Microtune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TUNE) announced today that its 3-in-1 TV tuner (the MicroTuner™ MT2131) has been deployed in TiVo Inc.’s dual-tuner, high-definition (HD) digital video recorder (DVR). As part of the system electronics, Microtune’s tuner chips enable the TiVo set-top’s TV entertainment, multimedia and interactive services capabilities, including superb HD pictures and sound.
“TiVo is the recognized brand name for providing television services for digital video recorders,” said Albert Taddiken, Microtune’s Chief Operating Officer. “As the digital TV transition in the U.S. continues its momentum, the new TiVo set-top box, using our tuners, delivers TV reception across both broadcast and cable transmissions. In combination with TiVo’s feature-rich software and set-top architecture, the DVR is engineered to deliver superior HD picture and sound performance. We are pleased that TiVo chose our state-of-the-art MT2131 chips as the critical tuner technology.”
“Our TiVo HD DVR is the ultimate media centerpiece for the living room with the broadest selection of broadband content, alongside broadcast and cable programs, giving HDTV viewers more choice and control than they’ve ever had before,” said Mark Roberts, Vice President of Engineering at TiVo. “We are pleased to be working with Microtune to achieve uncompromising quality, performance and feature flexibility.”
Microtune 3-in-1 Tuner: Superior Performance Across U.S. Broadcast Standards
Microtune’s MT2131 tuner is the company’s flagship product for the digital TV market and is engineered to deliver superior TV reception across analog and digital broadcasts. The two tuners, when integrated into the new TiVo dual-tuner set-top box, deliver the robust, reliable radio frequency (RF) performance required for enabling off-air TV broadcasts, hundreds of different cable channels, video-on-demand programs, recording and playback of TV programs, interactive advertising and the high-quality video available for download through the TiVoCast™ service. Since the 3-in-1 tuner handles both analog and digital modes, it offers a solution that ensures compatibility with today’s analog TV reception, as well as current and future digital TV signals.
TiVo HD DVR
TiVo HD is designed as the ultimate HDTV companion, maximizing the HD cable experience by combining a new popular price with the clarity of HD programming and TiVo’s Emmy award-winning TiVo service. The new TiVo HD DVR is a Digital Cable Ready set-top-box that works seamlessly with any cable provider in the U.S. And only TiVo provides exclusive service features such as thousands of movie and TV downloads from Amazon.com, millions of songs from Rhapsody and thousands of music videos through Music Choice.
TiVo’s HD DVR offers 20 hours of high-definition or up to 180 hours of standard definition content. TiVo HD allows users to record two HD channels at the same time, while watching a third previously recorded show. With a built-in Ethernet jack, two CableCARD™ slots and USB ports, TiVo HD also provides advanced connectivity and easy networking, making it simple to access an additional suite of exclusive TiVo features.
Additional Information
For additional information on the role of the tuner in enhancing the digital television experience, please access Microtune’s White Paper, Understanding Digital Television, Seeing the Big Picture.
About Microtune
Microtune, Inc. is a silicon and subsystems company that designs and markets radio frequency (RF) solutions for the worldwide broadband communications and transportation electronics markets. Inventor of the MicroTuner™ single-chip broadband tuner, Microtune offers a portfolio of advanced tuner, amplifier, and upconverter products that enable the delivery of information and entertainment across new classes of consumer electronics devices. The Company currently holds 75 U.S. patents for its technology. Founded in 1996, Microtune is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with key design and sales centers located around the world. The website is http://www.microtune.com.
Design-Win Announcements
It is customary for Microtune to announce design wins, as referenced in this press release, and the announcement of these design wins, or any other design win, should not be viewed as an indicator of Microtune revenues for any current or future reporting period.
