Motorola sends TV to your connected devices

Motorola wants consumers to have access to their favorite TV shows, regardless of if they are sitting in front of their TV screen, cooking dinner in the kitchen or relaxing in the bedroom.

The company, usually focused on mobile devices, has taken the covers off a broadband device called "Televation" that streams live TV to connected devices including tablets, smartphones and displays.

"Consumers love entertainment, and want easy access to TV no matter where they are in the home. Coupled with the explosive popularity of tablet devices, this represents a terrific opportunity for MSOs to increase customer satisfaction while generating new revenue," said John Burke, senior vice president and general manager, Converged Experiences, Motorola Mobility.

Motorola Mobility's Televation works hand in hand with a customer's broadband router and coax outlet to convert live TV to MPEG-4 in real time, transmitting TV shows and movies to connected devices such as iPads, iPhones, Xooms and Android-powered gadgets on the network.

The Motorola Televation also augments or reduces the resolution and bit rate of the streamed TV feed to "match the capabilities of the consumer's viewing device while maintaining excellent picture quality."

TV broadcasters and cable operators have been hesitant to provide their customers with TV streaming options. While companies such as Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and ABC have released TV streaming apps for the iPad, the industry's strict stance on digital rights has hindered the TV to tablet streaming market.

Motorola claims that its method of secure streaming "preserve[s] the digital rights associated with the program."

US cable operator and internet provider Comcast is rumored to be the first company to deploy Televation. No pricing or release dates have been announced.

The device is currently on show in both Motorola and Comcast's booths at the Cable Show in Chicago, USA. The Cable Show runs from June 14 to 16.