ReplayTV-FREESCO - Revision history

Rmeden: note SD rate change

2011-09-05T02:41:16Z

note SD rate change

Amblinn: Added instructions to use Bridged mode instead of NAT in VMWare; added comments about phone line simulators; cleaned up comments about end-of-service on 7/31/2011

2011-09-04T18:26:38Z

Added instructions to use Bridged mode instead of NAT in VMWare; added comments about phone line simulators; cleaned up comments about end-of-service on 7/31/2011

Show changes

Rmeden: moved ReplayTV-FreeSCO to ReplayTV-FREESCO: correct capitalization

2011-07-22T04:49:43Z

moved ReplayTV-FreeSCO to ReplayTV-FREESCO: correct capitalization

Rmeden: correct capitalization of FREESCO

2011-07-22T04:49:16Z

correct capitalization of FREESCO

Amblinn at 03:11, 17 July 2011

2011-07-17T03:11:02Z

Amblinn: /* Overview */

2011-07-10T17:42:14Z

‎Overview

Amblinn: /* Set up the WiRNS software : MOSTLY DONE */

2011-07-10T17:39:44Z

‎Set up the WiRNS software : MOSTLY DONE

Amblinn: /* Overview */

2011-07-10T17:36:18Z

‎Overview

Rmeden at 17:28, 10 July 2011

2011-07-10T17:28:45Z

Rmeden: move better instructions to published page

2011-07-10T17:27:04Z

move better instructions to published page

Show changes

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 * A phone cord long enough to connect the Replay to the PC modem
 * (maybe) A device (such as a chat cord or the magicJack hardware) to provide power for the phone line (chatcord / magicJack requires a phone line splitter and an open USB port).  If you happen to have a phone line emulator lying around, you could use this too, but these instructions assume you don't...
-* A subscription to SchedulesDirect (non-profit group providing listings for personal use for $20/year).  Wait until you have everything else working before signing up for this
+* A subscription to SchedulesDirect (non-profit group providing listings for personal use for $25/year).  Wait until you have everything else working before signing up for this
 A note about the modem:  your desktop or laptop may already have a built-in dial-up modem (look for a phone port - it's a little smaller than your ethernet port), you may have to dust off an old external modem, or you may need to buy a modem.  If your modem is not capable of direct modem-to-modem communication (as is the case with many internal modems), you will also need a device to provide power to the phone line / phone cord.  An active phone line has a small amount of power on it (which is why most corded phones don't need a power supply and continue to work during power outages), but you'll be connecting your PC directly to the Replay, bypassing an active phone line.  Some modems can compensate for this (such as the US Robotics v. Everything), but many can't (such as most laptop modems).  There's no easy way to tell the difference, but it will become clear very early in this process whether you will need a chat cord or not.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-With help from the experts, I'm creating a detailed set of instructions (expanding on the info at http://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/ReplayTV-FreeSCO), learning as I go, for getting a modem-based ReplayTV (2000, 3000, Showstopper) to get guide listings once the Replay service is turned off on 7/31/2011.
+With help from the experts, I'm creating a detailed set of instructions (expanding on the info at http://wiki.xmltv.org/index.php/ReplayTV-FREESCO), learning as I go, for getting a modem-based ReplayTV (2000, 3000, Showstopper) to get guide listings once the Replay service is turned off on 7/31/2011.
 These have NOT been reviewed by the experts, and are still draft form, so use at your own risk.  If you are one of the aforementioned experts, please feel free to comment and correct.  If you are in the same slightly-confused place that I am, you may want to wait until the set has been fully reviewed, corrected, and published.
@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 # Check your modem access (how do you access it, and does it work?)
 # Make sure your modem is compatible with your Replay (and whether you'll need a chatcord)
-# Set up the FreeSCO virtual machine (converts your dial-up modem into a ethernet connection)
+# Set up the FREESCO virtual machine (converts your dial-up modem into a ethernet connection)
 # Set up SchedulesDirect (which WiRNS uses to get guide data)
-# Set up the WiRNS software (using the data from FreeSCO, replaces the functionality of the servers your Replay used to dial)
+# Set up the WiRNS software (using the data from FREESCO, replaces the functionality of the servers your Replay used to dial)
 # Some "finishing touches", to save wear and tear on your modem (and your ears)
@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 <br>
-== Set up the FreeSCO virtual machine ==
+== Set up the FREESCO virtual machine ==
 # Download and install VMware Player http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
 ## Note that you will have to register in order to download the player
 ## If you get a lot of errors during installation about missing hardware on your, install an earlier version of VMPlayer instead.  Version 2.5 has been shown to work in this case
-# Download and unzip the FreeSCO Virt Machine: http://xmltv.org/alpha/FreeSCO_vmware.zip
+# Download and unzip the FREESCO Virt Machine: http://xmltv.org/alpha/FREESCO_vmware.zip
 ## In more recent versions of Windows (including XP), you can "unzip" by right-clicking on the folder and choosing "Extract All..."
 ## Remember where you put the unzip'd / extracted folder
-## If you want to learn a little more about FreeSCO (including a lot of stuff that's already been taken care of for you), you can find it at http://www.livinitnaturalstate.com/rtv/FreescoRTV/README.TXT
