Motorola unveils mobile TV viewer, HD DVR
updated 10:05 am EST, Thu January 3, 2008
Moto DH01 and WiMAX
Motorola today launched an aggressive campaign to bolster its wireless offerings and began with its first handheld geared just towards mobile TV: the DH01 (pictured) will pick up digital over-the-air broadcasts using the DVB-H standard and allow users to watch without the restrictions of cable or satellite; it will also offer DVR-like abilities with both a five minute buffer for short breaks and an SD card slot that stores recorded TV shows or pre-recorded music, photos, and videos the user already owns. About 90 minutes of TV shows will fit on just a 256MB SD card, Motorola estimates. The built-in battery on the DH01 lasts for four hours of live TV.
While it will be available to the public at large, the DH01 is initially being sold to TV providers and other services that want to offer portable TV to viewers. Pricing and release dates are not listed and will most likely be set by the carriers. The device is primarily intended for Europe given its choice of format and would need a switch to formats such as MediaFLO to be used in the US.
Motorola also took the opportunity to update some of its set-top boxes for the home and began with the DCX, a new HD DVR system for providers hoping to make the most of sharper video. In addition to a 1GHz tuner and channel bonding borrowed from the DOCSIS 3 cable modem standard, both of which supply more room for channels, the DCX can also properly play and encode H.264 video. This lets carriers offer more channels in the same space or add features such as Dolby Digital surround, according to the company. The DCX further doubles as a media hub for a home's local network. Service providers should receive the new DVRs during the summer with single-tuner analog (DCX100), single-tuner HD (DCX3200), and dual-tuner HD (DCX3400) versions available.
Also announced are the CPEi 100, a simple external WiMAX modem for companies offering 4G wireless to home desktops, and the SBV5422, a cable modem that bundles a cordless VoIP phone and the ability to check e-mail or the Yellow Pages from the phone rather than turn to a computer. Their release dates are currently unavailable.
DH01
