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It was commissioned by the Kirch group's DF1, an early German provider of digital television that later merged with Premiere. The hardware was developed and produced by Nokia though later also produced by Philips and Sagem under licence.
In 2001 production of the D-box ceased. However, there continues to be a large number of devices traded second-hand (often using online auction sites) and fairly high prices are paid. This can be attributed to the fact that alternative operating systems can be loaded onto the boxes. For this reason, there are also a significant number of, mostly German language, web sites and forums devoted to the devices.
Linux on the Dbox-2
Since 1998 an alternative operating system has been available. This was DVB98 (later DVB2000), developed by a single programmer. Despite programming the hardware directly using machine code, DVB2000 is superior in many respects relative to the original software.
The DBox2 can also run the Linux operating system. This is now the most popular choice. Installation involves first putting the box into it's debug-mode, a mode intended for service technicians. It is then possible to take a backup copy of the original operating system (including vital micro-code) and flash an image containing Linux to the device.
Hardware upgrades
A "multicam" module can be attached to the internal com port (disabling the internal modem) to enable the card readers to support multiple conditional access cards. Software support exists for many CA systems, including CONAX used in Scandinavia
The DBox2 does not have a hard disk or other internal storage. Modules have however become available for attaching IDE hard drives [http://www.dboxservice-hallenberg.de/ide.php] and MMC and SD flash memory cards. Support for these is included in some software distributions.
An infrared keyboard is optionally available. Originally, the dBox was designed as a "multimedia terminal", with applications such as pay-per-view ordering, e-mail, and home banking in mind so support for a keyboard was a design consideration.
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