--Partners with tvCompass on EPG for Wireless Devices
--Signs Japan Distribution Deal with HitachiSoft
Macrovision, the company that earlier this year acquired the US's dominant EPG developer, Gemstar-TV Guide, has secured a slew of licensing agreements for its EPG technology over the past few weeks:
--The company has signed a multi-year agreement with Japan's Panasonic Corp. that provides the latter with a patent license for EPG's in its cable set-top boxes. Under the terms of the agreement, Macrovision and Panasonic are collaborating to develop a cable version of Macrovision's G-Guide (note: the G-Guide was originally designed for use in consumer electronics devices targeted at the Japanese market), which will be the first G-Guide EPG for the Japanese cable market.
--The company has signed a license agreement with Japan's Kadokawa THE Television, which will use its Syndicated G-Guide EPG on its Web portal. The Syndicated G-Guide is designed for use in Web portals in Japan. According to Macrovision, it offers eight days of digital program data, including titles, broadcast date and time, cast and descriptors for each program, in a guide format that can be easily viewed on a Web site; allows viewers to quickly search for programs by categories and on-screen personalities; and updates data in real time (thus taking into account schedule changes due to, for example, a sports broadcast running over its allotted time).
--The company has also signed a deal for the Syndicated G-Guide with Tokyo News Services, which plans to use it on its new broadband TV portal later this year. "TNS is taking its service to the next level by incorporating Macrovision's Syndicated G-Guide on its Web site," Akitaka Nishimura, SVP of Asia Pacific at Macrovision, said in a prepared statement. "Through Macrovision's solutions, TNS will be able to meet consumers' requests for a more satisfying, digital entertainment experience."
--The company says that the G-Guide EPG is now being used by Japan's KDDI Corporation for its new au BOX IP set-top box. This represents the first time that the G-Guide EPG has been used in a Japanese IPTV deployment (note: the deal between Macrovision and KDDI was originally announced in August). The au BOX enables subscribers to KDDI's au mobile phone service to transfer content between their set-top and their mobile devices: KDDI also uses Macrovision's G-Guide Mobile applications in its mobile phones. According to KDDI, the au BOX features a CD and DVD player, CD ripping capabilities, and access to a library of 1.3 million songs and 5,000 video titles.
--The company has announced new EPG deals with cable operators in Central America, the US Virgin Islands and Jamaica: Continental Programming Services, Innovative Cable TV St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, and Logic One have all signed multi-year agreements for the company's Passport EPG products. The Passport product line includes the Passport DCT EPG solution for Motorola DCT set-tops; the Passport Echo DVR and ShowRunner VOD interface applications, which Macrovision bills as offering trick-play functionality, one-touch recording, and an intuitive user-experience in HD environments; application options such as PassTime Games and PassTime Puzzlers; QuickMenu, a configurable menu which Macrovision bills as allowing viewers to launch cable TV services with a few clicks; and an interactive video mosaic application that lets viewers watch multiple scaled video streams on a single channel and launch services by highlighting and selecting its video thumbnails. Innovative Cable TV and Logic One (Jamaica) have both launched Passport DCT, Passport Echo, Passport Games, Passport Puzzlers and QuickMenu, and, Macrovision says, Continental will shortly launch these services as well in Amnet cable systems in El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica (note: Passport DCT and Echo support Spanish subtitles, Latin American parental control ratings, and the ability to pre-stage set-tops with a Spanish EPG language setting). "Our recent Passport wins in Central America and the Caribbean show the strength of our products and underscore Macrovision's commitment to deliver enabling technology to our customers for a uniquely simple home entertainment experience," Tom Carson, Macrovision's EVP of worldwide sales and services, said in a prepared statement. "The momentum we've seen in the Latin America and Caribbean markets is testament to our technology's value-add for cable system operators." In September, Macrovision announced deals for its Passport technology with multiple Latin American cable operators (see [itvt] Issue 8.06 Part 2A).
--The company has signed an EPG patent-license agreement with German consumer electronics manufacturer, COMAG Handels. The multi-year deal includes a patent license allowing COMAG to incorporate EPG's in certain retail set-top boxes and other consumer electronics devices distributed throughout Europe.
