Tivo Hacks. 100 Industrial-strength Tips Tools 2003

Hack 63 Signing Up for the Home Media Option

Expand your Series 2's capabilities with TiVo, Inc.'s software upgrade .

The TiVo Home Media Option (HMO) is a $99 add-on (available at http://www.tivo.com/4.9.asp) that you can purchase for your Standalone Series 2 TiVo. The HMO brings a whole slew of features, including the ability to schedule recordings over the Web, play MP3s through your television and attached stereo system, display digital photos on your TV, and even stream television shows between Series 2 TiVos.

Signing up for the Home Media Option is pretty simple.

First, get your networked Series 2 TiVo [Hack #50] onto your home broadband connection. Any high-speed connection will do just fine.

Point your browser to http://www.tivo.com and click the HMO link, or go directly to the HMO page: http://www.tivo.com/4.9.asp. You will need the email address and password you provided TiVo, Inc. when you first activated your TiVo. Don't worry if you've forgotten your password; you can either have a new password assigned and sent to your email address, or you can set everything up again by providing TiVo, Inc. with your service number. You can find that number on the New Messages & Setup System Information screen.

Once you're signed up and have your TiVo connected to your home network, you will have to wait for your TiVo to connect to the service to activate itself. If you're a little impatient, you might try forcing your TiVo to connect and download the HMO option right away by having it make its Daily Call: TiVo Messages & Setup Settings Phone & Network Setup Connect to the TiVo service now . If you notice the addition of Photos and Music to your TiVo Central menu, then the install worked.