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A lot of cable operators have been talking about it, but Paul Allen's Charter Communications may be the closest to actually deploying a digital set-top box with the time-shifting capabilities of an integrated personal video recorder.
Charter and its parent Vulcan Ventures-Allen's investment arm-inked a deal with ReplayTV and Motorola (formerly General Instrument) to develop a reference design platform code-named "Disco" for an integrated set-top box containing a digital video recorder (DVR) using Replay's management software.
"Our objective is to provide all set-top box manufacturers with an open reference design for DVRs," says James Henderson, Charter's vice president for corporate development and technology. "We're especially interested in how the recording function will integrate into the other box functions, so end customers have the best experience possible."
Expected to be complete by the first quarter 2001, Disco will apply to all Motorola integrated DCT- 5000 boxes produced for retail and MSO distribution. Limited quantities of the DVR box will be produced initially while the integration of the DVR with other box applications is tested in the field. Mass production of an integrated Motorola box is slated for mid-year.
"We firmly believe this is going to be something that benefits the entire cable industry," Henderson says, "so we plan to extend the open APIs and licensing to anyone who wants DVR capabilities integrated into their boxes."
Henderson says other box manufacturers and other MSOs are welcome to participate in developing the reference platform, which he promises will be compliant with OpenCable, the cable industry's interoperability standards.
Scientific-Atlanta Inc.'s vice president for product strategy, Bob Van Orden, says S-A is developing its own advanced digital STB with an integrated DVR, which will be in the Explorer series 6000 and later.
In the meanwhile, MSOs are pursuing distribution of stand-alone DVRs. Comcast is now renting ReplayTV and TiVo boxes to subscribers in New Jersey. Time Warner has a ReplayTV trial in Los Angeles. AT&T Broadband, however, is still formulating its DVR strategy while talking to the box vendors. Among the players vying for AT&T's favor is Pace Micro Technologies, which has announced its own XTV box with an integrated DVR.
"We believe that the DVR is really a function that should be integrated into the set-top rather than sold as a stand-alone device," says Yankee Group senior analyst Michael Goodman. "What makes the Charter deal significant is that it's a major step toward integrating that digital recording functionality into the box."
The director of research at another Boston consultancy, TechTrends, Laurence Bloom also asserts that the real market for DVRs is as integrated rather than standalone devices. "That's why this deal with Charter and Motorola and Replay is really a sign of things to come. From a price position, if nothing else, it's really the most sensible way to go forward from here."
Bloom expects 25 to 30 percent of all digital STBs will contain hard disks by the end of 2000, with the eventual goal of 85 percent by 2003.
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