Interactive TV News Round-Up (III): Hulu, MTV, IntoNow, Inveni, MediaMall Technologies

Due to the large volume of news generated over the past two days, we are covering stories in this issue in summary/round-up format.

•        Hulu has announced the launch of a new "recommendations hub" that allows users to "easily access your recommendations right off of the home page navigation bar." According to Hulu, its recommendations engine "takes into account all kinds of factors as it suggests shows that you might enjoy--including videos you've watched, commented on, or told us you've enjoyed in the past."

• IntoNow--a Silicon Valley-based social-TV/programming-discovery company which bills itself as having been founded by veterans of Google, Microsoft, IDEO, MTV Networks and Stanford University's artificial intelligence program, and which recently emerged from stealth mode (see the article published on itvt.com, January 31st) with two new products: SoundPrint, a patented technology platform that the company claims can automatically identify live TV content and any previously aired content from the past five years (as well as on-demand programming); and IntoNow, a free iOS (i.e. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) companion application that it says leverages SoundPrint to help viewers connect and engage with their friends around TV shows--has announced a partnership with MTV. "Beginning on February 17, 2011, IntoNow users who tag six premiere airings this season of [the MTV reality series] 'Jersey Shore' will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the season four premiere which includes travel, hotel accommodations and admission to the season four premiere party." Said IntoNow founder and CEO, Adam Cahan: "We're really excited by all the enthusiasm we've received around IntoNow and are thrilled to be working with MTV to offer our users and fans something unique. This is just the beginning of what we want to be able to offer our users at IntoNow. MTV came up with a great idea, and we're really into being able to offer viewers new ways to interact with their favorite shows." According to IntoNow, the partnership will also allow viewers of the MTV show, "My Life as Liz," to follow and connect with the show's eponymous teen star: "Users can navigate to the Discover feature within IntoNow to quickly access 'My List as Liz' to see what shows Liz is into now and follow the up-and-coming reality star's favorite TV picks," the company says.
• Inveni, a Minneapolis-based start-up specializing in TV and movie recommendations technology, has announced that it has closed a $483,333 seed round led by a group of Silicon Valley angel investors, bringing total investment in the company to date to $1.7 million. "Inveni announced itself and first showed its Web site and browser plug-in at a technology conference in San Francisco in September 2010," the company states in its press materials. "The Inveni service is a 'social decision engine' that helps users find, choose, and watch great movies and TV shows. Since that launch, the company has remained in stealth mode, gathering input from users to further enhance the Inveni experience. Here's how the Inveni service works: It gathers all the preferences a consumer has already established around the Web and creates a unique 'Taste Profile' for that person. When a consumer uses Inveni, these preferences are combined with millions of crowdsourced recommendations, across 200,000 movies and TV shows...The Inveni service becomes even more personalized by allowing a consumer's friends and the 'Inveni crowd' to effortlessly send recommendations to each other through a unique one-click process."
• MediaMall Technologies has announced that its flagship PlayOn platform now supports video streaming to Android devices, following "months" of beta testing (note: PlayOn already supports streaming to iOS devices). "The free software update and free PlayOn Mobile app for Android 2.2 and higher are now available to PlayOn Premium customers, enabling users to stream online video and personal media with Adobe Flash technology from a networked PC to Android mobile devices over 3G or WiFi," the company states in its press materials. "PlayOn's media library contains video content from providers including Hulu (ABC, NBC, Fox, etc.), Amazon VOD, Netflix IQ, TBS, CBS, PBS, the Oprah Winfrey Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Nickelodeon, ESPN3, NFL Rewind, MLB, MTV, VH1, Syfy, Spike, TV.com, The Ultimate Fighter and others...Existing PlayOn Premium customers may download the PlayOn Mobile app for free from the Android Marketplace. Those new to PlayOn can try it out free for 14 days, after which PlayOn and its full library of content, including updates for new channels and supported devices, can be purchased for $39.99 for the first year and $19.99 for each year thereafter. PlayOn Premium customers with Android 2.2+ need just to download the PlayOn Mobile app from the Android Marketplace and initially pair the device over the local WiFi network with the PlayOn media server. The device may then be used to stream online video and personal media content over 3G or WiFi anywhere in the world where you can get a signal."