Cisco presents new STB models which combine video and social networking

January 11, 2008 – Cisco has unveiled three new additions to its 8500HDC digital video recorder (DVR) series, which combine streaming digital video with social networking, offering more choice and easier navigation of content from the service provider network and the Internet.

The new models in the series offer a range of capabilities such as sharing Internet services and content across multiple device platforms, and the portability of personal photos and video content.  Key new features include the ability to share DVR or user-generated Internet-based video content across multiple STBs or PCs in the home, new programme guides with enhanced video navigation options, and integrated search options across multiple devices.

Also offered are Internet and premium content services, device docking and storage, making photos and personal video from the PC available for viewing on the TV, interactive and community/social applications, enabling users to share content and communicate with other people across devices on the same network, and enhanced video communications.

“Many years of research and hard work have resulted in our developing new capabilities to meet the needs of our service provider customers and consumers,” said Bob McIntyre, Chief Technical Officer of Cisco Service Provider Group.  “The 8500HDC DVR is vastly improved and has new features that surpass the PC you bought two years ago.  The new Cisco set-top boxes were built to enable innovation and will soon be the must-have device for every home entertainment system.”

The 8550HDC model offers analogue and digital tuning, while the 8450HDC offers digital-only tuning and the 8552HDC offers Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) support.  All models offer dual 400MHz processors for MPEG-4 advanced video compression decoding, 800 mips of application processing power, 1 GHz tuning and optional OpenCable features.

The new models are already available commercially to service provider customers.