OpenTV Shows New Solutions at Amsterdam Conference

2005-09-08 - San Francisco, CA, USA: OpenTV Corp. (NASDAQ:OPTV), which provides enabling technology for advanced digital television services, will introduce and showcase a range of digital television technologies at IBC 2005.

These new solutions are designed to allow network operators, programmers and device manufactures to enable richer television. Featured products will include solutions for Advanced Digital Television, Participation Television and Advanced Advertising and will be demonstrated on Stand 1.421, Hall 1 from 9 - 13 September, at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam.

One of the solutions is called Advanced Digital Television. OpenTV will demonstrate the latest features of OpenTV Core, its leading set-top box middleware. OpenTV Core powers some of the largest and most advanced digital networks in the world, including UPC Broadband's recently accelerated deployment of digital television in The Netherlands.

Among the new enhancements and extensions in OpenTV are Personal Video Recording. This enables features such as push/pull video on demand (VOD), which means that customers can view a programme at the time of their own choosing, rather than being limited to the time that the network schedules the broadcast.

The system also allows remote monitoring and remote event booking via mobile phone.

OpenTV also has other features, that are related more to general transmission technology rather than personalization of scheduling. These include home networking, high definition television (including support for MPEG4/AVC), and scalable solutions for hybrid networks and telco TV.

It also has support for Applications and services developed using Macromedia Flash(R) authoring tools powered by Bluestreak Network Inc., and 'Quadruple Play Services' which includes instant service provisioning, TV caller ID, and remote booking using mobile phone (SMS).

OpenTV will also showcase its new offering OpenTV Participate(TM), an end-to-end participation television solution for the creation and real-time management of mass participation TV events synchronized with live or pre-recorded TV shows.

OpenTV Participate enables programmers to offer viewers real time competitions, quizzes, auctions, voting, and games with viewer participation being enabled via a range of consumer devices such as landline telephone, mobile, PC and TV. So, while this particular element of OpenTV doesn't give viewers control over what is broadcast or when it is broadcast, it does move television from a passive to a more interactive medium.

OpenTV Participate is also being put forward as something that gives operators the opportunity to generate incremental revenues by building on the relationship with the viewer through industry leading CRM and marketing tools. In other words, it is a personalized marketing weapon. This website generally does not cover personalized marketing because, unlike product/service personalization, it places control back with the product or service provider. It is also something that can be used to market products or services that are in no way personalized themselves.

Another component of OpenTV aimed at marketing rather than consumer benefit is 'Advanced Advertising'. This can be used to help maximize an advertiser's ability to target and gather information on the targeted audience.

The demonstration at IBC will be provided in partnership with Vizrt for live, 2D broadcast graphics, and with Opera Telecom for SMS and IVR communications. Show attendees will be able to compete for prizes themselves by participating via their mobile phone, in a pre-recorded TV show.

Interested in personalization? Have your say in the Mass Customization and Personalization Forum