Cox Communications signed a contract extension with Gemstar-TV Guide International giving the cable TV operator rights to distribute its Passport DCT interactive program guides, and certain features and services of My TV Guide.
The agreement will allow Cox subscribers to remotely record TV programs on digital video recorders through the My TV Guide product, which lets subscribers access DVRs located in their homes via an Internet connection.
Cox will also be able to deploy an Open Cable Applications Platform (OCAP) version of the Passport IPG.
Gemstar acquired former Passport owner Aptiv Digital – once known as Pioneer New Media – in May. The Passport guide is deployed in Cox homes running Motorola set-tops, and Cox said it expects to begin deploying Passport to subscribers that use Scientific Atlanta boxes in early 2008.
“We are happy to extend our long relationship with Cox through this new agreement. The Passport IPG solution makes sense for Cox as it will allow them a seamless transition to a single source IPG solution throughout their systems,” Tom Carson, president, North American Interactive Program Guide Group for Gemstar-TV Guide, said in Wednesday’s announcement. “We’re also happy that our new agreement includes select My TV Guide features and services, like remote record, which Cox may begin to deploy in the months ahead.”
Cox vice president of video strategy and product management Steve Necessary said the agreement will allow Cox to offer subscribers similar products to homes that rely on different cable hardware.
“This is critically important today and will be even more so in the future as our video services become increasingly interactive,” Necessary said. “This will enable all of our customers to benefit from the same user interface and take advantage of similar applications across disparate set top box hardware environments.”
