It’s the start of the SCTE Cable Tec-Expo in Atlanta, which means you’re going to see a lot of cable news over the next two days. Among the vendor announcements, Rovi’s put out two customer releases related to the company’s TotalGuide EPG solutions. BlueRidge Communications is now using the white label version of Rovi’s TotalGuide xD application for smartphones and tablets (think Comcast iPad web app, but built by Rovi), and Buckeye Communications is rolling out the TotalGuide on its advanced set-tops.
This may not sound like exciting news, but it is when you consider that Rovi is bringing Internet-sourced content to the cable TV guide experience. Features include an HD interface, unified search, and “six-degree discovery” recommendations linking related content via cast and crew, awards, similar programs and more. When I spoke to Rovi VP Sharon Metz last week, she mentioned that Buckeye specifically is delivering Internet-based guide data using the DOCSIS modem in Motorola and Pace set-tops. Now there may be other applications using that set-top Internet connection by now, but this is the first consumer app I’ve heard of that takes advantage of that connectivity. (We’ll talk about what’s happening on Arris gateways another time.) Rovi’s got other customers on the roster too. This year the company’s announced TotalGuide EPG deals with BendBroadband, Armstrong, Suddenlink and Charter Communications.
Background photographs are so HTML 1996. ;) Yeah, it’s cool you can do it but it negatively impacts readability.
I don’t know if you would consider it as a consumer app or not, but the Tivo software running on the Comcast Motorola boxes uses the modem to obtain guide data from Tivo’s (I assume they are owned by Tivo) servers.
Are we sure it’s STB modem-to-Alviso or is it cable headend-to-Alviso? Hm. Never thought about it before. (And of course that initiative is dead, dead, dead.)
This just goes to show you, as I commented on the Nov 16th Tivo thread, providers own DVR’s and set top boxes are getting better and better. Soon the thought of a 3rd party DVR won’t even be on anyone’s mind.
This stuff is far more innovative than an unfinished Tivo HDUI.
I think 2012 and 2013 are going to be BIG years in the evolution of the set top navigation experience from in house MSO’s. Were already starting to see that now at the tail end of 2011. “Hang on to your butts”…