BT vison box chipped?

[is0-mick]

Strange, plenty of english on there.... also a whole english section for "other hardware" such at the bt box.
Also their hardware is very similar to ours, as its the same SOC (system on chip).

The only major differences are the tuners and the front panel.

Mick

 

[karym6]

ah yes, I didnt look at the forum link there.

 

[is0-mick]

http://dotnet.jku.at/book/solutions/2/switchStatement.aspx

Thats what i was trying to find earlier about the '<PrivateImplementationDetails>'::'$$method0x6000002-1'
kind of thing. It seems to relate to internal structures within the compiled code when using a switch statement using strings, or static arrays.

also

The following creates a multi-dimensional array which is 3x3x4 elements in size, or 36 bytes in length. You might think that C♯ would simply re-create your array, using an array create call, and assigning each value individually, but it has one better.

It actually creates a <PrivateImplementationDetails>{Version-GUID} (lets call it 'PID' for short). That name is obviously invalid in C♯, but valid in CIL provided you escape the name with single quotes. The 'Version-GUID' is a random GUID generated on compile an example of the class generated is: "<PrivateImplementationDetails>{17D2CA44-BFFB-4117-B3DF-49EC5806703D}". As for why it uses it I can only surmise that it deters, someone reverse-engineering the project, and depending upon the PrivateImplementationDetails of that given build.

from: http://www.rmxp.org/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=1022525;sa=showPosts
(near the bottom)

 

[karym6]

take a look in your sln file, you should see a few mentions in there regarding PID. The sln isnt the most helpful of files to read unless you know exactly what you are looking for - but there should be a proj file that goes along with it?

 

[dexyweescot]

any joy with this box for just using for fta channels. im up for testing if anyone wants a beta tester...

 

[karym6]

this box is a DVB tuner that can also connect to BT's VOD service.

If you dont have it connected to the internet, it still works - you just cant download anything.

 

[dexyweescot]

so u can still record back the hd and use as normal without vod then ye?

 

[little_pob]

this box is a DVB tuner that can also connect to BT's VOD service.

If you dont have it connected to the internet, it still works - you just cant download anything.

Last I checked you couldn't schedule a recording without an up-to-date EPG and the EPG downloaded from BT - for on the fly recording this does/did not matter.

If this is still the case it would make the vision box just a DVB STB with no EPG and no PVR worth speaking of for non-BT vision customers.

However, I'm trawling BT's vision forums to confirm - I'm unable to check 1st hand as our Vision is permanently connected to the net.

 

[karym6]

well, mine is of the internet since about 8:30 now (I didnt reconnect it from making the last post) and still has epg available.

 

[dexyweescot]

i just fired 1 up that i bought it is saying that the box has an experiencing difficulties please wait a few minutes but it just stays on that screen. is that a faulty box or is it because the phone line is out?

 

[karym6]

are you a BT Vision customer?

 

[dexyweescot]

na i just got 1 to muck about with m8...

 

[is0-mick]

Unless you subscribe, the box does not boot up properly, as it gets bootstrap info from BT's server.

If you power the box off / on without an account, it just sits there and eventually you get an error saying "ring BT blah blah " error C01.

You can not use the box at all, not even to view freeview, record, playback or anything. You have a nice shiny silver brick!

Hence the interest in getting it to do something......

Mick

 

[little_pob]

well, mine is of the internet since about 8:30 now (I didnt reconnect it from making the last post) and still has epg available.

According to recent posts (i.e. posts made in 2008) on the vision forums it downloads 18 hours of EPG. But you can schedule recordings up to 2 weeks in advance.

The 'acid test' would be to leave it disconnected for at least a fortnight then see what level of recording abilities you've got.

As a side note do you think a custom linux insto would work on the box? A quick google reveals nothing. I've no experience in linux or programming so its not something I'd be able to do (at least for quite some time anyway).

 

[dexyweescot]

ye i was having a look at some of the post on the forum u mentioned. im afraid im not technically minded about coding and how things work which is a pity as this would be the first place to know about it..maybe get some joy in the future though....there is another forum on them found ere btw if there is any future development.... http://moore.feis.herts.ac.uk/btvision/

 

[is0-mick]

As a side note do you think a custom linux insto would work on the box? A quick google reveals nothing. I've no experience in linux or programming so its not something I'd be able to do (at least for quite some time anyway).

www.t-hack.com

They have a linux distro working, but the problem is loading the linux microcodes into the xpu, as they are signed. It may be possible to extract microcodes with the correct signature from the winCE installation, but no one has been able to do this yet.

So linux runs, but not much use with out AV or tuners.... unless you want a router or a ftp server...

Just to mention the x300t / x301t are very similar in hardware to the BT vision.

Mick

 

[little_pob]

www.t-hack.com

They have a linux distro working, but the problem is loading the linux microcodes into the xpu, as they are signed. It may be possible to extract microcodes with the correct signature from the winCE installation, but no one has been able to do this yet.

So linux runs, but not much use with out AV or tuners.... unless you want a router or a ftp server...

Just to mention the x300t / x301t are very similar in hardware to the BT vision.

Mick

Cheers, having a read now...

 

[is0-mick]

I hacked the bootloader on the box using the same method as the germans used on their box, altho the patch was slightly different and I had to disassemble most of it to understand what was going on.

But now I have a chip that will allow the box to boot unsigned code, so I can modify / write my own applications to run on it.
The chip Jtags the box, defeats the signature check on the secure bootloader, and continues execution.

It also disables a couple of other checks too such as the bootcounter. Every time the box is powered a bootcounter increments, if the box boots successfully the bootcounter is zero'd. If this number reaches 4 or greater the box enters disaster recovery mode and tries to download the software again from BT's server overwriting anything thats on the HDD.

I made a small test application which flashes the LED's on the front of the box in C#. Ideally I would like to be able to modify the original C# application, but my C# knowledge isn't sufficient to get it working




Mick

 

[dexyweescot]

fancy puting together a tut in simplier terms m8? only if u have got the time tho?

cheers dex

 

[karym6]

read the forum, the same questions mick asks here, he asked there.

All the info you need to do the same thing he has done is present on that site.