Pace Set to Launch Multiroom DVR with Multiple Cable Operators

Pace’s First to Market ‘Home Content Sharing’ Solution Targets Up to 26 Million Cable Subscribers

DENVER, Colo. — Pace plc (LSE:PIC), a leading global developer of digital TV technologies, today announced that multiple cable operators, including Buckeye Cablevision, Inc., Mediacom, Sunflower Broadband, and others, are already nearing completion of field trials for Pace’s Home Content Sharing (HCS) solution. In addition, the National Cable Television Cooperative has agreed to offer the product to its vast membership of service providers.

Pace’s HCS solution, an industry first, is now commercially available and enables full dual tuner HD-DVR functionality on every connected television in the home. The solution is built around a single Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that provides centralized storage and a shared list of recordings that can be accessed from multiple set-top boxes within a home network. Access to key features such as ‘watch and record’, pausing live TV, and managing recordings from connected televisions is being made possible through the well-known Rovi Interactive Program Guide.

The initial group of cable operators and industry cooperatives working with Pace opens up a target market of up to 26 million subscribers for this new technology.

Joe Jensen, Chief Technology Officer at Buckeye Cablevision, Inc, further explained; “Pace’s architecture provides a NAS platform that can improve the viewing experience in today’s environment and potentially evolve into a gateway device to offer next generation services to our customers. I have been testing the system in my home, and I am confident this will be well received by our customers.”

“The Pace solution is a true multiroom DVR versus other ‘multiview solutions’, meaning that the subscriber gets the same complete dual-tuner DVR experience they are familiar with today in every room of the home, rather than a subset of features,” said JR Walden, Senior Vice President of Technology at Mediacom.

Sunflower’s COO, Patrick Knorr, also commented; “After evaluating numerous options for multiroom DVR it became clear that the Pace solution was clearly ahead of other offerings with respect to functionality and deployment flexibility. This solution is simply more powerful than what cable’s competitors can offer.”

“Pace has always been committed to listening to our customers, understanding their unique businesses and providing timely, cost effective solutions that meet their goals,” said Mike Pulli, President at Pace Americas. “HCS enables our customers to immediately provide full DVR capabilities throughout the home on multiple set-top boxes without the need for internal hard drives. HCS will help cable operators stay competitive, win new customers and decrease churn.”

As announced earlier this week, 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 mode1 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.

HCS connects multiple set-top boxes to the NAS over ‘in home’ coaxial cable or Ethernet. The NAS eliminates the need for hard drives within the individual set-top boxes while still enabling full DVR functionality on lower-cost HD boxes throughout the home. The NAS is a MoCA 1.1 integrated device available with various hard drive capacities and an eSATA port for easy expansion.

Availability

Pace’s HCS solution, including the set-top box and the NAS, are 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 #13065 at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers annual trade show.