Motorola VIP1853 Set-Top Box Is Easy to Upgrade

Motorola may be best known for its mobile devices, but there is nothing stopping it from showing its cards on the multimedia market, in this instance a set-top box with upgradeable features.

HDTVs have been gaining PC-like capabilities like web connectivity and even their own storage devices, be they of the optical or HDD variety.

Nonetheless, in the end, they are still TVs, meaning that they need to get the content from somewhere, and with antennae no longer trendy, the task falls to set-top boxes.

Turns out that a set-top box is precisely what Motorola created, giving it the name of VIP1853 and outfitting it with all the necessary part to be susceptible to a DVR upgrade.

Granted, it does already have an 8GB DVR module and supports trick play/pause, but the HDD capacity can be pushed to 160 GB, 320 GB or 500 GB.

Motorola chose to give its creation support for Motorola KreaTV 4.2 or higher, an open software application framework for delivering carrier-class IPTV services without impacting the possibility to add new services and functionality.

As for the rest, the company went for a compact, mechanical and efficient build and even put effort into striking a low power consumption and environment impact.

“The Motorola VIP1853 can further strengthen the operator’s relationship with its subscriber base and differentiates its position in the marketplace by offering a high performance IP set-top with a lower cost DVR option,” said Keith Kelley, vice president, home devices, Motorola Mobility.

“The modular design of the Motorola VIP1853 is attractive and environmentally friendly, and allows subscribers to increase the enjoyment of their home entertainment service with its opt-in DVR capacity at an affordable and easy-to-control price point.”

The press release did not specify a price, but with global availability scheduled for the third quarter, this should not remain a mystery much longer.