Hacking Shaw PVRs?
 

So, here's something I've been reading about... bits and pieces scattered around the net, but nothing really solid. Thinking maybe someone here is more familiar with it.

I picked up a DCT-6200 non-PVR HD box recently (free FTW!), and in searching around for any related hacks, read that about the only difference between this and the PVR boxes is the presence of the hard drive... and that it should be possible to clone the drive from a PVR, plug that drive into the 6200, and voila! it becomes a PVR as well.

I looked inside the box, and there are solder pads for an IDE header on the mainboard, but no actual connector. However, I've read elsewhere that it should be possible to just put the drive in a firewire enclosure and plug that into the box.

So... anyone tried this? Any success? Anyone got a DCT-6208/6216 that I could clone?? ;)

i kinda wondered this before because the menu and interface for non-pvr and pvr units are exactly the same

ALTHOUGH..i would asume the software if different because there is obviously somthing built in that allows the recording, etc as well as the new pause, play interface etc.

so im asuming you would have to flash it with the same software the PVR contains once the HD is installed

I dunno, I'm wondering if the relevant software is on the drive as well - everything I've found about these things suggests you need to use a Linux boot and particular cloning app to clone properly (although those were mostly related to replacing the drive in the PVR with something bigger). I noticed when I go into the service menu on the box, there are a lot of PVR-related items that are either blank or "not installed" or entries like that.

on the PVR though there is a "recordings" tab on the main menu which is not there on the non-PVR

well I guess it could depend on where the PVR-related stuff is located. is it simply some files on the HDD, or is it on a ROM chip somewhere in the box? my guess would be the ROM, as the non-PVR boxes still have to function. So then you're into figuring out how to access and flash that ROM, which I'm guessing is accessed by the big slot on the front or a port in the back.

I would assume Shaw techs can flash the ROM for firmware updates and whatnot, so paying off or befriending one of them would probably be the easiest way to do it haha