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2005 is the 'Year of the Media Center' for Cable and Moxi(TM)

Posted on: Sunday, 3 April 2005, 09:00 CDT

SAN FRANCISCO and KIRKLAND, Wash., April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- THE NATIONAL SHOW (NCTA) -- Digeo, Inc., the developer of the award-winning Moxi(TM) Media Center software platform, today unveiled a suite of innovative media center services and technologies designed to give cable operators clear product advantages over competing providers. The new Moxi capabilities enable cable operators to offer their subscribers the most robust digital entertainment experience available. As the only cable media center to offer multi-room and telephony capabilities, as well as On Demand, digital video recording (DVR), HD, and HSD services, the Moxi Media Center best positions cable operators to win the escalating battle for the digital home.

Competition for dominance of the home media center space has increased dramatically in the past year with satellite providers, telecommunications companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, and the PC industry all vying for control of the consumer entertainment experience - and the resulting revenue -- with new products and services. Cable competition is raising the bar by moving toward multi-functional, multi-room media centers that encompass a broader spectrum of services.

"Last year we were thrilled by the market's reaction to Moxi," said Jim Billmaier, chief executive officer, Digeo, Inc. "Both cable operators and their customers are clamoring for more Moxi services, in more rooms throughout the home. 2004 was the year of the DVR; this is the year of the Moxi Media Center. We believe that Moxi puts cable in the lead to win the battle for the digital living room."

Since its introduction, the Moxi Media Center has demonstrated strong market acceptance with the signing of six cable deployment agreements, including Adelphia, Charter Communications, Comcast, BendBroadband, NewWave Communications, and Sunflower Broadband.

"So far, only the Moxi architecture has delivered on the quality consumers expect from room to room," says Richard Doherty, research director for The Envisioneering Group. "Other industry entrants have a long way to go to match Digeo's robustness and quality throughout the digital cable home."

Underscoring company and product momentum, Digeo recently announced the full integration of all aspects of the industry "triple play:" video, data, and voice. Partnering with top switch and service providers, such as Cedar Point Communications, Moxi brings on-screen caller ID, message waiting notification, and call logging to select cable subscribers later this year.

March also marked the first deployment of Moxi's multi-room media center solution by BendBroadband and Sunflower Broadband. The Moxi Multi-Room Media Center extends the reach of DVR and digital entertainment services throughout customers' homes at a low cost, while enabling subscribers to enjoy access to all of their Moxi Media Center features and content on a second TV.

At NCTA this week Digeo will demonstrate why Moxi remains ahead of the competition with key milestone announcements, including:

* First Comcast launch market scheduled for spring 2005. Motorola

Broadband Media Center (BMC) with Moxi will soon be available to

Comcast subscribers in Huntsville, Alabama.

* Spring 2005 deployment momentum. Already rapidly approaching 100,000

in-home installations, Digeo confirmed upcoming deployment of the

Motorola Broadband Media Centers (BMC) with NewWave Communications, a

leading independent cable operator.

* Moxi doubles buy rates for On Demand services. With the industry's

best video on demand (VOD) interface, Moxi is the only media center

that allows consumers to conduct a single integrated search through

both On Demand and broadcast listings; such intuitive features double

Moxi VOD buy rates over the industry average. Cable subscribers with

Moxi average one purchase per sub per month. According to Forrester

Group, the cable industry average is approximately 0.5 per sub per

month ("How to Make Video On-Demand a Success," June 2004).

* Scientific Atlanta (SA) compatibility with upcoming deployment of

Moxi(TM) PowerKEY Media Center. Moxi PowerKEY is currently in home

trials and will begin deployment later this spring.

* Increased media center flexibility with the first dual-mode set top

box. The Moxi(TM) Mini, scheduled for release in 2006, is the first

low-cost set top box (STB) that can function both as a stand alone

digital receiver and as a client delivering complete multi-room media

center functionality whenever a Moxi(TM) II Media Center is also

installed in the home. Offering cable operators an alternative to the

traditional STB, Moxi Mini offers a solution that provides both a low

price point and a much longer competitive life when compared to

traditional STBs.

Additional information about all Moxi announcements can be found online at http://www.digeo.com/. All Moxi product and service offerings will be on display at Moscone Center North Hall, Booth 5464, and Digeo Founder Paul Allen is also scheduled to participate in a panel today at 1 p.m. titled, "From Baud to Broadband," at Moscone Center West.

About Digeo, Inc.

Delivering a competitive advantage with Emmy(R) award-winning Moxi(TM) Media Center software and services, and the most powerful digital entertainment experience for cable subscribers, Digeo, Inc. enables cable providers to become the focal point of the whole-home digital entertainment space. Leading edge software technologies, custom silicon innovation, and full OCAP support allow Digeo to continuously provide lucrative, cost- effective and content-rich media solutions to cable customers nationwide.

Moxi Media Center products empower subscribers with the full range of digital entertainment capabilities including: digital video recording (DVR); high-definition (HD) programming; digital media management of photography and music with Moxi Photos and Moxi Jukebox; content sharing with the PC; live, interactive news feeds with Moxi Ticker; Moxi Games; as well as integrated telephony and multi-room capabilities.

Digeo has established Moxi deployment partnerships with Adelphia, BendBroadband, Charter Communications, Comcast, NewWave Communications, and Sunflower Broadband. Digeo is primarily backed by Paul Allen's Vulcan, Inc. The company was founded in 1999 and has offices in Kirkland, Wash., Palo Alto, Calif. and Longmont, Colo. For more information, please visit http://www.digeo.com/.

For more information, press only:

Rebecca Holmes, Digeo, Inc., rebecca.holmes@digeo.com, (c) 206.852.0652;

(o) 435.896.6065

Sheila Bryson, Sparkpr for Digeo, sheila@sparkpr.com, (c) 925.768.6127;

(o) 415.369.1866

Digeo(TM) and Moxi(TM) are the trademarks of Digeo, Inc.

Use of the trademarks and service marks of the National Television Academy ("NTA"), including the mark EMMY(R), requires the prior express written permission of National Television Academy.

All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Digeo, Inc.

CONTACT: Rebecca Holmes of Digeo, Inc., +1-435-896-6065, cell,+1-206-852-0652, rebecca.holmes@digeo.com,; or Sheila Bryson of Sparkpr,+1-415-369-1866, cell, +1-925-768-6127, sheila@sparkpr.com, for Digeo

Web site: http://www.digeo.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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