Motorola plans video media hub for mobile devices

Motorola at the Reuters Global Media Summit Wednesday said it would have a media hub at the CES expo in January. Motorola Mobility president Dan Moloney explained that the device would stream video with a mobile focus, primarily to smartphones and tablets. The unnamed hardware would be offered through service providers and would get its content from outside the home rather than from other nearby devices.

It wouldn't necessarily carry a subscription fee to use depending on the provider, Moloney said. He hinted that it could be used by cable or satellite TV providers as an incentive to stay onboard by providing mobile or semi-mobile video for free. Which platforms would support the hub weren't said, but Android is certain and might be supported by iOS or others if sufficiently open.

The unveiling is likely to come as part of a major Android push at the Las Vegas-based trade show. Among the devices that could launch is the MotoPad, a seven-inch tablet that may run Android 3.0. Almost certain is the Olympus, a dual-core Tegra 2 phone that could be a vehicle for at least Android 2.3 through its front video camera.

A media streaming device would be part of a larger strategy for the soon-to-separate mobile group to integrate with its parent firm, giving Motorola's set-top box business a complement that it wouldn't otherwise have on its own. Rivals like Dish Network already have live iPad streaming which in some cases doesn't need more than the DVR and an Internet connection to support TV streaming.

By Electronista Staff