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To: John Rieman who wrote (38235)	1/14/1999 7:08:00 PM
From: DiViT	Respond to of 50808

Streamaster... news-real.com Motorola shows off all-in-oneTV box, // 'Streamaster' provides access to home entertainment and the Internet Austin American-Statesman LAS VEGAS -- [ Motorola Inc. ] thinks the future of home entertainment and Internet access may be a sleek black box that connects to your television. At the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show on Thursday, the company unveiled a new name brand for its set-top box project. The Austin-designed and manufactured multimedia architecture, previously code named "Blackbird," was introduced to clients and press at the show as "Streamaster." The company said the new name better reflects what the architecture, announced in September, does. Set-top boxes have evolved with the cable television industry and traditionally have worked as tuners with enhancements such as TV listings and pay-per- view capabilities. But a new generation of boxes is upping the ante with high-end sound and video, support for digital television , gaming and Internet capabilities. Although the presentation at the show focused on the box itself, produced by Motorola and manufactured in Austin by [ Solectron Corp. ] , the goal is to make Streamaster the building block for mainstream electronics makers -- the Toshibas and Panasonics of the industry. They would add features to the boxes to enhance home entertainment and sell them to consumers. Motorola's Semiconductor Products division, based in Austin, has been developing the project for three years. The boxes could cost from $99 to $399, depending on the number of features, according to observers. Their availability depends on when manufacturers decide to use them. Some could be ready this year. Jim Farrell, a spokesman for Motorola, said the company is taking a different approach with Streamaster than other chipmakers are with similar projects. The insides of Streamaster will be fully programmable and Power PC-compatible, allowing manufacturers to create their own applications without replacing circuits and parts inside. Manufacturers will be able to choose what components and features they want in the boxes, Farrell said. "We feel that for the cost of two (product features), clients will be able to get all the aspects they want." [snip]