The ability for each local TV station to be able to simultaneously broadcast three additional digital channels when it switches from analog to digital broadcast has some hidden but major benefits for local broadcasters. They can use the additional channels for whatever they want ‘ a foreign-language channel, an all-local weather/traffic channel or one dedicated to old TV series, for example.
There are reportedly 14.6 million homes in the States whose main TV set, the big one in the living room, is not connected to a pay-TV service and another 20 million or so TVs in other rooms that aren’t connected either. These numbers come from a Centris market intelligence report on digital TV transition published in January.
If those homes purchase a digital TV set and a small antenna, like the $60 indoor model that Radio Shack sells, then many people will be able to select from 20 or more local channels, all in glorious, uncompressed HD, without signing up for a pay-TV service. Because they’re not overly compressed, the video quality of the over-the-air digital broadcasts is said to be superior to the compressed HD channels the pay-TV services offer.
With that many channels many viewers will want an electronic TV guide that shows which programs and movies are on now and the ones that’ll be on in the next 24 to 48 hours ‘ just like the ones the pay-TV services offer.
Macrovision, the folks that do copy protection on DVDs, has developed technology, code name Neon, for its on-screen program guide that can be embedded in TV sets. The TVs receive over-the-air program updates daily and display them transparently on the TV just like the pay-TV services. Macrovision expects to have the technology completed this summer and to have it built in to TV sets that’ll come to market in early 2010.
It has also built up a database of metadata for practically every movie and TV show ever made.
The end result will be that consumers who buy TV sets with the embedded Neon technology will get a full-blown, full-function TV guide for the 20 or more channels they receive over-the-air. They also get My Guide, a page for recommended shows such as favorites that are on now, favorites that are on next and recommendations based on a profile the user has made.
No Internet connection is required. The guide is updated daily through the broadcasts. Macrovision is negotiating deals with two major US TV networks, which will use their local affiliates to transmit over-the-air program updates to each TV set that has the Neon technology.
Macrovision went beyond offering just another on-screen guide. It allows the user to create multiple profiles so the guide can be personalized.
The guide shows: What’s on now, what’s on next through the following day, recommendations from “experts” and shows that match the viewer’s profile.
One portion of the guide is for displaying metadata about the show; another is for an appropriate still picture (cover art) and a third for ads such as promos for upcoming TV shows.
Macrovisions’s technology and database come from three forward-thinking acquisitions it made:
– TV Guide from Gemstar. Macrovision subsequently sold off the TV Guide magazine to OpenGate Capital and the TV Guide network pay-TV channel to Lionsgate, the mini-major studio.
– All Media Guide, also known as AMG, which has lots and lots of metadata about movies, video games and music releases.
– Mediabolic, which developed technology that connected and streamed content to and from DLNA-compatible devices. There’s an Internet and home network connection coming too.
The basic level of Neon technology does not require an Internet or home network connection. It gets all its data updates over-the-air from local TV stations.
The Mediabolic technology produced both a server and a player piece of software.
The server software will be embedded into the newest version of Windows Media Center and can also be embedded in the network-attached storage devices that consumers are beginning to buy to store movies, TV shows, home videos and digital pictures. PCs and storage devices with the server software can stream video and pictures to any DLNA-compatible device.
The player software is in the My Media portion of the guide, which comes embedded in TV sets. The result is that if the TV set has an Ethernet connection ‘ and many believe most of them will by this time next year ‘ the viewer will be able to browse his videos and pictures and stream them to the TV set from any device that has a DLNA-compatible server.
Apple TV is not compatible with the Macrovision player software ‘ of course.
As Internet-connected TV sets become more popular, Macrovision, working with content producers, will be able to add video-on-demand (catch-up) content to the guide. The company has announced that it is working with CBS on a proof of concept for this capability.
Consumers will see in their guide what’s available on the online video services right next to what’s available on broadcast TV. It will not require a separate box to be connected to the TV set ‘ no Apple TV, no Vudu, no Roku.
David Jordan, VP of marketing at the company, said Macrovision intends to take full advantage of the connected capabilities that will increasingly be built into televisions and recording devices.
He said Macrovision’s standards-based approach makes it straight-forward for CE makers ‘to deliver digital entertainment products that consumers crave.’
Jordan said the company is committed to ‘working with CE manufacturers and the content community.’
Once the TV set is online, Neon will allow for video commercials that can be used to promote other shows and products. It will offer new, recurring advertising revenue opportunities for CE manufacturers.
Neon will be available in both the US and Europe as a complete reference design or customizable modules and delivered with professional services. Macrovision touts Neon as providing CE device manufacturers with a quick time-to-market design.