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Apple's Set Top Box

hrfforlife said:
http://www.micromac.com/whats_new/logic_board_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?:rolleyes:
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I have one! I have a Video card from my Mac 7100, I'll see if it works...also have to find where I put the thing. Hope it doesn't break it! :p
 
LimeiBook86 said:
I have one! I have a Video card from my Mac 7100, I'll see if it works...also have to find where I put the thing. Hope it doesn't break it! :p
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Cool. Don't let the smoke out. :D

Then again there's still eBay:rolleyes:
 
Hi all,
I'm the same MrMacintosh from Applefritter, but I wanted to add a few things here. Hope you all don't mind.

First, I saw a STB with a red ROM card and a video card in the horizontal slot. It had a standard Macintosh video connection. However, I couldn't buy it :( I suspect this might give video out.

Second, sorry for the misinformation regarding the green ROM cards - I had read that previously on the internet and just assumed it was true. I don't have a Powerbook SCSI adapter to test with.

I'd be interested to see if another PDS video card would work.

Kyle-
 
MrMacintosh09 said:
Hi all,
I'm the same MrMacintosh from Applefritter, but I wanted to add a few things here. Hope you all don't mind.

First, I saw a STB with a red ROM card and a video card in the horizontal slot. It had a standard Macintosh video connection. However, I couldn't buy it :( I suspect this might give video out.

Second, sorry for the misinformation regarding the green ROM cards - I had read that previously on the internet and just assumed it was true. I don't have a Powerbook SCSI adapter to test with.

I'd be interested to see if another PDS video card would work.

Kyle-
Click to expand...

Awesome, great to see you here. I have my Set Top Box opened up. I was looking at the RF box on my model, on the outside the Out is clear but the In port has some sort of metal cap on it which I can't seem to get off. But, inside Set Top Box, by the RF ports there is a small metal box with what seems to be an composite connector. I thought back to my old Nintendo (NES) and used it's old RF Adapter
(picture here) and plugged it into the Set Top Box and the other end into my VCR. I turned the VCR off, and the Set Top Box off. I plugged in a coaxial cable from the Out port into my TV....Bam! I'm looking at a very fuzzy Channel 4. I have a basic cable wire coupled to the Nintendo RF adapter, which is going into the Composite like port inside of the STB and comes out of the Output Coaxial port on the back of the STB. It's fuzzy and if I flip the Channel 3/4 switch on the back of the STB nothing happens. What is interesting if I turn on the STB while this is connected, I get nothing, channel 4 goes off and I get a blue screen (not snow because my TV makes it a blank blue screen). I know this is hard to explain so I made a little diagram (which might make you more confused actually...haha) hopefully it'll help you understand what I attempted.

I have yet to try S-Video but, I may try that in a bit when I find the cable. Also I tried holding down Command (Apple) - Option - T - V, which is know on other AV Macs to make their main display a TV, this didn't do anything for me via RF or Composite AV out, I didn't try this with an S-Video cable yet but, maybe others can be lucky with this. I'll keep my eye out for the PDS (At least I think it's PDS, it's not PCI because the Mac has NuBus slots) video card from my old Macintosh 7100.

Good luck everyone! :D
 

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I remember reading about this many years ago. Apparently Apple was working with British Telecom on one STB where TV would be broadcast over the net.

However because of government regulations, BT were not allowed to get into TV distribution (the gov wanted cable companies to wire up the houses of Britain and not have a monopoly like BT causes problems for them), so BT didn't bother upgrade the network.
 
Network

Using a strong light you I can see the network traces through the mobo.
none of them leave about a 2 sq inch area. Looks like the network was never implemented on either of my boxes.
 
Just a minor update, I tried the S-Video out and got nowhere. I also noticed that I don't have any labels on my RAM/ROM sticks, there is one but it's just some numbers, doesn't say "Apple..." like yours do. I still can't find that PDS video card, I'm almost about to buy one!...:p...but I'm saving up for my new intel Mac. I found a few Video PDS cards on eBay, I wonder if it would even work though.

Apple PDS Video Card with 1mb RAM
 
LimeiBook86 said:
Just a minor update, I tried the S-Video out and got nowhere. I also noticed that I don't have any labels on my RAM/ROM sticks, there is one but it's just some numbers, doesn't say "Apple..." like yours do. I still can't find that PDS video card, I'm almost about to buy one!...:p...but I'm saving up for my new intel Mac. I found a few Video PDS cards on eBay, I wonder if it would even work though.

