Home Box Office to Deliver 26 High-Definition Channels Using Motorola Technology
Now if we can get other Networks to do the same as HBO.
Home Box Office to Deliver 26 High-Definition Channels Using Motorola Technology
August 09, 2007: 10:52 AM EST
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola today announced it will implement a 26-channel, high-definition (HD) MPEG-4 AVC encoding system for Home Box Office (HBO). Offered by Motorola's Home and Networks Mobility Business, the system compresses, encrypts, modulates, and receives the HD signals within a single integrated transmission system to allow HBO to expand its HD offerings to subscribers.
"HBO has a long history of delivering great programming in the highest quality and just as we were the first to launch a high-definition feed, we are now the first to commit to the full breadth of our channels in HD," said Bob Zitter, executive vice president, technology and chief technology officer, HBO. "Motorola's implementation of the highly efficient MPEG-4 encoding standard provides the quality that we require and that our customers expect."
Motorola is integrating key technologies to deliver high-bandwidth HD channels through increased capacity. Using very high quality/high efficiency MPEG-4/AVC encoding technology allows Motorola to ensure compliance with HBO's video quality standards. Additionally, Motorola's new multi-format Integrated Receiver/Decoder (IRD) will deliver HD channels in both MPEG-4/AVC and MPEG-2 formats.
"Motorola has made a long-term commitment to the advancement of digital video technology. As such, we are very pleased to work with HBO on this important industry project," said Doug Means, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Home and Networks Mobility. "We expect this project to change the way programmers approach large-scale, high- and standard- definition content distribution."
As a long-time leader in HD digital compression systems and a member of the Grand Alliance HD encoding effort, Motorola has deployed hundreds of HD encoding systems in the MPEG-2 standard. The MPEG-4 AVC technology has been optimized for today's content requirements, handling both 1920 x 1080i and 1280 x 720p resolutions at approximately half the bandwidth required with similar MPEG-2 coded signals.