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How to Create a Set-Top Box

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The Set-Top Box configuration provides a starting point for devices that include television-style navigation features in Internet Explorer and multimedia features intended for accelerated, media tuned hardware, such as Microsoft® DirectDraw®. For more information, see Set-Top Box Features.

To create a Set-Top Box (STB) configuration, you can use the New Platform Wizard that includes a pre-configured option or you can build a custom platform by selecting the appropriate features for your device.

Hardware and Software Assumptions

  • Your Platform Builder installation includes a CEPC x86 board support package (BSP).
  • You have already set up a CEPC for testing. For more information about configuring a CEPC, see How to set up a CEPC and How to Use the IDE to Create, Customize, and Build a Platform.
  • Your test equipment meets the audio and video requirements of your design. The default Set-Top Box configuration includes drivers and software support for standard VGA. To test the platform using a TV-style interface, however, you will need to include a TV-style monitor (and appropriate driverswithyour test hardware. For more information about Windows CE multimedia support, see Basic Multimedia Overview

To track your progress in the following table, select the check box next to each step.

  Step Topic
1. Create a new platform for the Set-Top Box. The following list shows the choices to make:
  • In Step 2 of the New Platform Wizard, when you choose a BSP, select CEPC: x86.
  • When you choose a configuration, choose Set Top Box.
 Creating a Platform
2. Match the audio and display drivers to your hardware. Determining Platform Audio and Display Driver Support
3. (Optional) Customize the Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player Control
4. (Optional) Add DVD features to your configuration. Using the DVD-Video API
5. (Optional) Modify the shell.

Customize a user interface to adapt to your hardware device.

 Creating a Custom Shell
6. Prepare to build the Set-Top Box. Preparing to Build a Project
7. Build the OS platform.
  • From the Set Active Platform Configuration dialog box, choose <Platform Name> CEPC: x86 Win32 (WCE x86) Debug.
 Building a Platform
8. Download the OS image to the CEPC. The following list shows the choices to make:
  • In the Active Named Connection box, select your platform name.
  • From the Available Devices list, choose your CEPC device name.
 Downloading an OS Image to a Target Device

See Also

Set-Top Box Features | Supported Audio Codecs and Renderers | Multimedia Technologies | Audio Technologies | Determining Platform Audio and Display Driver Support | The DVD Standard | Choosing Miscellaneous CEPC Hardware

Last updated on Wednesday, April 13, 2005

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