83=7FEA 85=7469 86=3C02 87=4023
Jan 1 00:00:27 (none) kernel: hda: IC35L120AVV207-0, 117800MB w/1821kB Cache, multiple 16, LBA, CHS=16383/16/63, DMA, A/V, SMART

You'd see the second disk's params alongside it if there were two.

Posted by: WebAgents

quote:
Originally posted by sanderton
That's to remove the front panel, so you can try to peer though the holes and count the disks!

I remember now, I was thinking of changing the front for a black one...

I'll have a go at removing the case, it sounds just like a compaq deskpro!

Regards

Bryan

Posted by: tom_m

A tivo which has never been opened is very tight - however I took the trouble once I'd gotten the lid off the first time, to bend out the clips on the inside of the case so it's not as tight a fit next time...

When you get the lid off, you'll see a lot of metal "clips" fixed to the inside of the cover along the front edges of the top and sides, bending all of these outwards a couple of millimeters makes all the difference when getting the lid on and off in the future...

Hope that helps

Posted by: WebAgents

Thanks for that, I'll certainly bear that in mind!

As mine was a brand new unit I'll expect the 'newness' you mention.

All I've got to do now is find an opportune window in TiVo's busy schedule for some downtime.

Regards

Bryan

Posted by: blindlemon

FWIW I find that the following method is pretty reliable:-

1. Undo screws (!)
2. Put TiVo on table with front feet hanging over and abutting the edge.
3. Grip both sides of TiVo case and push back & down very hard

2nd or 3rd try usually results in success :)

Posted by: gyre

Almost completely off topic... is it possible to get black front facias? If so, from where? The silver one doesn't match my decor :)

-- gyre --

Posted by: blindlemon

Try Cyril - he's probably got at least a dozen :D:D

Posted by: bigwold

quote:
Originally posted by gyre
Almost completely off topic... is it possible to get black front facias

I remember some time ago a TiVo for sale on ebay that had been sprayed black. I don't know what the results were like though.

Posted by: WebAgents

quote:
Originally posted by blindlemon
Try Cyril - he's probably got at least a dozen :D:D

Cyril,

Please PM me if you have a black front suitable for replacing my silver thomson one, with a price :)

Regards

Bryan

Posted by: gyre

Ditto! :)

-- gyre --

Posted by: guydewdney

i just sprayed mine. looks fine if satin black is used. I just covered the tivo logo and the ir window with tape....

Posted by: gyre

Car paint?

And was it easy to get the front off?

Can you upload a piccy? :) :)

-- gyre --

Posted by: bigwold

Yes a piccy would be good please and paint recommendation?

Posted by: butt

sounds promissin' to me lets see a pic

Posted by: guydewdney

http://www.dewdney.co.uk/guy/DSC03891.JPG

normal car paint or similar from B&Q

lightly rubbed with 1000 grade sandpaper, layer of primer, two layers of satin black (matt too matt-y gloss too glossy imho)

also did my TDSB30 sky box (at the top) - didnt come out as nice tho' :(

Posted by: gyre

Nice! :)

-- gyre --

Posted by: WebAgents

Nice bit of cable management ;)

1) What's the red oval below sky box?
2) What's the black thing with yellow button on left near TiVo
3) Shall I mind my own?

Regards

Bryan

Posted by: cwaring

quote:
Originally posted by WebAgents

1) What's the red oval below sky box?
Possibly some sort of IR receiver?

3) Shall I mind my own?
Why start now? :D

Posted by: sanderton

Looks like the IR transmitter wand of a video sender.

Posted by: WebAgents

Okay,

Has anybody 'modded' their TiVo?

Fancy case, TiVo in a toaster perhaps?

Custom paintjob, a la low rider petrol tank?

Personally, I fancy a nice Hammerite (TM) finish myself.

Regards
Bryan

Posted by: guydewdney

oval thing is a reddotremover form pacelink

box with button is a scart switch box so the vcr socket can be used for the rGB PS2 or the VCR (rare... ;)

at the back are 3 gold phonos - they go from a CYP RGBs to component video converter as the RGB isnt man enough to power the plasma any more :(

yeah yeah - cable management is poor - but the rack isnt big enugh for all the cables ;) I must re-do it one day :rolleyes: