Can you identify the Set Top Box Bunch?

[ClassicHasClass]

I know we have some Apple alums and staff here, and it turns out the Interactive TV Box/Set Top Box has nine images of its creators in ROM. So far five have been identified. Anyone else recognize the rest?

(NB: I added the STB Bunch as a joke. The images were just stored as small JPEGs internally.)

Apple's Interactive Television Box: hacking the Set Top Box System 7.1 in ROM

This article has been revised with recollections and corrections from former Apple employee Al Kossow, some good folks on Hacker News and t...

oldvcr.blogspot.com

 

[Al Kossow]

"Apple developed the STBs in their Austin, Texas campus."

The hardware was done by Ben Yung's Video Architecture Group in Cupertino, in Valley Green 6.
Battson and Hoddie were Quicktime people in DeAnza 3.

They are all Quicktime team members.

bitsavers (@bitsavers@oldbytes.space)

Can anyone fill in the missing names from the Apple Set Top Box picture? https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/can-you-identify-the-set-top-box-bunch.1244001/ Apple's Video Architecture Group info has disappeared into the mists of time #AppleLore

oldbytes.space

I'm curious where the Austin connection comes from.
It's also frustrating that I can't find any trace of Ben on the web any more.
I know he went off to start a video company, and died before the turn of
the century.

Johnny Turpin was involved though I don't see his picture

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-turpin-229aa13/

Apple Set Top Box (Revisited) | Applefritter

www.applefritter.com

Apple's Set Top Box

Maybe you should.

forums.macrumors.com

 

[ohmantics]

I know we have some Apple alums and staff here, and it turns out the Interactive TV Box/Set Top Box has nine images of its creators in ROM. So far five have been identified. Anyone else recognize the rest?

(NB: I added the STB Bunch as a joke. The images were just stored as small JPEGs internally.)

Apple's Interactive Television Box: hacking the Set Top Box System 7.1 in ROM

This article has been revised with recollections and corrections from former Apple employee Al Kossow, some good folks on Hacker News and t...

oldvcr.blogspot.com

Middle right is Jim Nitchals. Bottom left is Kip Olson. Bottom middle is David Van Brink. Blanking on bottom right, but I recognize him.

Everybody in this picture was on the QuickTime team.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Thanks, ohmantics! Was it possibly Fred Monroe? His name appears in the FredTVApp but is not otherwise accounted for. Or Kurt Clark?

I'm curious where the Austin connection comes from.

This reference ( https://pippin.fandom.com/wiki/Apple_Interactive_Television_Box ) says the STB1 was assembled in Austin. More accurate to say the AITB was designed at Cupertino and produced in Austin, perhaps?

 

[ohmantics]

Thanks, ohmantics! Was it possibly Fred Monroe? His name appears in the FredTVApp but is not otherwise accounted for. Or Kurt Clark?

Not Fred Monroe. TBH, that middle left doesn’t look like Fred Huxham either. I’ve forgotten what Kurt looked like. It’s been a minute.

This reference ( https://pippin.fandom.com/wiki/Apple_Interactive_Television_Box ) says the STB1 was assembled in Austin. More accurate to say the AITB was designed at Cupertino and produced in Austin, perhaps?

Manufactured in Austin is what I’d say. All the engineering and design work would have been in Cupertino.

 

[Al Kossow]

It's not Kurt. He was a mac rom guy before going to Tivo
Unfortunately, John Buck's book isn't out yet about the history of ATG and Quicktime

Cam, I'd suggest talking to Johnny about the project history. He's a good guy, tell him I said Hi

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Let me see what I can find out (and if I make contact, I will!). Thanks, Al and ohmantics!

 

[pizzaengineer]

I had one of these back in 2001 (long gone now) and I was able to boot my unit from an external hard drive while holding cmd-option-t-v all at once while powering it up. While holding those keys down it would boot up like a normal LC Mac of that era. I don't have any Apple equipment whatsoever or the set top box to test this again.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Do you recall if this was with a Q605 ROM or the red STB ROM?

 

[commodorejohn]

Well, that appears to be Geddy Lee in the middle...

 

[ClassicHasClass]

You owe me a new keyboard, man.

 

[pizzaengineer]

As far as I remember it was a green set top box ROM SIMM with black mask ROMs on it.

 

[hellojohnbuck]

It's not Kurt. He was a mac rom guy before going to Tivo
Unfortunately, John Buck's book isn't out yet about the history of ATG and Quicktime

Cam, I'd suggest talking to Johnny about the project history. He's a good guy, tell him I said Hi

thanks @Al Kossow shameless plug - the book is finally out - V 1.0 -> Here