Rovi grows next-gen media guide in Europe
Friday, January 8 2010, 11:07 GMT
By Andrew Laughlin, Technology Reporter
Rovi Corporation has strengthened its next-generation media guide solution throughout Europe by partnering with a range of major broadcasters.
The firm has signed up 15 European content providers - including Five, ZDF, ARD-Tagesschau, Das Vierte, NRJ-12, Berlin Fashion TV, golfdigital.tv and Freshmilk TV - to start using its advanced programming guide technology.
Separate partnerships have further been agreed with Dailymotion for user generated content, QTom for music videos and tunin.fm for digital radio.
In conjunction, Rovi has moved to back the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) initiative, which aims to create an open standard for new media services, such as video on-demand and catch-up TV.
By doing so, the around 30 digital entertainment firms already involved in HbbTV will now migrate their content to Rovi's TotalGuide solution.
"The global marketplace is growing for consumer electronic devices with direct access to media from many sources, including the internet. [But] the current environment is complex for consumers," said Corey Ferengul, Rovi executive vice president of product management and marketing.
"Rovi's TotalGuide can be a destination where consumers will find this confusion simplified. Consumers will be able to access media from multiple sources and devices, streamlining their digital home experience. We're excited to be able to deliver this new consumer experience by working closely with content providers."
Rovi has also agreed a collaboration deal with connected TV gaming provider PlayJam to incorporate gaming services into the electronic programming guides of a range of service providers.