AI technology developer Media Distillery has combined its technology with Gracenote, the content arm of Nielsen to create an optimised EPG utility.
The “easy-to-implement” offering is designed to help pay-TV operators, steaming services and broadcasters deliver improved content navigation, replay and digital video recorder (DVR) functionality to viewers through increased guide and recording accuracy.
TV platforms typically broadcast linear content at the start times indicated in their EPGs. However, programmes often don’t start at the exact moment their EPGs list. If the content starts later than indicated, viewers find themselves watching the end of the preceding show or an advertising break.
The new joint solution leveraging Media Distillery’s EPG Correction technology, along with Gracenote’s industry-leading Global Video Data offering, gives TV providers access to the most precise programme start and end times, providing better control over replay and catch-up viewing experiences.
“This new solution from Media Distillery and Gracenote was brought to market for a fundamental reason – the distinct need to deliver actual programme start times in the latest content discovery paradigms,” said Simon Adams, Chief Product Officer, Gracenote.
“Operators around the world are eager to enhance their services, and their subscribers’ user experiences, through Gracenote and Media Distillery technology. By collaborating on this integration, we’re helping service providers to do this more efficiently, and to launch faster,” added Roland Sars, Media Distillery CEO.
“In our industry, Gracenote is a household name, a widely acknowledged leader, and we’re excited about this partnership.”
According to SKO research, most replay and catch-up viewing generally happens within the first 15 to 120 minutes of the scheduled programme start. It means accurate start time listings should be populated in the EPG as soon as possible for seamless viewing.
In addition to driving viewer engagement and consumption on their platforms, operators will benefit from access to a single API. This results in efficiencies in management time and effort as well as technology and engineering resourcing.