--The company has signed a multi-year patent license for its EPG technology with Portugal Telecom, which operates a pay-TV service, called Meo, that has around 200,000 subscribers. "We are pleased to welcome Portugal Telecom, the leading telecommunications services provider in Portugal, to our growing list of system operator licensees," Samir Armaly, Macrovision's SVP of patent licensing, said in a prepared statement.
--The company has also signed a multi-year patent license with Sharp Corporation that gives the latter the right to incorporate EPG's based on its technology into integrated digital television sets and DVR's distributed in Europe.
In other Macrovision news:
--The company has teamed with tvCompass on what the partners are billing as the first EPG application designed for wireless devices in the connected home. The new software app--which is provided to wireless consumers without a download fee and does not require a monthly subscription--was developed by tvCompass with data solutions licensed from Macrovision. It is being made available to consumers via a wireless update to tvCompass-powered WiFi mobile Internet devices sold and marketed under the Acoustic Research model ARRU449 and ESPN "Ultimate Remote" brands. "The IPG application provides an added dimension for owners of the Acoustic Research ARRU449 Smart Remote Control," David Geise, president of Audiovox Accessories Corporation, said in a prepared statement. "The TV Guide brand is synonymous with television program listings. By incorporating it onto the AR Smart Remote, we are enhancing the user experience of being able to identify their favorite shows on a second screen." According to Macrovision and tvCompass, the new EPG application provides access to "off screen" listings for cable, satellite, HDTV broadcast or VOD channels." Multi-day listings are automatically updated wirelessly via tvCompass's hosted content and services network using WiFi access to the Internet. tvCompass says that its patented technology enables viewers to browse the EPG and directly tune the channel after selecting a program in the EPG, to control TV's, set-tops, DVR's and other devices. "When it comes to watching TV, viewers would prefer that their main screen deliver their favorite shows unencumbered by program listings, tickers, advertising and statistics," tvCompass CEO, Edward Zylka, said in a prepared statement. "Through our work with Macrovision, we're now giving multi-tasking viewers the ability to view and receive their TV Guide information right in the palm of their hands, propelling the remote and other wireless devices into the next phase of the digital living room."
--The company has signed a deal with Hitachi Software Engineering (HitachiSoft) that will see the latter distributing its Macrovision Connected Platform in Japan. The Connected Platform is billed by Macrovision as a comprehensive software solution for developing networked digital media products, such as digital TV sets, set-top boxes and DVR's. According to the companies, the new deal will enable them to expand local service coverage in Japan to support consumer electronics manufacturers looking to "develop and differentiate" their digital media devices using the Connected Platform SDK. The deal also calls for HitachiSoft to provide a range of professional services, including software product support, system integration, and customization for the Connected Platform. "Macrovision's Connected Platform is the industry's most full-featured software foundation for networked digital media products," Kazuhiro Fujisaki, group executive at the HitachiSoft Embedded Systems Group, said in a prepared statement. "Macrovision's innovative technology platform, coupled with our comprehensive service offerings, will help customers meet stringent product development schedules and ultimately, provide consumers with a rewarding personal entertainment experience." According to Macrovision, the Connected Platform media player and media server software are "DLNA Technology Components," providing enabling technologies that help CE manufacturers make DLNA-certified products. The Connected Platform media player solution is a test-bed reference device for the DLNA certification program. HitachiSoft says that its service capabilities, under the terms of the deal, will include DLNA testing of devices, thus "facilitating a seamless DLNA certification process for its customers." The company also says that the deal will allow it to optimize its software products with the Connected Platform, providing customers with an integrated solution that can be brought to market quickly. Macrovision bills its Connected Platform SDK as a robust development tool that helps CE manufacturers create and build custom networked entertainment devices quickly and easily. According to the company, the SDK meets interoperability standards and runs on a wide range of processors and operating systems, and allows manufacturers to customize entertainment products that can connect with millions of DLNA-, UPnP and DTCP-IP-compliant devices.
--The company has sold TV Guide magazine to Open Gate Capital for an undisclosed amount, and is currently seeking buyers for its TV channels, TV Guide Network and TVG.
