Comcast Taps Texas Instruments for Voice Controlled-TV Remotes
Comcast has selected Texas Instruments' voice-over-RF4CE ZigBee remote control technology to power its newest Xfinity TV remote control. With the use of TI's integrated hardware and software voice-enabled remote technology, the Xfinity remote control allows consumers to use voice commands to search for networks and shows, set DVR recordings, get recommendations and more.
"The voice remote lets Xfinity customers find what they want faster by searching for favorite movies, shows, actors or genres with natural language," said Jonathan Palmatier, vice president of product development at Comcast NBC Universal, in a statement. "TI's innovative voice over-RF4CE technology enables this experience with a cost-effective and integrated hardware and software solution."
The TI ZigBee RF4CE wireless microcontroller (MCU) provides non line-of-sight bi-directional communication and best-in-class link budget for increased reliability. Its low active and sleep current enables products to have a longer battery life. Additionally, the royalty-free RemoTI RF4CE stack and development platform provides sample applications for rapid development and deployment of remote control products.
"The days of pushing buttons to search for shows, access content and controlling the DVR is over as voice control becomes mainstream in the remote control industry," said Stig Torud, product manager, wireless connectivity solutions, TI, in a statement. "TI is pleased to provide the best-in-class RF4CE solution powering the technology behind the voice remote from Xfinity."