Motorola and Technicolor (formerly known as Thomson) each touted the shipment of 100 million digital set-top boxes within a week of each other.
Motorola came first: Last week, the company announced that its Home and Networks Mobility business unit has shipped 100 million digital entertainment devices, which include cable and IPTV set-tops and DVRs.
The total dates back to the days of General Instrument, which Motorola acquired in 2000. Motorola hit the 50-million mark for digital set-tops in October 2006.
Paris-based Technicolor, which changed its name from Thomson effective Feb. 1 after emerging from a debt restructuring, made its 100-million milestone announcement Thursday.
The company first entered the digital set-top market in 1994. Its North American customers include DirecTV, the company's first digital satellite set-top box customer. In Europe, customers include Liberty Global's UPC Broadband and News Corp. affiliates such as BSkyB.
