I am tired. This morning I woke up around 3AM (PST) in order to make it home but what a great trip I had! SXSW was worth every penny and every hour.
Sometime on Monday afternoon, my Powerbook power cord decided to melt. I called Apple and they started to freak out. At one point they almost offered to call paramedics to make sure I was ok. So I just spent 36 hours computer free.
Let me tell you something, hotel TV is not the greatest and they charge $12 a pay-per-view movie these days. That's almost the price for owning a DVD movie. I checked out the OnCommand system attached to the TV. Its totally hackable but a lack of pliers kept me from phreaking free movies.
I have a lot of notes to get online and I'm hoping to get caught up with everything later today. Check out the Notes Exchange on SXSWBlog for a glimpse of what happened in Austin.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
I have to know how to hack the oncommand system! Please tell me! The way you described it, it is probably so simple that I am completley over looking it! Please tell me, 12 bucks is a rip off and Im not paying that especially if I already payed 99 bucks or more to for the room! THanks.
Hello,
How is this possbile??? I need it bad!
Is there a way to hack oncommand. Sure Would like to watcha few free movies! If anyone has devised a scheme, do tell! I seem to remember a fella I used to work with who found a way to turn his Palm Pilot into a remote control that worked...
Go out and buy a Universial Remote( AKKEGRO WORKS) and start pluging in the selctions until the power goes off on the TV.
Click the menu button and it will open up the TV settings, add + CH and your in. You cannot order movies, but watch movies other people in the hotel have purchased.
I was very surprised last night when I got back to my room with my new Universal Remote and was able to get free OnCommand. I bought a Phillips PM335B for $9.00 at a local Wal-Mart.
I should mention that initially it wasn't as easy as IPO made it out to be. You have to unplug the PHONE CORD that goes from the OnCommand to the back of the TV then set up your remote. Keep it UnPlugged while watching but remember to plug it back in before you go back home. Some how the OnCommand system takes over the TV and this rectifies the problem. After that, just find the channels that carry the movies using the numeric keypad and you're good to go.
Also, most hotels use the Zenith Concierge model TV, and the code will most likely be found in the book under Concierge (Code 713) at least with the PM335B.
Have a great vacation or business trip!!!
-Dave
I was very surprised last night when I got back to my room with my new Universal Remote and was able to get free OnCommand. I bought a Phillips PM335B for $9.00 at a local Wal-Mart.
I should mention that initially it wasn't as easy as IPO made it out to be. You have to unplug the PHONE CORD that goes from the OnCommand to the back of the TV then set up your remote. Keep it UnPlugged while watching but remember to plug it back in before you go back home. Some how the OnCommand system takes over the TV and this rectifies the problem. After that, just find the channels that carry the movies using the numeric keypad and you're good to go.
Also, most hotels use the Zenith Concierge model TV, and the code will most likely be found in the book under Concierge (Code 713) at least with the PM335B.
Have a great vacation or business trip!!!
-Dave
Dave - no go on your advice to get into ONcommand.
I bought the universal remote you suggested, and used the codes to get the remote to work work the t.v. however it would not give me any movies... after channel 35 it simply said that the channels weren't available.
I also couldn't get it to acitivate the menu on the television... everytime I pushed the button it went to the sleep mode? Any other suggestions?
I've used my PocketPC's Nevo program to get into the TV Address setup numerous times on Philips institutional TVs. By doing that you can change your television's address and, after a couple guesses, find an address of another TV that is allowed to order movies/services. Once you've found one you can order away... and check the balance of the other guest's bill. They will be asked to pay it upon checkout, at which time of course they will argue. Just make sure you change back to your original address before you leave!
Coud you explain how you used the PocketPC's Nevo program to get into the TV Address setup?
I was able to program the Zenith and caught the end of a paid movie. But I am interested in the "TV Address setup".