Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… from our other blogs:

Spotify Shows Up on IPTV Set-Tops
Motorola has been showing off its latest IPTV hardware and software out at IBC, and it looks like Spotify made its first on-screen appearance.

New Remote Controls at IBC
The big focus at IBC for Motorola was the introduction of multi-screen TV management solutions, but that doesn’t mean hardware completely took a back seat. In fact, Motorola introduced several new IPTV remote controls including a full-keyboard QWERTY remote!

Comcast’s TV Everywhere Service, 9 Months In

Comcast launched its TV Everywhere service last December amid heated debates over how cable providers could compete with existing over-the-top TV applications. Now called Xfinity Online TV, the service is set to emerge from beta next month.

How to Solve the TV Guide Problem
There is general industry-wide consensus that something must be done about the TV electronic program guide (EPG). Just like the printed TV Guide booklet that used to arrive at my house every week as a kid, the standard EPG format is now outdated thanks to huge linear content additions, new VOD libraries, and masses of interactive Internet applications that have set consumer expectations for video viewing.

TV Bookmarks, QWERTY Keyboards, and More
The concept of how Motorola’s Medios software can be implemented continues to evolve. In this video from IBC, watch exec Malcolm Latham demo different features of Motorola’s TV guide platform.