Pace Introduces First to Market Multiroom DVR Solution

Monday, October 26th, 2009
Pace plc logo

Pace demonstrating its new ‘Home Content Sharing’ at CTAM, in conjunction with Rovi

DENVER, Colorado, (CTAM Summit) — Pace plc (LSE: PIC), a leading global developer of digital TV technologies, has today revealed an advanced multiroom DVR solution, Home Content Sharing (HCS). Pace’s HCS, which utilizes centralized storage to connect multiple high definition (HD) set-top boxes within the home, is integrated with Rovi’s (NASDAQ: ROVI) Interactive Program Guide (IPG) and Rovi’s Connected Platform software to enhance the product’s advanced functionality.

Pace’s multiroom DVR is a market first and delivers full dual tuner HD-DVR functionality to each connected television in the home. The product is built around a single Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that provides centralized storage and enables multiple non-DVR set-top boxes in the home to access and share recorded content. Rovi’s IPG provides an advanced, easy to navigate graphical interface for the HCS solution. Subscribers and cable operators will be instantly familiar with the user interface and will enjoy key features such as ‘watch and record’, pausing live TV, and managing recordings from connected televisions.

Pace’s advanced software and NAS architecture make it possible for the HCS solution to distribute nine simultaneous HD streams throughout the home. Subscribers will be able to concurrently record six HD programs while maintaining full trick mode[1] capability, which is an industry first. The HCS solution also offers advanced DVR features including a folder system, a bulk delete tool, and the ability to bookmark playback to resume in another room.

Rovi’s Connected Platform software product is also being used in Pace’s HCS to provide a standards-based, secure content sharing platform. When used in conjunction with Pace’s advanced multiroom DVR software, the Connected Platform product can enable cable operators to evolve their ‘whole home’ services to include more personalised content. This includes music, video, photos and Internet content, delivered using DLNA-, UPnP- and DTCP-IP-compliant devices via the home data network.

“Pace’s product development teams have achieved an important industry first in creating a multiroom DVR platform with a groundbreaking number of simultaneous recordings and HD streams that will delight cable subscribers”, said Pace America’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Tim O’Loughlin. “We have chosen to launch our HCS system alongside Rovi’s IPG due to its extraordinary prevalence in the cable market and its flexibility as an integration platform.”

“Cable operators continue to look to deploy solutions that provide added value to their service offerings and provide subscribers with a cutting-edge home entertainment experience,” said Simon Adams, senior vice president of CE sales, Rovi. “We are excited to collaborate with Pace on the launch of an innovative multiroom DVR solution that brings consumers seamless access to digital content while also giving operators more choice on how to implement content sharing capabilities in their infrastructure.”

Availability

Pace’s HCS solution, including the set-top box and the NAS, is available for immediate deployment. For cable operators who are not currently Rovi IPG customers, the Rovi IPG is available now from Rovi.

Pace will demonstrate its HCS solution at booth #206 at the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing conference and at booth #13065 at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers annual trade show.

1. Pause live TV, fast forward, rewind etc