S-A's Explorer 8000 Adds PVR Functionality

By Duffy Hayes, CED Magazine
from BroadbandWeek Direct, April 29, 2002

The Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server from Scientific-Atlanta is getting smarter by the day, with new functionalities being added to the advanced digital receiver in a variety of applications. Following that evolutionary line, S-A announced the integration of some Personal Video Recorder (PVR) technologies from a couple of software and service vendors.

First up in the integration is Keen Personal Media, whose TV4me digital video recorder (DVR) storage management susbsystem software has been integrated into the Explorer 8000 box, it was announced. In addition to content management capabilities, TV4me allows the ability to pause, rewind, or fast-forward from a live TV source. The integration is part of a larger agreement between Keen and S-A to license Keen's complete PVR software architecture. Last year, S-A announced an investment in the PVR software company, and a compatibility agreement for Keen's "sidecar" with the thinner 2000 line of Explorer boxes. Keen's 100-hour PVR sidecar has been in trials with at least four major MSOs so far, including Adelphia Communications.

Along the same lines, S-A has also integrated Metabyte Networks' MbTV 2.1 PVR software into the Explorer 8000 home server as well. MbTV 2.1 enables advanced PVR functionality, including scheduling and recording of programs, management of an internal hard disk, and an interface with a program data library. The Metabyte software platform will be used to add PVR capability to the personal TV navigator application that will be offered with the Explorer 8000 box. In addition to the PVR software add, S-A has also licensed the MbTV personalization software engine from Metabyte, which should enable other personal TV services like targeted advertisements, t-commerce, and personalized VOD.