Amazon has announced new robotic voice assistant Alexa features that are coming to streaming media player Fire TV, including the ability to control playback of Amazon Video and Add-On Subscription content, launch apps, access local movie show times, search local businesses and restaurants, and more—all just by using your voice. According to Amazon, discovering and […]
BBC is to launch a discovery app, BBC+, as part of its content personalisation plans. In a progress report a year after director general Tony Hall set out his vision for a more personal BBC, the corporation said that the new BBC+ mobile app will help viewers to discover collections of content from across the […]
Netflix uses psychological experiments to draw viewers into its shows, the TV streaming company has confirmed. As viewers choose what show to watch on the service they are being used as test subjects to help Netflix understand which images make viewers pick a show and actually watch it. Netflix uses this data to get more people to watch its […]
Some five weeks after reports first emerged that entertainment discovery specialist Rovi was planning to acquire advanced television technology specialist TiVo the pair have confirmed a cash and stock deal of approximately $1.1 billion (€0.96bn). The new company combines two media and entertainment technology innovators with complementary products, services, and intellectual property assets and a […]
Home input device and interaction mechanism specialist ruwido has confirmed that it is providing the brand new Sky Q touch remote, designed to deliver a fluid and seamless TV experience. Sky’s premium Sky Q entertainment service – launched in February 2016 after its unveiling in November 2015 – is aimed at making it easier than […]
Broadcasters could be forgiven for wishing the digital train would occasionally slow down or at least rest a little longer in one station before moving on to another. For many years, of course, it was very straightforward – a signal was sent, by a variety of means, to a TV where it was watched or […]
German on-demand service Maxdome is hiring staff to boost personalised recommendations as it fends off OTT rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime. “Even the best algorithm could not satisfy our users,” said Maxdome’s co-chief Filmon Zerai, told Reuters referring to the way Maxdome, owned by German media group ProSiebenSat.1, and its competitors currently generate consumer options. […]
Rovi has renewed its entertainment discovery patent portfolio licence agreement with US TV manufacturers Funai Electric for its entertainment products. This licence covers North America and expands upon Funai’s existing agreements with Rovi in Europe and Japan. “Our licence agreement with Funai Electric strengthens Rovi’s leadership position in licensing its intellectual property to create innovative […]
Suggesting that “the time is right”, TCL, the world’s third largest television manufacturer, has announced pricing and availability of its 4K Ultra HD TCL Roku TV models for the US, bringing UHD 4K picture quality to its Smart TVs that integrate the Roku OS. Originally announced at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, the new 4K […]
Two major players in digital media could be combining, according to a report in the NYT. Rovi is, apparently, bidding for TiVo with a mix of cash and stock that would mean the merged company would be owned about 70 per cent by Rovi (current market cap $1.7 billion) and 30 per cent by TiVo (current […]