To Modchip or not to Modchip

[CantSpeakGerman]

I've been read a lot of the English postings on this site, and on the wiki, and think I may be close to taking the plunge and modding my box, but before I do I was wondering:

What is the likely outcome if you just add the modchip but don't change any of the files on the hard disk? Can you still use it as BT intended? 

I've got a feeling that only adding the modchip will still allow it to function as it was manufactured, as you are not changing any part of the OS, but I'm a newbie to all this so it would nice to get this confirmed, or indeed refuted, by someone more knowledgable.

I love what this project is trying to achieve turning boxes due for landfil into something far more useful so if anyone needs any pictures, or other info about my particular board, I would be glad to help.

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BT customer: 1 working box under contract which I refuse to touch with a screwdriver.
                   1 spare DIT9719/05 box ready for modification.

[mce2222]

the modchip only disables the signature check of the WinCE Kernel file... thats all.
so it has absolutely no effect on the application itself.

it is not even detectable that there is a modchip installed...

[warrmr]

Im not sure what you would want to achieve by putting on the modchip and nto bothering to change any files on the disk..

The project can go some interesting ways if your good with code, I have been working with DarkNeo one one of these boxes and with some help we (I watched quite abit and threw a few ideas at him) so far we have got to the same point as IS0-Mick has got to (watching TV with a part EPG)

some interesting things if you wanted to try it you could probly code a C# Bit Torrent client and swap it for the Help menu ( who uses that anyways)

another bit of functionality you may wat to try and add is the ability to use it as a Media extender.

or swap the place it gets the EPG from (tell it not to use BT but to use the radiotimes online)

Its actually a very interesting project to get stuck into once you start changing things you will find out lots abtou how the TV2ClientCE works.

I dont know alot abotu really technical stuff like C# Codeing DarkNeo is where my horde of info is comeing from.

[CantSpeakGerman]

It's a mixture of weighing up my options, and understanding what the mod does.

As a BT customer I may want to use the spare box later if they end up supporting two boxes on one line in future. They also planned to release a firmware update to allow it to be used as a standalone PVR, although officially this has been postponed due to other demands by customers. If they pickup this project later it's a comfort to know that a modded box could still take advantage of it.

Also, my programming skills are very poor. I plan to learn more but until I get better I am relying on more seasoned programmers in this community to write good software for it and, as far as I know, this software is currently in beta stages at best. I wanted to make sure if I go through the effort of the hard mod then I'm not stuck with no software.

[warrmr]

The software is in far from the Beta stage I would say its more in the devlepoment stages as alot of us are pretty much guessing on what bits are related to what and how things work.

and as for you being worried abotu modding the box there is a Via on the mainboard of the box for the "enable JTAG" now what me and Neo have done is solder a Header on that via that can be bridged by a standard PC jumper switch to enable and disable JTAG (essentially turn the modchip off) This meaning that you can mod all the files to your hearts content and have it set up how you want. adn then if you did decide that you wanted to undo all that hardwork and go back to the oem version of the software you can just unbridge the jumper and then unplug the power do a down and ok plug the power back in it will then NR01 and downlaod the bt software and wipe the hdd.

Now I am a N00b programmer aswell but i have been lookng through the code and just putting ideas forwards and making minor tweaks to a few of Neos stuff and he has been makeing things better Hes also working hard alongside Mick they have been co developing stuff mainly a small patching engine and a logger tool but im not sure if Neo is ready to release that or put it on the wiki.

[is0-mick]

You could also do this...
Leave the modchip etc in place as it does not affect operation, and have two hard drives.
If you put a blank drive in, it would automatically format it etc, and download the latest software.

Use one drive for legit, and one drive for messing

Mick