This morning, TiVo has announced the next generation of its content platform that is heavily-focused on a new streaming service. Dubbed the Next-Gen Platform, TiVo hopes to finally bring the unification of our content across all devices that we’ve been longing for. That includes cable providers, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with your own content.
The Next-Gen Platform will be based around TiVo’s upcoming cloud service that it has been teasing for some time. And while this all seems like an obvious next step for our digital lives, bringing all of our content into one location has largely alluded the big studios and providers to date.
Apple has been toying with the idea of integrated content for some time, first with its set-top streaming boxes and more recently, its TV app. TiVo promises a “seamless integration of content across linear, over-the-top (OTT), on-demand and DVR platforms for multiscreen capabilities.”
TiVo’s main selling point to providers, be it cable, satellite, or streaming services, is that its platform and powerful features provide the best medium for managing content. Long known as the best in the business when it comes to curation, TiVo has struggled in recent years to keep up with the competition.
Set-top boxes are quickly becoming a thing of the past and cord-cutting is on the rise. Beginning to pivot to a more software-focused approach is a natural next step for the brand.
Only time will tell if the major players in the industry are willing to take on TiVo’s new platform. Experience tells us that Comcast, DirecTV and others are more interested in developing their own in-house platforms than going the third-party route. If TiVo is unable to present a convincing argument, it may spell the end for the iconic brand.
That’s not say TiVo is ready to fold up shop just yet. It recently announced the next generation of its set-top hardware, the Bolt Vox. However, it’s unclear at this time how today’s announcement will interact with past hardware releases. Look for TiVo to clear things up at CES 2018 next week with additional details.
[9to5-press-release]
TiVo Introduces Next-Gen Platform, a Game-Changing TV Solution
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– TiVo Corporation (NASDAQ: TIVO), a global leader in entertainment technology and audience insights, today announced the launch of TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform, a full range of robust products to help operators stay ahead of the competition in a rapidly evolving media landscape. This flexible, diversified portfolio of products is supported by a cloud-based, unified backend and powered by the ultimate entertainment user experience—one that is simple, smart, and elegant.
TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform is a future-proof solution that enables operators to effectively adapt to a rapidly changing market and emerging customer segments with a complete set of unified products and versatile deployment options across QAM, hybrid and IPTV. Powered by cloud services for rapid innovation, the platform delivers high feature velocity and gives providers the ability to anticipate and quickly address customer needs.
“Consumers face a fragmented, ever-changing media landscape as new services, content sources and devices continue to proliferate,” said Michael Hawkey, senior vice president and general manager, User Experience, TiVo. “Media companies are compelled to evolve. TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform is specifically designed to meet the consumer’s insatiable desire for entertainment while enabling operators to maintain market share and remain relevant amid growing competition.”
With the cutting-edge Next-Gen Platform, users get the ultimate entertainment experience, including hyper-personalization, recommendations and voice control, as well as seamless integration of content across linear, over-the-top (OTT), on-demand and DVR platforms for multiscreen capabilities. This helps service providers reduce churn, drive customer engagement, stay ahead of the competition and own the customer experience by bringing calm to a world of increasing entertainment chaos.
“User experience defines the operator’s video services for consumers,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates. “Every pay-TV service and streaming video service is working to capture and maintain consumer attention in order to drive ongoing use and monetization. As a result, operators need a flexible platform that allows them to innovate rapidly and meet or surpass connected experiences offered elsewhere.”
TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform allows providers to deliver content to customers where they want to watch it—including managed set-top-boxes such as Linux and Android TV as well as unmanaged bring-your-own devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, mobile and web. This helps operators capture and retain market segments while capitalizing on new monetization opportunities and business models.
Another key feature of the Next-Gen Platform is its versatile deployment options—from full IPTV to hybrid. The solution assists operators in their transition to IPTV by maintaining support for QAM deployments, while still offering a flexible migration path by addressing the capital expenditure, networking and rights constraints of the operator. The unified backend enables simplified operations and a consistent experience across an operator’s customer base.
The result: TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform addresses the most strategic concerns of service providers and allows them to compete on a global scale. To learn more, visit https://business.tivo.com/products-solutions/ux/next-gen-platform.
About TiVo
TiVo Corporation (NASDAQ: TIVO) is a global leader in entertainment technology and audience insights. From the interactive program guide to the DVR, TiVo delivers innovative products and licensable technologies that revolutionize how people find content across a changing media landscape. TiVo enables the world’s leading media and entertainment providers to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience. Explore the next generation of entertainment at tivo.com or follow us on Twitter @tivo or @tivoforbusiness.
[/9to5-press-release]
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