Motorola Mobility licenses Comcast RDK

Motorola Mobility has licensed US cable giant Comcast’s Reference Design Kit (RDK) to provide RDK-based set-top boxes and gateways.

US tier one operators have been coalescing around the open source RDK, developed by Comcast, which can be implemented on a royalty free basis. Comcast is implementing the platform on its own X1 set-top box. The RDK was developed by Comcast as a community-based project allowing developers, vendors and operators to use a defined stack of software on one layer in order to provision set-top boxes and video gateways. Its standard interfaces and shared source code model are designed to ensure the interoperability of interfaces and functionality on multiple platforms.

The current implementation of the RDK includes CableLabs’ reference implementation for OCAP and tru2way middleware, as well as the Java Virtual Machine. Open-source components of the RDK include: GStreamer (a media management framework); QT (a windowing framework that allows cable operators to do multiple applications within the same runtime environment); and WebKit, all of which are execution environments that can be tailored to each MSO.

There are also optional plug-ins, such as Adobe Flash and Smooth HD.
“Our goal is to work closely with our operator customers to provide consumers with simple and intuitive entertainment experiences so they can enjoy their content anytime, anywhere, on any screen,” said Larry Robinson, Motorola Mobility senior vice-president and general manager, home devices. “We’ve worked closely with Comcast as a strategic and innovative partner for many years, and we’re excited to license the RDK as a smart, integrated solution to help move the industry forward in the evolution of TV.”

Other vendors developing RDK-based devices include Arris, which is developing an RDK-based version of its cable gateway product.

Motorola Mobility will be exhibiting at IBC on Stand 1.D31