[YitzHandel]

I have two RTV 40xx units, and therefore with lifetime.


I also got my hands on a 4508 that has not been activated.


Now, this thing runs Linux. My question is has anyone written a package that can be used on a RTV to use the hardware for other purposes? Is there a project under development for an Open RTV or so forth?


I realize that a PC with a NIC, HD, and Tuner Card is simpler to deal with, but since the box is so nice and compact, I thought that if someone had made drivers for the RTV NIC, tuner, etc., it could be a nice custom unit.


On that subject, short of pulling the HD and loading stuff on from another computer, and then running it, can one, e.g., hook up a CD-ROM as a slave drive and then read from it?


If I took a PC running Linux's drive out and put it in a RTV, what happens?


Thanks.


Yitzchak Handel

 

[lizard_boy]

it doesn't run linux

 

[GadgetGuy]

Replays do not Linux. Perhaps you are thinking about Tivos.

 

[jason_j_a]

Replay's run VX Works.

 

[jconawa]

I'm pretty sure Replay TV runs PowerTV OS.

 

[jason_j_a]

No it's VX Works.. I have friends who are developers at ReplayTV told me they run VX Works.


Here's a press release from WindRiver (the folks that make VX Works) about SonicBlue using their stuff. http://europe.windriver.com/news/pressrelease.html?ID=100129

 

[prevman]

I think there are enough Geniuses around here (Me not being one of them) that someone, somewhere, could create an embedded linux port for the cpu in the ReplayTV.. How sweet would that be... then we could make use of XMLTV for guide data, etc... I would hope that once sonicblue is no longer, we wouldn't be bound by our "License Agreement"

 

[beethoven]

Do the 5000's use an Intel Xscale processor or MIPs? Either way, there are a few options for free/open operating systems that support those. My guess is that the hard part would be support the MPEG encoder and possible some of the I/O features (although I bet they're using a fairly common chipset).


Image a world where you can run MythTV on your Replay.

 

[Slack]

Quote:

Originally posted by beethoven Image a world where you can run MythTV on your Replay.

I assume you mean that with the caveat, that the CPU no longer would do the encoding. Hence you could dump that re-worked Nupple video codec stuff that it uses. Even more hassles getting vids to a DVD than RTV files. (or so I have read)

 

[toots]

JTL and others have determined that at least the 4000s use some MIPS or MIPS subset. That much is straightforward.


JTL also determined that as of version 4.3, the boot rom was updated to only load digitally signed images at boot time. This puts a serious crimp in roll-your-own software.


I think someone's experimented (unsuccessfully) with trying to reflash the EEPROM, but I haven't heard anything lately.

 

[sfhub]

Quote:

Originally posted by toots JTL also determined that as of version 4.3, the boot rom was updated to only load digitally signed images at boot time. This puts a serious crimp in roll-your-own software.

If there needs to be a last act, SB should either give out it's private key

or update the boot rom to NOOP the signature checks.

 

[beethoven]

Quote:

Originally posted by toots JTL also determined that as of version 4.3, the boot rom was updated to only load digitally signed images at boot time. This puts a serious crimp in roll-your-own software. I think someone's experimented (unsuccessfully) with trying to reflash the EEPROM, but I haven't heard anything lately.

That's not a good sign (pun intended). Any type of encryption used to prevent non-RTV software from running would require violating the DMCA to run something else. Unless, of course, SonicBlue didn't specifically deny this in the license agreement.

 

[blackrdr]

of course the license agrrement will have been voided by SB if they stop providing guide data, etc. (or would it?)


That being said: Would that still violate the DMCA?

 

[sfhub]

Even if it was technically a violation, I don't think there would be any

damaged party pushing for DMCA to be enforced if Replay is left

to die. It's pretty bad publicity to leave people with doorstops and

still insist on preventing them from doing anything with them.

 

[beethoven]

True. It's just easier to do stuff out in the open (like this forum) when it's legal.