Motorola Introduces First All-Digital Set-Top Family With Built-In Home Media Networking Capabilities

Innovative new set-tops simplify whole-home DVR, sharing music and photos around the home

Motorola, Inc. today redefined the digital video recorder (DVR) as a multimedia hub that lets consumers access and share video recordings, video-on-demand (VOD) content, pictures and music in and around the home with the introduction of the new Motorola QIP family of products.

The new Motorola QIP6416 is a high-definition (HD) capable, dual-tuner DVR with watch-and-record capability; the Motorola QIP6200 is a single-HD tuner set-top; and the Motorola QIP2500 is a single-tuner standard-definition model.

These three new Motorola set-tops are the first to include built-in home media networking capabilities. Using a technology known as MoCA (short for Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance), the Motorola QIP set-tops can create a multimedia network using the existing coaxial cable already found in the walls of a consumer’s home. This network is capable of transporting high-definition video, high-quality digital voice, and high-speed data to televisions, DVR, game consoles, wireless access points, and home computers.

The products are also unique because they support two different network architectures within the same device, providing service providers with a choice in way they can deliver digital video services into the home: The first supported is the traditional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) method commonly used today by cable operators, which sends video information to the home over radio frequencies. The second is the newer, emerging video-over-IP method, which delivers video to the home using packets of data.

Verizon Communications is the first Motorola customer to offer QIP series set-tops, as part of the Verizon FiOS™ TV service now available in parts of Texas, Virginia and Florida. In an agreement previously announced, Motorola is providing video network infrastructure and video consumer premises equipment related to Verizon’s launch of video services on the company’s new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. Verizon uses QAM to deliver scheduled programming and IP to deliver on-demand video to FiOS TV customers.

“This latest Motorola digital video innovation provides exceptional flexibility for service providers and consumers,” said John Burke, corporate vice president and general manager of digital video solutions at Motorola. ”Service providers gain flexibility in the way they can deliver digital video to the home, and consumers can access both purchased video content and personal media such as photos and music through the set-top. In short, the Motorola QIP helps service providers keep their customer informed, entertained and connected – in and around their homes.”

Motorola is showcasing its consumer entertainment solutions at the 2006 International CES trade show (Las Vegas, NV), at Booth #8545.