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automatically shutting down TiVo

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:25 pm
by shaunH
Hi All,

Has anyone ever created a shutdown utility for the TiVo (like the shutdown linux command) to properly shutdown TiVo?

I've never across anything like this, but it would be so useful for me a I turn off my TiVo everyday and it would be brilliant to be able to shutdown using a cron job on the TiVo itself.

ShaunH

Re: automatically shutting down TiVo

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 8:29 pm
by millsb
I am pretty sure it's not possible: the tivo hardware isn't designed to shut down - it's designed to keep running 24x7 and it makes every effort it can to do that, so even if you were able to do the equivalent of linux shutdown, the hardware would just say, "hey, the system has stopped working", and start it all up again.

In any case, if you were to achieve this, how would you start it up again?

Re: automatically shutting down TiVo

PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:43 pm
by shaunH
I am pretty sure it's not possible: the tivo hardware isn't designed to shut down - it's designed to keep running 24x7 and it makes every effort it can to do that, so even if you were able to do the equivalent of linux shutdown, the hardware would just say, "hey, the system has stopped working", and start it all up again.

Yes, that's my sense as well - I've never come across any mention of it anywhere :-(

In any case, if you were to achieve this, how would you start it up again?

Well that's a very good point! I suppose I'd been thinking of the TiVo as being a little like my PC server, which I can power it down, and then just switching on the power starts it powering up.
I guess this model doesn't fit for the TiVo :-)

Reason I'm asking is because, for 5 or 6 years, I've turned off my TiVo & Virginmedia box every night at 1:30am and then switched it back on again at 5:00pm (except at weekends) using a timeswitch.
Being able to shutdown via software would be a much more flexible solution...

I rarely record anything in the daytime, and only watch TV in the evenings/weekends mainly.Actually I don't watch too much TV really: less than 8 hours/week generally. The TiVo/Cable box is quite a power hungry combo.

Cheers,

Shaun

Re: automatically shutting down TiVo

PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 12:49 am
by mrtickle
TiVo is very good at finding and making recordings. Leaving Suggestions aside, even if you only have some actor wishlists and start using them you'd be amazed at what it picks up. By not leaving it on for it to find those obscure matches you wouldn't find yourself, you've been missing a big chunk of what makes tivo such a great product. :cry:

Re: automatically shutting down TiVo

PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:10 am
by shaunH
mrtickle wrote:TiVo is very good at finding and making recordings. Leaving Suggestions aside, even if you only have some actor wishlists and start using them you'd be amazed at what it picks up. By not leaving it on for it to find those obscure matches you wouldn't find yourself, you've been missing a big chunk of what makes tivo such a great product. :cry:


That's how I ran my TiVo for a several years, but later on found that, for me, the best way is to rely on a combination of Digiguide & the Guardian weekly TV guide to find/manage my TV watching. TiVo Suggestions never worked out very well for me.

I think I've got about 10 season passes and a couple of smart searches on the TiVo, but the Smart searches would probably be better in Digiguide with the other ones I've set up.