Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) apparently has a new IPTV set-top box design that's been cleared by the FCC. If released next year as part of the Xfinity service, as expected, the box would reinforce Comcast's ongoing march into the IP space, where the MSO has been pushing hard on a plethora of TV Everywhere products and services.
Wireless Goodness picked up on the filing of the box Comcast previously identified as X13-H. the unit, which is shown torn down in the process of receiving FCC clearance, is being built by Humax, not Pace Plc (LSE: PIC.L), as was previously believed to be the case. More likely, at this stage, the Humax box will serve as a client for the Pace gateway.
The unit is fully loaded with a MoCA cable in slot, TV out, SPDIF out, HDMI in/out, Ethernet and USB ports, the story said. The box fronts an SD card slot, suggesting there will be some way to retrieve content and store it for portable use. There is also a "record" indicator on the front of the box, offering a possible clue that it will be used to activate the SD card.
According to the Wireless Goodness report, the X13-H lacks internal storage, "which makes either external or network storage a necessity for recording." Network storage, considering the path the MSO has been taking, would seem a given; external storage is an intriguing possibility.
Since the box is still in the preliminary approvals stages, Comcast hasn't had much to say about it. The biggest clue as to when it might make an appearance is a 2013 copyright date on the manual shown on the FCC site.
For more:
- Wireless Goodness has this report
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