Sky Plus Pace 3100 Firmware Information

abrazier

Registered
Messages
1
Hi,

Apologies for bringing up such an old firmware hack, but around 10 years ago, a firmware for the Pace BSkyB3100 PVR2 Sky+ unit was released that allowed the hard drive functionality to work without a subscription. Whilst the hack no longer works as of 2017, I was wondering if anyone here knew how either this hack worked, or in general, how the OpenTV 1.3 software on these units worked as a whole.

Recently, I have successfully been able to JTAG a Pace 3100 PVR2. I have already messed around with some colours and background images using a hex editor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRzyCOJjrjc) - I made 5.07.u look like an older version, amongst other stuff.

For example, as you may be aware, Sky discontinued the EPG Background Audio in 2018, I've been looking at possible methods to change the channel the box uses for this in the firmware but to no avail. Right now, I am just exploring random values in a hex dump.

Probably a long shot, but was wondering if anyone here knows more than I do...

Thanks!
 

csdance

Registered
Messages
1
Hi,
I've been exploring this one recently... My Pace 3100 still plays back recordings but it won't record new ones...

The viewing card inside the box is not paired with it but it was in the box at the time the "deactivation" happened (I don't know if a signal was pushed out to kill this function of the patch or what it was, but I don't think this was a software update).

So what I decided to do was swap the viewing card with another one I had laying around, this one was worse, I could not play recordings back with this card! - So the default behavior must now be back? - but this gets stranger, I borrowed a card with a sub on it and recorded something off a free channel and it worked, without being paired, which in a non-patched box would not have been possible, interestingly, when I put my first card back in, I could play back the recording I just made on the sub card, so I guess if this was to be re-flashed it would work once more for recording? - One thing has been proved though, this patch still refers to the card, but why though I don't know, but if this patch relies upon the card for PVR, won't this mean the card will get it's "kill signal" (or not get it's "enable" signal) - either way, it would be worth seeing if bypassing the card would be possible, I realise this may stop the box from being able to decode FTA channels such as 4Music, but it might be worth a shot?

Also, with regards to replacing the EPG Music, if you can find where this goes, I wonder what the possibility would be of adding an offline mp3 file as opposed to changing the frequency? - but this may be hard to track down since the BG Audio came from the default transponder signal...

I hope my recent experience helps you, I did this on the 8th Jan 2020 so it's fresh! I've only just plugged it in since May 2017, back then, the playback facility wouldn't even work so guess it's time on the cupboard has cleared some sort of cache I guess?
 
Top