1. 30 Second Skip
ReplayTV offered the consumer friendly Commercial Advance feature, which probably contributed to their court woes and ultimate demise. Fortunately, TiVo provides a “secret” (shh, don’t tell) code for enabling a 30 second skip. Press the ->| button 4-5 times to quickly bypass most commercial interludes. It’s not quite as cool as Replay’s feature, but hey TiVo is still selling hardware.
TiVo Platforms:
- Series1, Series2, Series3/HD, DirecTV
Directions:
- Play a TiVo recording
- On your remote hit Select, Play, Select, 3, 0, Select
- Live life commercial free
2. Expand Storage
One of the easiest ways to increase the value of your TiVo is to enlarge your recording capacity by upgrading your internal hard drive with something a bit more roomy. You could do it yourself, but most folks will be most comfortable buying a prepped drive. You won’t find any bargains, but you’ll save yourself some time and energy.
TiVo Platforms:
- Series1, Series2, Series3/HD, DirecTV
Directions:
- Visit DVRUpgrade
- Find your TiVo model, select your capacity, enter your credit card info
- Record every episode of Stargate and Stargate Atlantis
3. Transfer Video To TiVo
TiVo hasn’t done a great job of publicizing this feature, but for at least a year and a half they’ve supported moving video from a home computer onto your TiVo for playback. This may require a little more elbow grease than the first two hacks, but if you’d like to store and view your home movies and ripped DVDs on your TiVo it’s worth the effort. For a newly introduced and friendlier process (at a cost), check out One True Media.
TiVo Platforms:
Easy Directions for PC:
- Download TiVo Desktop 2.6 and purchase the Plus Key ($25)
- Transcode and transfer WMV, QuickTime, and MPEG 2/4 video
Powerful Directions for PC:
Mac owners:
4. Remove TiVoToGo DRM
In early 2005 TiVo introduced TiVoToGo, a nifty feature to transfer recorded shows off the TiVo and onto your computer. Unfortunately that video in encumbered with DRM, limiting playback and transfer options. Fortunately, some clever folks have solved that problem.
TiVo Platforms:
Directions for PC:
- Transfer shows using TiVo Desktop
- Download DirectShow Dump
- Free your recordings
Directions for Mac:
5. Stream Music
TiVo Desktop, both Mac and PC versions, allow you to stream MP3s from to your TiVo. That’s a good start, but what about folks with AAC, WMA, and OGG Vorbis files? While this hack won’t let you play protected content (like iTunes purchases), it will handle just about everything else you might want to throw at it.
TiVo Platforms:
Directions for PC: