Apple's Set Top Box

[Flowbee]

Originally Posted by Doraemon

I didn't care (nor look) when the last posts were from.

Maybe you should.

[lgivens]

I was actually working at Tele-TV (Bell Atlantic Video) and we had a few of the Apple STBs in the office for testing. They were essentially LC040's with the a MPEG-1 decoder. They were going to be testing as a STB decoder of MPEG-1 streams from a N-CUBE SuperComputer with over 30,000 mins of MPEG-1 content. Use a remote, punch in a code, watch the on demand program.

That's it. Not a Pippin (actually, Apple never made a Pippin, just licensed the game platform to Bandai).

If you were at the 1995 Macworld San Francisco, you would have actually seen the small, one table Apple Table with the STB folks. Not in the big Apple booth, but near the other Media companies. They let the Macworld folks touch the box, play back content and answer questions.

I'm not sure what happened to the 4 people who ran the table, but it was cool.

I actually have one of the units in my house, right under my TV. Now mainly used as a conversation piece.

thanks...Lee

[MacEffects]

I at one point had the never released prototypes the First proto AKA "STB1" ©1992, and that thing was crazy, I never could figure it out, but it was amazing, oh yeah... I had three of the normal STB3's... They are just an LC 475 with a nice video card, and a remote (more or less a MacTV)

[LimeiBook86]

I've been searching around for these for a long time. Has anyone ever had one successfully boot? I guess it would just be the Mac OS with extra features. Any screenshots or action-shots of the OS would be awesome. I was reading some links I've found that explain what's inside of them, here's a link.

From what I've read these are basically just LC Macs with a few special insides. I still would love to get my hands on one of them, no matter what they can or can't do...anyone selling one? haha

[mdavey]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

I've been searching around for these for a long time. Has anyone ever had one successfully boot? I guess it would just be the Mac OS with extra features.

Is that a telephone line or an Ethernet port on the back? If the later, it may be Apple's attempt at a Network Computer. Many other companies were working on STB's that implemented the NC standard at around that time, including Acorn Computers, NetProducts, Sun Microsystems and RCA. The NC design was notable for including a small boot ROM that caused the OS to be loaded over the network (typically using bootp and RARP protocols) and most designs didn't include local storage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_computer

If this is the case, it will be very tricky to get something working without access to the original OS (which would be stored on a fileserver elsewhere on the network). Your best bet would be to investigate if there is an online community that have got the device working with Linux - such a community exists for the Acorn and NetProducts variants.

[hrfforlife]

I just picked up the Apple Set Top Box, Model# M4120 off eBay. After tinkering around for a few days, I got it to boot on several versions of Mac OS. It is now running on OS 7.6. I installed 7.6 using an external scsi drive and a Quadra 840AV. I think any machine that boots OS 7.6 will do. I set up file sharing and passwords before running on the STB. No modification was done to the STB, BUT it has no video out. File sharing works perfect and I was able to get a screen capture of the Apple System Profiler. Shows up as a Macintosh 470 Series. Machine ID: 89. I will post screen shots if anyone is interested. I have to get the screen shots transfered to my Quadra then to my G4. I suppose there must be special video drivers to get video out of this machine. If anyone has found or has access to the STB drivers please let me know.

What Works: Mac serial port (apple talk), SCSI port with powerbook adapter, ADB port with apple keyboard and mouse.

What does not work: Audio and video out, Power button?, Shutdown command using the keyboard, however the reboot command works.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

I just picked up the Apple Set Top Box, Model# M4120 off eBay. After tinkering around for a few days, I got it to boot on several versions of Mac OS. It is now running on OS 7.6. I installed 7.6 using an external scsi drive and a Quadra 840AV. I think any machine that boots OS 7.6 will do. I set up file sharing and passwords before running on the STB. No modification was done to the STB, BUT it has no video out. File sharing works perfect and I was able to get a screen capture of the Apple System Profiler. Shows up as a Macintosh 470 Series. Machine ID: 89. I will post screen shots if anyone is interested. I have to get the screen shots transfered to my Quadra then to my G4. I suppose there must be special video drivers to get video out of this machine. If anyone has found or has access to the STB drivers please let me know.

What Works: Mac serial port (apple talk), SCSI port with powerbook adapter, ADB port with apple keyboard and mouse.

What does not work: Audio and video out, Power button?, Shutdown command using the keyboard, however the reboot command works.

