Rovi is showing off a version of its Web-connected TotalGuide -- originally developed for consumer-electronics companies -- that would let cable subscribers search across TV, video-on-demand, DVR and Internet content and serve up personalized recommendations.
The new guide, on display here at the Cable Show this week, is on a separate track from Rovi's Passport guide and the i-Guide developed with Comcast.
Rovi is pitching it as an advanced media guide that could also let users access personal video, music and photos on their TVs, as well as let cable operators serve targeted, visually rich ads.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based vendor said it is engaging with prospective MSO customers now for TotalGuide and targeting 2011 deployments.
In addition to integrated search, the TotalGuide for service providers provides content recommendations based on the tastes and preferences revealed in a viewer's search history, social recommendations, new releases and editorial reviews. In addition, a "six-degrees" browsing feature lets users jump from one piece of content to another using relational data, such as cast and credits details.
"No longer the only source of entertainment in the home, the TV now competes with several alternative platforms, most notably the Internet, which continues to grow as a major destination for on-demand and over-the-top video content," Corey Ferengul, Rovi's executive vice president of product management and marketing, said in a statement. "As the landscape shifts, cable operators must find new and relevant ways to engage their subscribers and drive greater value."