Apple PDS Video Card with 1mb RAM
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I don't think that card will fit. My 6100 PDS slot is about 1/2" longer than the one in the STB. This appears to be a one of a kind PDS slot.
 
hrfforlife said:
I don't think that card will fit. My 6100 PDS slot is about 1/2" longer than the one in the STB. This appears to be a one of a kind PDS slot.
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Well them, I guess it's a good thing I didn't buy it :p
 
Apple STB

I have a working version of this STB (well did have if it still boots after 6 years)
It has all applications need to create Interative Television menus and play Mpeg1 files.
I worked on the British Telecom Project in 1995-96, and had a development version of the STB.
It is an LC475 with Mpeg Card and E1 Network. My box has an addition Video Card that allows me to develop on the 19" monitor instead of the TV screen.
The Development box has a Different Boot Rom to the normal Boxes.
The Normal boxes booted from the ATM AAL1 Network which was connected to a nCUBE Media Server (Later know as Video Server).
 
nbuer said:
I have a working version of this STB (well did have if it still boots after 6 years)
It has all applications need to create Interative Television menus and play Mpeg1 files.
I worked on the British Telecom Project in 1995-96, and had a development version of the STB.
It is an LC475 with Mpeg Card and E1 Network. My box has an addition Video Card that allows me to develop on the 19" monitor instead of the TV screen.
The Development box has a Different Boot Rom to the normal Boxes.
The Normal boxes booted from the ATM AAL1 Network which was connected to a nCUBE Media Server (Later know as Video Server).
Click to expand...
Whoa, awesome information dude!! You have any pictures of the box or screenshots of the screen on boot up? It would be awesome to see some pictures of this thing in action! :D
 
A different model on eBay!?

I was searching eBay hopelessly for Apple products like I do sometimes when I'm bored at school and I came across this eBay auction.

I carefully inspected the photos and noticed that the back of the unit looks a bit different than mine. And the front has a few different logos on it. This to me looks like a later model than what I have, I was initally planning on trying to bid on this but the starting price is $99 and then $30 shipping so it's a little rich for my blood.

I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention though. This may be a working one but, then again it may be a dud like the rest.

It's worth a look either way. The main thing I noticed is that in the first picture there are lines pointing to each port with a name, this isn't on any model I have seen. The line pointing to the "ethernet" port looks like it says NT...very interesting. Also I don't think those ports to the left of the "ethernet" port are regular US cable RF ports...looks different to me.

I wonder if I can convince the guy to take a picture of it with the shell off?
EDIT: message sent ;)
:) :D
 

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DavidFDM said:
I would love to see it have the following abilities:

1. TiVo-like recording capability
2. Airport enabled to grab MP3s from my desktop
3. SuperDrive
4. Big ass hard drive 100GB
5. USB/firewire ports on the front
6. The intelligence to drive my home theater regardless of make and model of other components.

This would make me happy and I'd spend $1,000 to have it.

- David
Click to expand...

Wow sounds like a Mac mini accept ports on back need to add external tv adapter like elgato I could make a nice setup for $1000
 
munkees said:
Wow sounds like a Mac mini accept ports on back need to add external tv adapter like elgato I could make a nice setup for $1000
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Yeah but, this was back in like 1993, it's old but cool, to think of the stuff Apple was thinking about back then. It's amazing :D
 
I don't believe it!

The seller that was selling the Set Top Box wasn't able to sell the unit. So a few days later he re-listed the box with a starting bid of $50, and new pics of the insides!! His auction link (here) shows a few nice pictures of the insides. The outside of the unit has different graphics than my Set Top Box, the only big difference in the insides to me looks like the PDS like slot to the right. His picture shows a green line there, mine doesn't, I can't really make it out but, it's possible it can be a different port.

The seller was nice enough to take some photos and even quote my little message to him. It's $50 starting bit with $28 shipping, still kind of expensive I know but, if anyone's interested it's a good deal. I might purchase it but, I'm not sure. If you want to just click on the auction link, this box looks a little different from mine, it may work it may now, oh well :p

EDIT: Looks like someone's bidding on it...wonder if it's anyone from the forums :eek: hehe :rolleyes:
 

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LimeiBook86 said:
EDIT: Looks like someone's bidding on it...wonder if it's anyone from the forums :eek: hehe :rolleyes:
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heh - yep it was me. the whole situation is pretty weird. i had been trawling articles on wikipedia, brushing up on my technical knowledge of Apple products at first (that site is e-crack for info addicts). it was when i was reading an article on New World ROM that i came across an article on Network Computers, and discovered the existence of the Apple STB. so i started looking for more info and found this excellent thread, simultaneously finding the item on eBay (and then seeing it mentioned here). i'm a sucker for oldskool / rare computer gear (and vinyl records!) and couldn't resist putting a bid in. i fully expected a bidding war to break out because of the attention here, but looks like a won without a fight!

looking forward to seeing how this model differs from the Apple-branded boxes, as this one is BT-branded (the UK's main phone company) and is probably a later model. doesn't have the PDS card though as far as i can tell. looks like i'll need an external SCSI disk if i want to run a system on it (unless I can use the one from my Classic Mac), and see if it works! can't wait.

