When coupled with Broadcom’s popular BCM7405 set-top box SoC solution, the BCM4717V-based module enables OEMs to build IPTV solutions that connect to the service wirelessly. Previously, multiple set-top boxes within a home were connected to one another, and to the TV service, via a wired network (such as MoCA, HPNA and Ethernet). The addition of the BCM4717V to the Microsoft Mediaroom client now provides carriers with an embedded wireless option for the in-home deployment of set-top boxes that yields a far faster and less expensive installation method.
The completion of this Mediaroom wireless client integration highlights the continued commitment by Microsoft and Broadcom to make carrier-grade wireless TV service a reality. Broadcom also worked very closely with Cisco to integrate the BCM4717V with Mediaroom into their ISB7005 IP set-top box and VEN401 Access Point. Mediaroom client integration adds the features and functions necessary to control and manage a wireless interface for wide deployment in a carrier network as well as providing a rigorous testing procedure to ensure that consumers will experience glitch-free video anywhere in their home. Functionally, a Broadcom-enabled wireless STB is indistinguishable from a traditionally wired STB, offering the same quality of service (QoS), but now adds reliable and robust distribution of HD video services, whole-home digital video recorder (DVR) services, and content sharing across multiple screens/devices such as TVs, PCs, and mobile phones via Wi-Fi.