Dreambox 7000S

For many years, we've been into TV broadcasting via satellite. Some guys started out with analogue TV in D2MAC format. For a couple of years now, the satellite world has been changing and switching over to digital broadcasts in the DVB-S format. The first satellite receiver (Set top Boxes, AKA demod) generation had to be rented from satellite TV channel providers. Such hardware "featured" low quality components, with very slow zapping speed, quite ugly OSDs, no digital audio output, poor reception sensibility, low quality MPEG2 decoding and a locked firmware, that only your provider could update (whenever they felt like it). A few low priced digital receivers also appeared, but they were often not (entirely) compatible with the special services satellite TV providers offered (e.g. Electronic Program Guide AKA EPG, Pay Per View AKA PPV??etc.).

The second generation of satellite receivers was equipment like the Xsat 310/410 and the Aston Xena series, which opened the door to the Of-The-Shelves Set Top Boxes (STB), independent from providers, compatible with official decryption cards. Such devices would allow you to reconfigure the position of each channel, manage favorites from your PC and even flash firmware with a serial cable.

Today, we can get the 3rd generation of settop boxes. The Dreambox is one of the popular 3rd generation boxes. Based on a powerful IBM PowerPC (not PC !) with an MPEG1/2 hardware decoder, this box is FULLY open, with an open source Linux operating system. The Dreambox not only offers high quality video and audio, but also has a variety of connections to the outside world: Ethernet, USB, PS2, Compact Flash and two Smartcard readers. The box can handle any dish configuration, an unlimited number of channels or satellites, has a very fast channel scan, allows for direct digital recording, etc. To receive encrypted channels, you need the proper decryption card from the appropriate organization and a PCMCIA CAM which supports your card. Alternatively, you can load a firmware that enables the built-in smart card readers to handle your decryption card. As the Dreambox is more a computer than a consumer electronic device, it can hang some time and it takes a bit of time to learn how to use its full potential.