Canadian cable MSO, Rogers Communications, last week announced the launch of "TV Call Display," a TV-based caller ID service that is available at no extra charge to customers who subscribe to its phone and TV services. The service has launched in Ontario and is slated to roll out to all eligible customers in a phased approach over the coming months. "With TV Call Display customers who have both Rogers Digital TV and Rogers Home Phone have greater control and can customize their TV Call Display pop-up for the ultimate in convenience," Fil Giulione, Rogers' VP of Internet and home phone product management, said in a prepared statement. "Only Rogers offers customers the ability to interact with this service with the option to send calls directly to voicemail if they are a Rogers Voicemail subscriber. Rogers will continue to invest in advanced technologies and enhanced service offerings that make our customers' lives easier and add value to their subscriptions."
According to Rogers, when a customer's phone rings, a pop-up banner displaying the details of the incoming call appears at the bottom of the TV screen no later than the second ring. The customer can then choose to answer the phone, or else either press exit on their cable remote in order to make the banner disappear, or select snooze to turn it off temporarily. In addition, the company says, digital TV customers who subscribe to Rogers Home Phone with Call Display and Voicemail can instantly redirect calls to voicemail by pressing a button on their remote. The TV Call Display app is controlled from channel 975, where customers can manage calls, view a log of recent calls, and customize features--for example, adjusting snooze times, changing how long the pop-up banner appears, turning on a "New Voicemail" notification pop-up, or disabling the service altogether.