+## If you want to learn a little more about FREESCO (including a lot of stuff that's already been taken care of for you), you can find it at http://www.livinitnaturalstate.com/rtv/FreescoRTV/README.TXT
-# Open the FreeSCO config file in VMWare Player
+# Open the FREESCO config file in VMWare Player
 ## Start VMware Player
 ## Under "File", choose "Open a Virtual Machine...",
 ## Navigate into your extracted / unzipped folder from above
-## Choose "FreeSCO.vmx" and click "Open"
+## Choose "FREESCO.vmx" and click "Open"
 # If your modem is NOT on COM1, then click "Edit Virtual Machine Settings"
 ## Click "Serial Port", then choose the actual COM from the drop-down list under "Use physical serial port:"
@@ Line 109: / Line 109: @@
 # If you don't have an "Edit Virtual Machine Settings" option (which may be the case if you're using an earlier version of VMPlayer), and your modem is NOT on COM1:
 ## Close VMPlayer
-## Navigate to the FreeSCO.vmx file in your file system
+## Navigate to the FREESCO.vmx file in your file system
-## Right-click on "FreeSCO.vmx", scroll down the pop-up menu and choose "Open with..."
+## Right-click on "FREESCO.vmx", scroll down the pop-up menu and choose "Open with..."
 ## Choose Notepad (if it's listed) or choose "Choose Program..." and select Notepad from the list
-## Once the FreeSCO.vmx file is open, scroll to the section that has "/# First serial port, physical COM1 is available"
+## Once the FREESCO.vmx file is open, scroll to the section that has "/# First serial port, physical COM1 is available"
 ## Change the COM port shown in "serial0.fileName = "COM1" " to match your COM port
 ## Save and close notepad
@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 ## The VMWare player will capture your mouse and keyboard when you click in it or press <CTRL><G>. <CTRL><ALT> will release it.
 ## You should hear the modem attempt to dial every 30 seconds or so
-# Click in the FreeSCO process and log in as root, password root
+# Click in the FREESCO process and log in as root, password root
 # Type "killall mgetty" <ENTER>
 ## This TURNS OFF the modem trying to dial every 30 seconds
@@ Line 139: / Line 139: @@
 # <41> <ENTER> to enter "DNS Server"
 ## <n> <ENTER> to disable DNS caching
-## Primary DNS Address will EVENTUALLY be set to the IP Address of your WiRNS machine (below).  If you are following these instructions prior to 7/31/2011, though, it's a good idea to test that you have FreeSCO working by connection to the main ReplayTV servers first.  For this, you should set the primary DNS address to match the IP address of your router.  As an FYI, the IP address in this field tells FreeSCO where to redirect the modem data -- it'll eventually be to FreeSCO, but if you set it to the IP address of your router, your router will automatically send the to where the Replay thinks it should go
+## Primary DNS Address will EVENTUALLY be set to the IP Address of your WiRNS machine (below).  If you are following these instructions prior to 7/31/2011, though, it's a good idea to test that you have FREESCO working by connection to the main ReplayTV servers first.  For this, you should set the primary DNS address to match the IP address of your router.  As an FYI, the IP address in this field tells FREESCO where to redirect the modem data -- it'll eventually be to FREESCO, but if you set it to the IP address of your router, your router will automatically send the to where the Replay thinks it should go
 ## leave secondary DNS address blank
 # <x> <ENTER> to exit Advanced settings
 # < s> <ENTER> to save current config and exit
-# Type "reboot" to reboot the FreeSCO machine
+# Type "reboot" to reboot the FREESCO machine
 # You should hear your modem try and answer every minute or so.  If you don't, your modem may not be compatible
-# PRIOR TO 7/31/2011:  To test that your FreeSCO is correct, you can now try a 2-4-3-Zones, arrow down to "4 Net Connect", press SELECT. You should hear the modems sync up.  Then, it will likely take a bit longer than what you are used to, but the ReplayTV should now be able to pull down all of the usual information, but running through FreeSCO
+# PRIOR TO 7/31/2011:  To test that your FREESCO is correct, you can now try a 2-4-3-Zones, arrow down to "4 Net Connect", press SELECT. You should hear the modems sync up.  Then, it will likely take a bit longer than what you are used to, but the ReplayTV should now be able to pull down all of the usual information, but running through FREESCO
 # After confirmation of above, you should change your Primary DNS (as described earlier in this section) to match the IP address of your Windows PC, where you will be running WiRNS
@@ Line 205: / Line 205: @@
 The "NEXT BIG STEP":
-# Start the Virtual Machine running FreeSCO
+# Start the Virtual Machine running FREESCO
 ## At this point, "DNS Server" setting (41) needs to be the WiRNS PC IP address
 ## You should here the modem try to pick up every minute or so
@@ Line 230: / Line 230: @@
 # change the "net connect" time in WiRNS (wherever that field lives) to a time that you won't be using the Replay
 # change the parameters in the mgetty script (or wherever they live) so that the modem is only trying to answer for a short time period
-# change the init string in FreeSCO so that the modem stays quiet.  ATM0.
+# change the init string in FREESCO so that the modem stays quiet.  ATM0.
 # MAYBE (if someone is clever) how to get the PC in & out of standby automatically, to save electricity

