Docking station

A set-top box for decoding digital multimedia signals, comprising:

• an external back end device for decoding digital multimedia signals;
• and
• a docking station for the detachable coupling of the external back end device for decoding digital multimedia signals, wherein the back end device is external the docking station, and wherein the docking station comprises:
• a signal input interface for digital multimedia signals;
• an internal front end assembly group designed for receiving the digital multimedia signals from the signal input interface;
• a front end interface with a coupling area designed for detachable coupling of an external front end assembly group of an external front end device;
• a HDMI output interface designed for the detachable coupling of an external multimedia device, the HDMI output interface configured to output an HDMI signal to the external multimedia device;
• and
• a back end interface designed for detachable coupling of an external back end assembly group of the external back end device configured to decode digital multimedia signals, the back end interface comprising:
• a first coupling area;
• a second coupling area;
• and a HDMI input interface,
• wherein the first coupling area is designed for detachable coupling of the internal front end assembly group to the external back end assembly group of the external back end device,
• wherein the second coupling area is designed for detachable, loop-through coupling of the front end interface to the external back end assembly group of the external back end device, and
• wherein the HDMI input interface is designed for the detachable coupling of the HDMI output interface of the docking station to an external HDMI output interface of the external back end device, the external HDMI output interface coupled to the external back end assembly group, and
• wherein the external back end device for decoding digital multimedia signals comprises:
• the external back end assembly group designed for the data processing of digital multimedia signals;
• an external front end interlace designed for detachably coupling of the back end interface of the docking station, the external front end interface comprising:
• a first coupling area, a second coupling area, and the external HDMI output interface;
• wherein, when the external front end interface of the external back end device is coupled to the back end interface of the docking station:
• the first coupling area, the second coupling area, and the external HDMI output interface of the external front end interface of the external back end device are respectively coupled with the first coupling area, the second coupling area, and the HDMI input interface of the back end interface of the docking station,
• wherein the external front end device, the external back end device, and the external multimedia device are different external devices, the docking station being a central module for the different external devices, and
• wherein the front end interface, the back end interface, and the HDMI output interface are different interfaces of the docking station, each designed for detachable coupling to a respective one of the different external devices.