CableLabs Tests Switched Digital Video from TiVo, Motorola and Cisco

TiVo, Motorola and Cisco have submitted switched digital video equipment for formal testing at CableLabs.


Motorola and Cisco have both developed external tuning adapters and are seeking qualification by CableLabs before being delivered to cable operators for deployment. The tuning adapters are expected to be offered in the coming months by cable operators including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Cablevision in areas where switched digital technology is being deployed.


The tuning adapter will enable TiVo Series3, TiVo HD DVRs, and certain other one-way digital cable ready consumer electronic devices that utilize CableCARDs to access digital cable channels delivered using switched digital technology. TiVo has modified its software for its TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs to communicate with the external Tuning Adapter.


The cable operators and TiVo plan to work cooperatively to alert TiVo subscribers about the availability or need of the new external adapter and to ensure that installation of the adapter and CableCARDs will be easy and seamless for the consumer.


"We are pleased with the focus and cooperation that CableLabs and the cable industry has exhibited from the outset and are eager to see this solution through to fruition so that customers can enjoy access to all switched digital cable channels," said TiVo CEO & President Tom Rogers. "This undertaking is a significant step forward in our ongoing relationship with the cable industry to develop technology and provide solutions that improve the television experience of cable subscribers."http://www.tivo.com