Mediacom Communications has begun to deploy the Pace MG1 media server/gateway outfitted with the TiVo user interface as the operator’s “flagship” hybrid QAM/IP platform, the U.K.-based set-top maker announced Monday.
Mediacom will begin to roll out the combination this month across its footprint this month, including several of the operator’s largest markets in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia and Florida.
In June, Mediacom started off with a TiVo-powered DVR package comprised of the TiVo Premiere Q four-tuner gateway, TiVo Mini IP set-top box, and companion apps that run on iOS and Android devices. At the time, Mediacom noted that it intended to offer TiVo on Pace-made gateways as part of its “broader rollout plan” for 2013.
According to the specs for the MG1 (previously referred to as the XG1), the device is capable of supporting Ethernet and MoCA 2.0 interfaces, integrated video transcoding, a CableCARD system capable of decrypting up to 6 QAM streams, and an additional 2 QAM demodulators for fast channel changes and other enhancements. The baseline box also sports a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with the ability to bond eight downstream channels and four upstream channels, and internal storage that can range from 500 gigabytes to 2 terabytes, and an eSATA port for storage expansion.
Pace, the top supplier of set-tops in the second quarter of 2013, according to Infonetics Research, said the deployment with Mediacom is the latest in a box partnership that dates back to 2006. Historically, Mediacom’s primary set-top supplier has been Motorola, which is now part of Arris Group. Mediacom has expressed interest in having Motorola port TiVo to their platform as well.
"We're confident that in combining TiVo's feature-rich UI with Pace's cutting-edge Media Gateway, we have a winning combination for our subscribers that offers a great linear TV experience alongside IP content on multiple devices around the home,” said JR Walden, SVP technology at Mediacom, in a statement.
