Motorola has been selected to provide the satellite transmission equipment, including compression systems, multiplexors, and radios to enable Fox to transition all its satellite program distribution to 100% HD delivery, a move which will enable viewers to see HD content on its broadcast network, national cable channels, regional sports networks, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. The migration to Motorola technology will be rolled out beginning in Q1.
The transition to all-HD distribution will enable Fox to significantly streamline its distribution infrastructure as it moves from the current mix of SD and HD environments and diverse, multi-vendor technology platforms to a common all HD Motorola architecture.
As part of the migration, Fox will provide its affiliates with Motorola’s DSR-6000 commercial digital satellite radio that include the capability to derive an SD version of the HD content transmitted by Fox. The Motorola radios will read the standardized Active Format Descriptor information carried with the HD content that specifies the appropriate image composition for 3×4 aspect ratio SD TV sets.
Fox will utilize Motorola’s SE-3000 HD encoders to distribute its programming via satellite.
