French vendor Technicolor signed a memorandum of understanding with Verizon to be one of the telco’s home router suppliers and also announced a three-year extension on its agreement with DirecTV.
Technicolor, which was formerly known as Thomson, has shipped more than 48 million set-top boxes to DirecTV. Technicolor is also enabling DirecTV’s first 3-D VOD service. Technicolor said the contract extension would allow the two companies to further develop their collaboration in new areas such as 3-D.
“Technicolor has been a strategic business partner for DirecTV for over 15 years and has been a supplier in every set-top box product category available for DirecTV,” said Vince Pizzica, head of digital delivery at Technicolor. “We are now supporting a significant number of HD channels and are ready to meet new challenges in the future, such as greater interactivity and stereoscopic 3-D services.”
In addition to SD and HD set-top boxes, Technicolor has been providing DirecTV with multiple technology services such as hospitality video systems, multi-dwelling broadcast distribution systems and aircraft video distribution technologies.
With Verizon, Technicolor will be one of the providers of broadband home routers for the telco’s FiOS service. Technicolor said its broadband routers would accelerate data transmissions over in-home coaxial wiring, although MoCA wasn’t specifically named, for FiOS subscribers.
Technicolor and Verizon are currently negotiating a final three-year, strategic agreement. Under this agreement, Technicolor will provide FiOS broadband home routers and will collaborate with Verizon on new technologies.
