ReplayTV to Supply Video-Recording Software for Motorola Converter Boxes

ReplayTV Inc., struggling in the nascent market for digital video recorders, has signed a deal with Motorola Inc. that could put its TV-recording software in millions of U.S. homes.

Motorola, the leading manufacturer of cable converter boxes, is developing a version of its advanced digital converter that will have a built-in digital recorder. It has chosen Replay of Mountain View, Calif., as a primary supplier of the video-recording software in that box.

So-called personal video recorders enable viewers not only to record shows more easily, but also to pause, rewind and play back live programs. Consumers have been slow to buy these devices, however, and Replay announced late last year that it would focus on selling its software instead of making recorders.

The Motorola deal is the first big licensing win for Replay, which secured the cable supplier’s business ahead of rivals such as TiVo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.