Cablevision Launches "iO Shortcuts" Interactive TV Application

New York-area MSO, Cablevision, announced Thursday the launch of iO Shortcuts, an application that it bills as providing subscribers to its iO TV digital cable platform (note: the latter enjoys 94% penetration with the MSO's customer base) with "one-click access" to various services and content offered by the platform, including interactive and on-demand local news, traffic and weather updates from News 12, information on new service enhancements, and new on-demand movies. "With instant access to top VOD titles, constantly refreshed local news, traffic and weather updates, and an increasing array of programming choices available to iO TV customers, iO Shortcuts enhances the viewer experience by providing access to a broad array of interactive, popular content with just one click," Gary Schanman, Cablevision's SVP of video product management, said in a prepared statement. "Cablevision continues to leverage the capacity of our advanced Optimum network to deliver innovative consumer-facing enhancements that increase the functionality and value of our entire suite of award-winning services."

In order to access iO Shortcuts, which Cablevision says is now available across its entire service area, customers press the red "C" button near the front of the iO TV remote control. Once the application is launched, it allows customers to access various content categories listed at the bottom of the TV screen, while they continue to watch programming. iO Shortcuts currently offers the following categories:

• Local, which is billed as providing fast access to interactive and VOD news, traffic and weather updates from News 12, including current news, local weather forecasts and up-to-the-minute information on area road advisories and incidents.
• Top Picks, which promotes top-selling VOD titles in both SD and HD, and which corresponds with the content available from the Top Picks category of Cablevision's Movies On Demand menu.
• Coming Soon, which promotes upcoming programs and titles soon to be available on Cablevision's VOD platform.
• Showcase, which focuses on promotions, movies and new services.
• Updates, which provides alerts on service-related events, such as channel and service launches and location changes.