Hopefully mine (which should come here any day now) will be the same model and I'll be able to boot with it. I know someone here has the original drivers, I'd be interested in getting them to see if they can actually work. Because I know they needed special extensions to have certain parts of the hardware work. I can't wait!

[hrfforlife]

Still no video out at this point. Check out the screen shots.

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Hopefully mine (which should come here any day now) will be the same model and I'll be able to boot with it. I know someone here has the original drivers, I'd be interested in getting them to see if they can actually work. Because I know they needed special extensions to have certain parts of the hardware work. I can't wait!

If yours has video out, let me know. My video out may be broken.

[LimeiBook86]

I plugged it into the power outlet along with an ADB keyboard and a mono (yellow, white) AV wire set to my TV. The power button does nothing but when I hit the startup key on the keyboard I get no video or sound but a little amber light can be seen under the Power button. I'll include pictures in a few minutes, I just have to upload them from the camera. I don't think I can boot it up, and I didn't try a SCSI drive yet but, I'm not giving up, not yet Here are some photos, don't mind the Star Wars bed sheets Also I noticed an internal plug, I circled it in one of the pictures...weird eh?

[hrfforlife]

I tried the internal plug with composit and rf. did nothing on mine.
Mine is still running strong as a file server.
Check out this partial TattleTech report of the video. "The HORROR Continues" I wonder if the developer was pulling his hair out.

• Nubus/PDS Slot# = $00
◊ Board Name = MEMCjr Built-In Video
◊ Board ID = 77
◊ Vendor ID = Apple Computer, Inc.
◊ Revision Level = Macintosh CPU Family 4.1
◊ Part# = The HORROR Continues
◊ Date = 15-Jun-93
◊ Functional Resources :
+ Device sResource Name = CPU_68040
- Device Category = 10 (CPU)
- Device Type = 5 (68040)
- Device Software Interface Type = 0
- Device Hardware Type = 24
- Device sResource# = $FB
- Driver Number = [NA]
----------------------------------
• Nubus/PDS Slot# = $0C
◊ Board Name = Kevin STB3
◊ Board ID = 1661
◊ Vendor ID = Video Architecture Group
◊ Revision Level = A3N Xilinx 3•28 SW 3•28•95
◊ Part# = STB3
◊ Functional Resources :
+ Device sResource Name = Display_Video_Apple_GM
- Device Category = 3 (Display)
- Device Type = 1 (Video)
- Device Software Interface Type = 1
- Device Hardware Type = 2
- Device sResource# = $81
- Driver Number = -49

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

I plugged it into the power outlet along with an ADB keyboard and a mono (yellow, white) AV wire set to my TV. The power button does nothing but when I hit the startup key on the keyboard I get no video or sound but a little amber light can be seen under the Power button. I'll include pictures in a few minutes, I just have to upload them from the camera. I don't think I can boot it up, and I didn't try a SCSI drive yet but, I'm not giving up, not yet Here are some photos, don't mind the Star Wars bed sheets Also I noticed an internal plug, I circled it in one of the pictures...weird eh?

Is the blue line going under the plastic card cage a jumper wire or painted on the board?

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

Is the blue line going under the plastic card cage a jumper wire or painted on the board?

Looks like a wire, it looks like it's soldered in a few points along the way. Also it's glued down to the board. I don't know what it is...still trying to get mine to boot.

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Looks like a wire, it looks like it's soldered in a few points along the way. Also it's glued down to the board. I don't know what it is...still trying to get mine to boot.

The first time I was able to get mine to boot I was pressing the option key
down during boot. That was with a cd rom. I wasn't sure it completed the
boot process, so I used another old mac to install OS 7.5 on an external scsi
drive. Set up file sharing and everything before moving the drive to the STB. I still wasn't shure it was fully booted until I saw it in the chooser. File sharing
in OS 7.5 would lock up when sending large files. Installing OS 7.6 fixed that.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

The first time I was able to get mine to boot I was pressing the option key
down during boot. That was with a cd rom. I wasn't sure it completed the
boot process, so I used another old mac to install OS 7.5 on an external scsi
drive. Set up file sharing and everything before moving the drive to the STB. I still wasn't shure it was fully booted until I saw it in the chooser. File sharing
in OS 7.5 would lock up when sending large files. Installing OS 7.6 fixed that.

