Modulus Video

About Modulus Video

Modulus Video, Inc. operated as a specialized developer of video compression systems for high-definition and standard-definition television. The company was established in January 2003 by a team of broadcast industry veterans: Jean Dumouchel, Mark Magee, Rob Robinett, and Raj Sandhu. The founders brought extensive experience from previous ventures in the video technology space; Rob Robinett was a co-founder of IP video delivery systems provider SkyStream Networks, while other key personnel hailed from companies like DiviCom. This background provided the team with deep insights into the challenges of video compression and delivery.

The firm's business was centered on providing standards-based video compression solutions to service providers in the IPTV, cable, broadcast, and satellite markets. Its revenue was generated by selling encoding and transmission systems that enabled clients to upgrade from the older MPEG-2 standard to the more efficient H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standard. This transition allowed service providers to significantly increase their channel capacity and affordably deliver more high-definition content over existing network infrastructure. Modulus Video's technology was a critical component for IPTV deployments globally, helping operators make more efficient use of their bandwidth.

The core product offering consisted of a real-time encoding and decoding platform for both SD and HD video. These systems were recognized for their software-centric architecture, which offered flexibility and a faster development timeline. A key product family was the ME2000, a compact (1 rack unit) encoding platform that was switchable between HD and SD and offered a substantial reduction in bit rates, enhancing video quality. The company also produced the MRE2000 family, which integrated a receiver, demodulator, decoder, and encoder into a single chassis to streamline television headend operations. After raising $8.5 million in a Series A financing round led by Trinity Ventures in 2004, the company accelerated its development. Having already partnered for over two years, Motorola announced its acquisition of Modulus Video in May 2007 and completed the transaction in July 2007, integrating it as a wholly-owned subsidiary into its Home and Networks Mobility business.