Pace Unveils Europe’s First HD PVR

Pace Micro Technology demonstrated live today Europe's first high definition (HD) personal video recorder (PVR) at IBC2004.

Designed for cable and satellite platforms, Pace’s ground-breaking TDX840 HD PVR box will enable European broadcasters to capitalise on two of the most advanced, revenue creating technologiescurrently available in the digital TV industry.

Pace’s TDX840 uses MPEG-2 de-coding and features a minimum 160 GByte hard drive. Any European cable or satellite broadcaster looking to transmit HD services will be able to utilise the TDX840 as it can be configured for all major conditional access (CA) and middleware systems. The TDX840 will launch in the second half of 2005 and form part of a comprehensive European high definition product range featuring cable and satellite variants and Pace’s important first MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264) set-top box platform.

Using the TDX840, European broadcasters will be able to deliver high definition PVR services to allow; live recording, pause live TV, fast forward, rewind and time-shift. For the first time ever in Europe, HD content will be recorded and re-played at high-resolution HD quality rather than standard definition quality that is currently available via VCR or DVD. The TDX840 will also enable broadcasters to manage bandwidth more effectively, allowing them to download content and services to the hard drive at non-peak times.

At the same time, Pace’s TDX840 will also enable broadcasters to capitalise on HD. The TDX840 enables the delivery of high-resolution content, stunning graphics and scaled video in true widescreen format. As a result, broadcasters can differentiate their service offerings from competing platforms, generate revenues from premium HD channels and respond directly to viewer demands for better quality picture and sound.

Pace has drawn on its experience of HD deployments in the US and unrivalled European PVR expertise to create the ground breaking TDX840.

David Gillies, Pace’s Director of Technology explains: “Pace is a leading developer of PVR technology and delivered the first payTV PVR for BSkyB in the UK. Pace is also one of the high definition pioneers in the USA, the world’s leading HD market. “

He continued: “Pace’s first generation US HD box was the most advanced cable set-top in its class and set the standard for HD set-tops across the US. Leading cable operators Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Bright House Networks have successfully deployed Pace’s HD cable box in volume across the USA for the past year.

“Pace has utilised the strengths of this unique HD and PVR expertise and as a result, we are the first set-top box developer to create a groundbreaking European HD PVR.

With MPEG4’s more efficient use of bandwidth, HDPVR will be even more attractive; more services can be delivered and twice as much content can be stored on the hard disk drive.

“We are very excited to unveil the TDX840 today at IBC and look forward to working with European broadcasters in enabling them to reap the benefits that our HD PVR will enable.”