Microsoft and several manufacturers have announced the availability of new Internet television set-top boxes with advanced system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, responding to demands from network operators for home devices with embedded systems.Cisco Systems, Koninklijke Philips Electronics, Motorola and Tatung are offering SoC-based IP television set-top boxes designed to meet the needs of carriers deploying the Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform, the companies said Tuesday in a joint statement.The systems include chipsets from Sigma Designs and STMicroelectronics.“The early set-top boxes were based on PC architectures, but what carriers really wanted were set-top boxes with embedded systems,” said Rudy Roth, senior director of product strategy in Philips’ consumer electronics telco division. “The new boxes meet this demand.” Integrated into the boxes are several components, including the demodulator, MPEG-2 decoder, video output and the processor, according to Roth. Security components for Microsoft’s software are also included.In addition, the new set-top boxes are equipped with technology to enable DVD-quality video at speeds up to 1.5Mbps over ADSL2+ (asymmetric DSL) lines, Roth said. The fully integrated home systems are designed to help carriers roll out IPTV services more easily, quickly and cost-efficiently, the statement said.-John Blau, IDG News Service (Dusseldorf Bureau)Related Links: Microsoft’s IPTV Software Hits Europe Microsoft, Juniper Team Up in IPTV Pact Apple ‘iTV’ Targets Couch PotatoesCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Huawei Beyond gigabit: the need for 10 Gbps in business networks Interview with Liu Jianning, Vice President of Huawei's Data Communication Marketing & Solutions Sales Dept By CIO Online Staff Nov 30, 2023 9 mins Cloud Architecture Networking brandpost Sponsored by SAP Generative AI’s ‘show me the money’ moment We’re past the hype and slick gen AI sales pitches. Business leaders want results. By Julia White Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers capture real economic value with zero trust Unleashing economic value: Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange transforms security architecture while cutting costs. By Zscaler Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Sponsored by SAP A cloud-based solution to rescue millions from energy poverty Aware of the correlation between energy and financial poverty, Savannah Energy is helping to generate clean, competitively priced electricity across Africa by integrating its old systems into one cloud-based platform. By Keith E. Greenberg, SAP Contributor Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe