Motorola is the defacto standard for cable company set-top boxes. Nearly every provider uses Moto boxes and software. This installs hope that the accessories Motorola announced today at IBC 2010 in Amsterdam actually have a chance at making it into the average consumer’s life.
NYXboard: The NYXboard combines the traditional remote control form with a full keyboard to create a more intuitive navigational experience for sophisticated interactive TV services as well as traditional linear TV. Able to control both the set-top and television set, the NYXboard has sensors to recognise which side of the remote is being used in order to activate the buttons accordingly. The keyboard function answers the demands of navigating content in the Internet Era of TV, such as searching through larger and more complex on-demand libraries or accessing web content on the TV. NYXboard will be available by the end of 2010
So there you have it. Motorola’s QWERTY solution and seeing how Motorola also codes the software for a lot of the set-top boxes out there, this remote has a shot of hitting the mainstream as part of a larger IPTV roll-out. It’s no secret that Internet content is part of TVs future, but the vast majority of consumers aren’t going to jump on board with products like Google TV and the others when their Comcast box currently works. However, perhaps this remote is a sign that Motorola is working on new set-top box software that actually needs QWERTY input and could hit your provider in the short term.
The remote is actually part of a five-model lineup that includes new fast-recharge capabilities that uses super capacitors capable of holding a two week charge off of only 60 seconds of USB power. The rest of the models are just your standard boring candybar remotes.