CEO says new HD-DVR box for cable MSO distribution is on track

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

September 8, 2008

2 Min Read
Digeo Update

10:10 AM -- While Panasonic Corp. (NYSE: PC) drew a crowd for its first "real world" tru2way TV demo last week at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo in Denver, they weren't the only folks there offering an update of their cable industry wares. (See Panasonic Plays With Live Ammo .)

On Friday (Sept. 5), Digeo Inc. updated its progress on a new line of set-tops that will be offered directly through MSOs and via retail.

At a press event, Digeo CEO Greg Gudorf said the company is on track to introduce a new CableCARD-based, dual-tuner, hi-def DVR that will be distributed by cable operators later this year, starting with corporate cousin Charter Communications Inc. . (See New Moxi Boxi and Digeo Gets SDV-Ready.) That price-reduced box, featuring Digeo's Moxi interface, will sell for $300 or less, based on quantities, Gudorf said.

Initially, Digeo's direct-to-MSO box won't feature multi-room DVR capabilities.

"We'd like to do a multi-room version" for cable operators, Gudorf told Cable Digital News. "If it's something cable wants, we'd love to see it happen."

If consumers want the multi-room DVR from Digeo, they'll have to wait for its retail platform to emerge. Under that model, the primary box will communicate with less expensive "Moxi Mate" devices using Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) home networking technology

Digeo's expected to announce its retail product at next year's Consumer Electronics Show, but, according to Gudorf, it will certainly retail for less than $1,000. Before scrapping its original retail product plans earlier in the year, Digeo's primary box slated for retail, the Moxi Multi-Room HD DMR, was expected to sell for about $1,000. (See Digeo Revs Up for Retail and Moxi Maker Digeo Slashes Staff, Product Line .)

Although Digeo has signed the tru2way MOU, its initial retail product won't use tru2way. Instead, that device will rely on an IP connection for interactivity and to access services (including digital music and photo apps) that are specifically tied to Digeo's retail offering. (See More Firms Go the Way of Tru2way.)

Gudorf did not indicate when Digeo might develop and introduce a tru2way-based retail product.

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News

About the Author(s)

Jeff Baumgartner

Senior Editor, Light Reading

Jeff Baumgartner is a Senior Editor for Light Reading and is responsible for the day-to-day news coverage and analysis of the cable and video sectors. Follow him on X and LinkedIn.

Baumgartner also served as Site Editor for Light Reading Cable from 2007-2013. In between his two stints at Light Reading, he led tech coverage for Multichannel News and was a regular contributor to Broadcasting + Cable. Baumgartner was named to the 2018 class of the Cable TV Pioneers.

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