Ahh good to know, thanks! I guess no video out until I find the right software. Someone e-mailed me and said they might have some working drivers. Awesome! I'll check'm out and see if they work...oh wait...I need to bring out the SCSI drive and see if it'll work. Now where did I put that SCSI cable...ahh shoot

[aquajet]

Thanks for the pics, LimeiBook86. That logic board looks awfully similar to my old Quadra 605.

[LimeiBook86]

Hey I was just e-mailed some Apple STB system extensions and I thought it would be alright to post a link to them here. The DMCA also says it's ok since it since this is obsolete and no longer available. But, then again, if anyone feels that this should be taken away then by all means feel free to remove it. It was stated however that some of these extensions might cause the machine to not boot, so I guess you'll have to play around with it. The download link is here and is on my iDisk.

Here is what is included in the folder:

• Apple E1 Player
• E1Component
• KeyColor
• MoviePlayer
• QuickTime
• QuickTime 11/15
• Serial Tool
• TSDrvr INIT (ColorSync Extension)
• TSDrvr INIT - 12/13 (ColorSync Extension)

Special thanks should go to...well I won't post the e-mail because of SPAM reasons but, you know who you are thanks!

[LimeiBook86]

Hey guys, thanks to the cool Wiki we have here (on the macguides.com part of the site) I put up a little Apple Set Top Box page, now it's a little crude but, it's ok, just add the facts you know about this stuff to the page and in no time we'll have a page full of information.

This is a great way to organize the facts about the machines quickly and easily. Here is the link for the Mac Guide page for the Apple Set Top Box. I hope everyone can contribute something to the site!

[hrfforlife]

Both allow booting to an external drive with no video.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

Both allow booting to an external drive with no video.

Thanks, I'll post that in the MacGuides Wiki Entry. Nice pictures, did you take them yourself? Well, someone at AppleFritter thought that you needed a red ROM to boot...I guess you proved them wrong

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Thanks, I'll post that in the MacGuides Wiki Entry. Nice pictures, did you take them yourself? Well, someone at AppleFritter thought that you needed a red ROM to boot...I guess you proved them wrong

Yes, I did take the pictures of both sides of the roms with a sony camcorder.
I don't have a regular digital camera, so their low res. I guess that was just speculation on the green rom not booting because no one has been able to boot one until I did. Both machines are working identically. I have found that I have needed to bump the memory allocation of some of the programs to get them to run, like TattleTech and VNC. VNC still crashes after I get the prefs set up. I just got OS 8.1 installed and running. File Sharing is working a little faster.

No Ethernet is reported by TattleTech. I have seen in the past (I can't find it now) that the Network port on the back is not true Ethernet. Someone out there must have more info on the hardware or has worked on the project. Wish they would reply to this forum.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

No Ethernet is reported by TattleTech. I have seen in the past (I can't find it now) that the Network port on the back is not true Ethernet. Someone out there must have more info on the hardware or has worked on the project. Wish they would reply to this forum.

Yeah I also read somewhere that it wasn't 100% an ethernet port but, it works for you right? Wait...don't tell me your using that slow serial port connection to transfer files!! !...

I'm happy some people are adding things to the MacGuides.com entry, keep it up guys, this is awesome! I'll be able to play around with my STB...just need to find a SCSI case...or...make one! *mad scientist laugh*

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Yeah I also read somewhere that it wasn't 100% an ethernet port but, it works for you right? Wait...don't tell me your using that slow serial port connection to transfer files!! !...

I'm happy some people are adding things to the MacGuides.com entry, keep it up guys, this is awesome! I'll be able to play around with my STB...just need to find a SCSI case...or...make one! *mad scientist laugh*

Yep. I'm using the serial port for Apple Talk.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by hrfforlife

Yep. I'm using the serial port for Apple Talk.

Ouch...ouch, I know how that feels. Anyone know what that card-slot thing inside of the STB is? I wonder what can go in there...

[hrfforlife]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Ouch...ouch, I know how that feels. Anyone know what that card-slot thing inside of the STB is? I wonder what can go in there...

http://www.micromac.com/whats_new/lo...d_picture.html

I tried to find a Motherboard that had that slot. The first nubus Power Macs
had a similar PDS. I have a 6100 but the slots don't match up. It's longer on the PM 6100. TattleTech reports one open PDS slot on my STB. Now to find a STB PDS video card?