Comcast Media Center and Motorola Maximize Support for Cable Systems Serving Smaller Markets to Go All-Digital
Solutions Allow HITS Quantum Affiliates to Build Upon Existing System Architectures for Launch of Next-Generation Digital Video Services
NCTC Winter Education Conference, Phoenix, AZ - February 18, 2008 – Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA ), and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), both responsible for jointly developing the first national platform for offering digital video services via cable systems over a decade ago, have signed a multi-year agreement to develop and support the next generation of equipment and content authorization solutions for the CMC’s HITS Quantum affiliates.
The solutions being developed by the CMC and Motorola will allow HITS Quantum affiliates with 330 MHz plant capability or greater to offer a competitive lineup of advanced services by building upon their existing infrastructure. For example, a 330 MHz system could expand its service offering to customers by converting some of its analog channels to digital, utilizing programming on the HITS platform, and then using that reclaimed bandwidth to offer hundreds of additional linear HDTV and SD channels and a library of VOD programming with over 2,000 titles also available through the HITS platform. In addition, the affiliate should be well positioned to cost-effectively add high speed data, voice services, DVR and a host of interactive TV applications, including advanced advertising and gaming.
“While the economic realities for cable systems serving smaller markets haven’t changed, the complexities for offering a competitive package of digital video services to their customers have continued to increase,” said Gary Traver, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Comcast Media Center. “By strengthening the CMC’s relationship with Motorola, which partnered with us on the first generation of digital video services, we can offer our affiliates a cost-effective roadmap for rolling out advanced digital services that leverages a lot of their initial investments in digital equipment at the headend and in their customers’ homes.”
”By strengthening our relationship with CMC, we are demonstrating our commitment to serve the small operator community with solutions that will enable a graceful, affordable transition to all-digital networks,” said Mark Depietro, VP of Motorola's Video Access Business. “These systems include state-of-the-art signal processing products for the delivery network as well as cost-effective, advanced Set Tops for consumers’ homes. Through these solutions, Motorola and CMC will facilitate the rollout of services such as VOD and SDV in a highly cost-effective manner."
The new agreement calls for substantial investment in the National Authorization Service (NAS), which the two companies launched in 1996. In addition to enhancements for providing further support of HITS affiliates’ migration to all-digital and their launch of advanced services such as HDTV and VOD, NAS will support the universe of emerging applications that are being developed for the tru2way™ platform. Motorola's scalable digital headend systems and portfolio of advanced set top boxes provide HITS Quantum affiliates with modular, affordable equipment packages that are designed to build upon their current hardware configurations.
These enhancements combine with the expansion of the HITS Quantum content offerings to provide HITS affiliates with a turnkey alternative for offering advanced video services to their customers while realizing a substantial savings in cost and bandwidth. As previously announced, the CMC has consolidated over 200 channels of HD and SD digital content and its VOD service onto three satellites that may be viewed using one TVRO satellite antenna.
Representatives from the CMC and Motorola are on hand to answer questions about the new equipment packages, enhanced programming line ups and NAS services at the NCTC Winter Education Conference, which is currently underway in Phoenix, AZ.
About Comcast Media Center
Denver-based Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Cable, provides centralized content management and distribution solutions for cable system operators and members of the content community, including television programming networks, independent producers and advertisers “All From the Center.” CMC’s multiplatform content distribution services includes its HITS Quantum all- digital platform of over 210 linear HDTV and standard definition digital video and audio services; an Advertising Distribution Network (ADN) for centrally managing cross channel promotions and advertising; and a video on demand (VOD) platform that manages and distributes over 7,000 VOD assets each month. The CMC also provides a full spectrum of content production, management and distribution services, including channel origination, transcoding, hosting, storage and IP multicasting, for traditional and new media platforms. More information is available at http://www.comcastmediacenter.com
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.
NCTC Winter Education Conference, Phoenix, AZ - February 18, 2008 – Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA ), and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), both responsible for jointly developing the first national platform for offering digital video services via cable systems over a decade ago, have signed a multi-year agreement to develop and support the next generation of equipment and content authorization solutions for the CMC’s HITS Quantum affiliates.
The solutions being developed by the CMC and Motorola will allow HITS Quantum affiliates with 330 MHz plant capability or greater to offer a competitive lineup of advanced services by building upon their existing infrastructure. For example, a 330 MHz system could expand its service offering to customers by converting some of its analog channels to digital, utilizing programming on the HITS platform, and then using that reclaimed bandwidth to offer hundreds of additional linear HDTV and SD channels and a library of VOD programming with over 2,000 titles also available through the HITS platform. In addition, the affiliate should be well positioned to cost-effectively add high speed data, voice services, DVR and a host of interactive TV applications, including advanced advertising and gaming.
“While the economic realities for cable systems serving smaller markets haven’t changed, the complexities for offering a competitive package of digital video services to their customers have continued to increase,” said Gary Traver, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Comcast Media Center. “By strengthening the CMC’s relationship with Motorola, which partnered with us on the first generation of digital video services, we can offer our affiliates a cost-effective roadmap for rolling out advanced digital services that leverages a lot of their initial investments in digital equipment at the headend and in their customers’ homes.”
”By strengthening our relationship with CMC, we are demonstrating our commitment to serve the small operator community with solutions that will enable a graceful, affordable transition to all-digital networks,” said Mark Depietro, VP of Motorola's Video Access Business. “These systems include state-of-the-art signal processing products for the delivery network as well as cost-effective, advanced Set Tops for consumers’ homes. Through these solutions, Motorola and CMC will facilitate the rollout of services such as VOD and SDV in a highly cost-effective manner."
The new agreement calls for substantial investment in the National Authorization Service (NAS), which the two companies launched in 1996. In addition to enhancements for providing further support of HITS affiliates’ migration to all-digital and their launch of advanced services such as HDTV and VOD, NAS will support the universe of emerging applications that are being developed for the tru2way™ platform. Motorola's scalable digital headend systems and portfolio of advanced set top boxes provide HITS Quantum affiliates with modular, affordable equipment packages that are designed to build upon their current hardware configurations.
These enhancements combine with the expansion of the HITS Quantum content offerings to provide HITS affiliates with a turnkey alternative for offering advanced video services to their customers while realizing a substantial savings in cost and bandwidth. As previously announced, the CMC has consolidated over 200 channels of HD and SD digital content and its VOD service onto three satellites that may be viewed using one TVRO satellite antenna.
Representatives from the CMC and Motorola are on hand to answer questions about the new equipment packages, enhanced programming line ups and NAS services at the NCTC Winter Education Conference, which is currently underway in Phoenix, AZ.
About Comcast Media Center
Denver-based Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Cable, provides centralized content management and distribution solutions for cable system operators and members of the content community, including television programming networks, independent producers and advertisers “All From the Center.” CMC’s multiplatform content distribution services includes its HITS Quantum all- digital platform of over 210 linear HDTV and standard definition digital video and audio services; an Advertising Distribution Network (ADN) for centrally managing cross channel promotions and advertising; and a video on demand (VOD) platform that manages and distributes over 7,000 VOD assets each month. The CMC also provides a full spectrum of content production, management and distribution services, including channel origination, transcoding, hosting, storage and IP multicasting, for traditional and new media platforms. More information is available at http://www.comcastmediacenter.com
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.
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