@@ Line 196: / Line 196: @@
 Once you have your settings noted, we move on to getting the end-to-end solution working:
 # On your Replay, go to Menu -> Setup -> Change Input & Dialing Settings -> Change Telephone
 # Navigate through the screens; when you get to the ZIP CODE screen, change the zip code to another zip code in your timezone

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 * An unused dial-up modem, recommended 28.8K, but 14.4 has also been confirmed to work
 * A phone cord long enough to connect the Replay to the PC modem
-* (maybe) A device (such as a chat cord or the magicJack hardware) to provide power for the phone line (chatcord / magicJack requires a phone line splitter and an open USB port)
+* (maybe) A device (such as a chat cord or maybe (not confirmed yet) the magicJack hardware) to provide power for the phone line (chatcord / magicJack requires a phone line splitter and an open USB port)
 * A subscription to SchedulesDirect (non-profit group providing listings for personal use for $20/year).  Wait until you have everything else working before signing up for this

@@ Line 157: / Line 157: @@
 == Set up the WiRNS software : MOSTLY DONE ==
-This set of instructions got me to the point where I can download channel and guide data into my ShowStopper, as well as see what shows I've recorded and have scheduled to record.  There are still a number of less-than-ideal behaviors, however, including long dial-up times (10x longer than going to RTV directly) and inability to set a custom local phone number (which may cause problems post 7/31).
+This set of instructions got me to the point where I can download channel and guide data into my ShowStopper, see what shows I've recorded and have scheduled to record, AND set up recording request on WiRNS which will appear in the ShowStopper after the next connection.  There is a long dial-up time (10x longer than going to RTV directly.  These instructions do not cover how to set a custom local phone number; if this causes problems post 7/31, these instructions will be updated appropriately.
-−
-Once these items are resolved, I'll be updating these instructions appropriately... however, if you're feeling desperate and have gotten this far, then by all means, continue :-).
 # Download WiRNS

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:49, 22 July 2011
(No difference)

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 * A Windows-based PC (running Windows98 or later) with always-on internet access (like cable or DSL), which can stay on overnight
 * An internal-to-your-own-home static IP address for your Windows-based PC.  Most routers support the ability to assign an internal IP address to a particular PC.  You will also need to know the internal IP address for your router
-* An unused dial-up modem, recommended 28.8K or better (for use with phonelines, not cable or DSL)
+* An unused dial-up modem, recommended 28.8K, but 14.4 has also been confirmed to work
 * A phone cord long enough to connect the Replay to the PC modem
 * (maybe) A device (such as a chat cord or the magicJack hardware) to provide power for the phone line (chatcord / magicJack requires a phone line splitter and an open USB port)

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:28, 10 July 2011
Line 2:		Line 2:

	These have NOT been reviewed by the experts, and are still draft form, so use at your own risk. If you are one of the aforementioned experts, please feel free to comment and correct. If you are in the same slightly-confused place that I am, you may want to wait until the set has been fully reviewed, corrected, and published.		These have NOT been reviewed by the experts, and are still draft form, so use at your own risk. If you are one of the aforementioned experts, please feel free to comment and correct. If you are in the same slightly-confused place that I am, you may want to wait until the set has been fully reviewed, corrected, and published.
		+
		+	If you just want brief and probably less correct instructions, go [[ReplayTV-FreeSCO-brief\|HERE]]

	== Overview ==		== Overview ==