Following up on the recent Tuning Resolver solution for SDV announcement, Mari Silbey at Connected Home 2 G0 used her connections inside Motorola to dig up more details. And they are certainly interesting details – some highlights:

• Motorola starting working on a device with CableLabs in July.
• Two weeks ago they had a working prototype at an interoperability session with TiVo – a working device in just four months. (And the implication that TiVo has work prototype firmware already too.)
• Motorola has committed to general availability of the Tuning Resolver in 2Q2008, just six months from now.
• Motorola’s current design looks like their DCT700 cable box.

And, perhaps most intriguing of all, Mari writes:

Last, last note – the tuning resolver does not currently support VOD services, but I’m told it’s not an unreasonable assumption to believe that it might in the future.

I said before that once a bidirectional communications device exists for SDV the barrier to developing protocols for other services, such as VOD and PPV, is much lower. And there is incentive for the cable MSOs, since they make revenue from the sales of VOD and PPV – the more people who have access to the content, the better it is for them.