Cable Show 2010: Motorola Unboxes Digital-Only Multiroom DVR

Cable Show 2010 coverage from Multichannel News and B&C here.

Motorola has added a new player to its set-top roster: the DCX3501-M all-digital, HD dual-tuner multiroom DVR.

The DCX3501-M will be available in third quarter of 2010 in North America, Motorola said. The vendor is showing off the unit here at the Cable Show this week. The set-top -- 33% lighter than Motorola's previous DVR models -- includes an integrated Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) home networking interface to provide multiroom DVR and other media-sharing features.

The box includes two digital tuners and supports full 1080p60 high-definition output, but dispenses with analog video. The DCX3501-M is compatible with the vendor's DCT legacy software application programming instruction set and is tru2way-capable for compatibility with both new and existing applications.

"The Motorola DCX3501-M continues to advance operators' successful migration to all digital and offers flexibility to the consumer to meet the demand for more entertainment advanced services," Larry Robinson, vice president and general manager, Mobile Devices and Home, said in a statement.

The Motorola DCX3501-M includes an internal 500-Gigbayte hard drive in a new design, designed to allow easy replacement by the cable operator. DVR expansion is also supported via an external eSATA port enabling 1 Terabyte or more of storage.

Other features include: touch-sensitive buttons and a front-panel display; support for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC high-definition video, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Volume intelligent multi-channel audio leveling; and support for 3DTV video and graphics processing in the set-top prior to being delivered to the 3DTV-capable television.

In addition, Motorola said, it designed the DCX3501-M to be environmentally friendly. The unit, 33% lighter than previous models, requires less material in development, and Motorola claimed it's the first set-top to use post-consumer recycled plastic. The set-top also is designed to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest Energy Star standard for 2011 with reduced power consumption and standby modes.