Hacking the Bush Set Top Box

The BushSTB is an ARM 7500FE based computer with a ROM based Operating system from Pace. This is hopefuly a useful resource to use these boxes in an alternative way.

Contents

• Disclaimers, Credits and Trademarks
• Notes
• Hardware
• Software
• Other BushSTB resources

Disclaimers, Credits and Trademarks

The information provided here is gleaned from a number of sources. I have tried to provide links to the original sources wherever I can. If you feel I have missed an attribution please contact me immediately and I will try to address the ommision.

I would like to thank Simtec Electronics for their help and support in this project.

I have taken care in the preperation of these web pages, but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incedental or consequential damages in connection with or arising from the use of the information here.

All Trademarks are aknowledged and labeled where I am aware of the claim.

Notes

• Bush Internet (PO Box 6407,Nottingham NG1 5NA) was a joint venture between Alba Plc. (80%) and Virgin (20%).
• Products they produced were
  • 14inch TV
  • 21inch TV
  • 28inch TV
  • 28inch widescreen TV
  • IBX100 StyleSet top box
  • IBX260 StyleSet top box
  • A full size keybaord
• The target of 500,000 sales in the first 12 months of operation was over optimistic, with a total of only 186,000 sold to retailers and only 115,000 actually in consumer's homes.
• Alba initialy subsidised the set top boxes by £45 in order to promote sales. This put the manufacture cost of the set top boxes at a tentative £200.
• The retail sales at the subsidised price of £150 were still very dissapointing. The price was reduced to £99 in June 2001. And finaly in December 2001 they threw in the towel having lost around £17,900,000.
• The remaining boxes can now be found at ridiculously low prices. Reports of them being bought for £20 in Toys R Us with a £10 rebate. And at Makro for £15.
• The Bush Internet portal has been taken over by ITV Active.

Other useful BushSTB resources

• Ian Spray - inside the bush ibx100
• Richard James - Bush Internet IBX set top units
• Bush STB Forums
• Bush Hacking Mailing list
• Pictures of the Bush IBX260 by Neil Dean

Any problems with this web page mail Vincent Sanders

There's lots more to the site! A good place to start is the Main Page.

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