Motorola bridges MPEG-4, MPEG-2 networks

Motorola is aiming to usher in the next generation of receiver/transcoders with its DSR-6000 series receivers. The receivers will allow networks to use both MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-2 compression technologies, as well as convert content into MPEG-2 for operators with MPEG-2 set-tops.

Using the DSR-6000 series, programmers can distribute content solely in the MPEG-4 high-definition (HD) format, while enabling service providers to deliver in either MPEG-4 or MPEG-2, and in either standard or HD formats. The receivers receive content via satellite from the North American programs, distributed in the MPEG-4 format. A service provider can then either pass it through to its network, if the network is based on MPEG-4, or the units can transcode it from MPEG-4 to MPEG-2, such as in the case of cable, which is primarily an MPEG-2 network based on MPEG-2 set-tops.
 
Motorola said this new technology will greatly reduce satellite transponder requirements, allowing programmers to expand their HD and SD programming.
 
“The device allows the content to be converted into the right format in the network rather than require the broadcaster to deliver it in two formats,” said Martin Stein, senior director of marketing for Motorola. “In order for the programmers to launch a full array of HD services to meet what they think is a demand from viewers to have HD content, they wanted to pick a format that is both efficient over satellite and represented a technology that still had some improvement left in it.”

Stein said that the new solution fills a big demand in a specific part of the market: HD distribution. The gear is meant to save cable operators, still using MPEG-2 encoders, the expense and hassle of having to change out millions of set-top boxes in order to expand their HD services to their customers. The end result is HD programming that doesn’t change the look or feel of the viewing experience. 

“The goal was to keep it in the same form factor as the current receivers that [service providers] are used to deploying, so it doesn’t require a lot of extra rack space or power than what they have,” Stein said. “To the downstream part of their network, everything looks the same. If they’ve got receivers today that are passing through the MPEG-2 format from the programmers, they can just hook up to this receiver and nothing downstream will look any different to them. It will be transparent to the rest of their network.”

The DSR-6000 series technology is another step toward a future of an “anywhere, anytime” mentality of content consumption. Motorola’s vision of the future is one in which the world’s programmers will be able to pick a format and distribute it to any number of networks, Stein said. Right now, the DSR-6000 covers the most prevalent networks, cable and telco, but future possibilities lie in mobile networks, IP and essentially any viewing screen. 

“You could envision these sort of network boxes being deployed and outputting any format that is appropriate for any network that people are viewing on,” Stein said, “leaving the programmers to produce in one format so they can focus on production and content quality and distribution, and then in the networks have products that convert to whatever the flavor of the day is. We have two flavors today, but we may have more as time goes on. We want to wait to see what those may be.”

Both HBO and Starz are already on board and completing beta tests of the DRS-6000 series. HBO will offer all 26 of its channels to operators in the HD format using MPEG-4 by mid-2008. The products become generally available in January; pricing information has yet to be released.