Found this article on the system behind the box, in particular this quote:

"Apple is leveraging its QuickTime multimedia and QuickDraw graphics
technologies for use in its interactive TV set-top box," said Rick Shriner,
vice president of Apple Core Technologies. "We believe the nVision system,
which includes Apple's Interactive TV Box technology, will enable Interactive
TV trials to come on line quickly. It will also serve as a proving ground for
content and service developers who are working to create the compelling
interactive television applications necessary for this new industry to
succeed."
Click to expand...

so that explains why it was Apple that got in on the act so early. certainly seems the STB was a useful proving ground (looks like that's all it was intended to be), but it didn't get much farther than that by the looks of it.

and after reading this wikipedia article on nCUBE, i wonder what might have happened to the company, had VOD really kicked off back then.
 
madmax_2069 said:
man i could have bought one for $20 without shipping on ebay a wile ago. man this thread makes me wish i would have got it now
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that's harsh. i'm sure they'll come up cheaper from time to time (especially if someone has a job lot), but i figured seeing how this one is different from the others i'd take a risk. plus as i'm in the UK so the exchange rate favours me. :D
 
finally it's arrived - it shipped from the US so took a while. it's in perfect condition.

plugged power in and tried power button, but like everyone else here that didn't work. plugged in my ADB keyboard and used the power button on that - i got a red light above the power switch and then an orange light. pressing the power button at this point makes the light turn green. i haven't got access to a TV until this evening so i can try to get a signal then. there is no graphics card in the unit and it's definitely not going to accept any conventional PDS card.

the first thing i noticed about the machine is that it's completely silent. there is a plug on the logic board for a fan, and space in the chassic for one (the same as the one in my LC) but there isn't one there.

really looking forward to trying this out as it seems to be a later revision than the other ones being discussed here. it does appear to have been used before, as there are small scratches on the coax jacks. fingers crossed. if it doesn't boot with the onboard ROM, i can try the external drive approach, but i'll need a powerbook scsi adaptor...
 
well i took it home and plugged it in. amazingly, i got a picture!

applestb.jpg


at first it was just the main screen, then the error message in the middle came up after about 10 seconds. i guess it tries to connect with a server then times out. i wonder if it's possible to acquire the backend equipment these days?

i guess it's possible to use it as a TV-based Macintosh with an external disk, but I think that'll be its only use as a piece of equipment. probably not worth the money i paid, but at least my curiosity has been satisfied.
 
mister duffy said:
well i took it home and plugged it in. amazingly, i got a picture!

<snip>

at first it was just the main screen, then the error message in the middle came up after about 10 seconds. i guess it tries to connect with a server then times out. i wonder if it's possible to acquire the backend equipment these days?

i guess it's possible to use it as a TV-based Macintosh with an external disk, but I think that'll be its only use as a piece of equipment. probably not worth the money i paid, but at least my curiosity has been satisfied.
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Whoa-ho! That's awesome!

I wonder even if you got the equipment today, if it would even work. That would be awesome though! :D
 
mister duffy said:
well i took it home and plugged it in. amazingly, i got a picture!
Click to expand...

Well done! first time I have seen anybody get an output from one of those things, congratulations.
 
Pictures Pictures - Prototype Apple Settop Box 1 Yes thats right, now you all have seen the STB3 and clone ones as shown above, and its rare to see a STB2, but I have a STB1 Not only that its a prototype that was giving from a person called 'Kate Kelly' and after looking into it she was a developer for hardware for Apple in the late 80's thru mid 90's, even with a not about that. Now I got it, it has a Dead Power Supply and no Hard Drive, I tried selling it on eBay, and for some reason I worded it wrong and it said that it was not approved for sale, and somehow it was reported and closed, but thats why they have the little Camera on the images since my camera had a accident. But anyways I will be taking more pictures for your viewing pleasure. ;) :D I will be investigating it sometime soon too and see if I can find the Power Supply I thinks its from a Performa or Mac II (late model) and I can get a Hard Drive but I need OS stuff for it and I have no idea, but I am thinking about Trading it to LimeiBook86 for some fantastic web work and art work he also said I should tell more about it, so here yar: Pictures of Prototype STB1
 
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