OpenTV, a software and technology provider of digital television applications, and Jinni, a developer of personalised discovery engine for premium content, have revealed that they are bringing search and recommendation functionality to the television to allow viewers find the content they want quickly and intuitively.
The feature is expected to be part of the latest release of OpenTV Core2 middleware which will be available in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Enhanced by Jinni technology, OpenTV Core2’s integrated search is expected to allow viewers to find content across multiple sources and get programming recommendations based on personal tastes.
According to the companies, the OpenTV-Jinni mood-based functionality goes beyond basic search for programming titles. If a viewer wishes to watch a ‘thrilling, film noir, dark comedy’, they can search for that, without needing to recall exact movie titles as is the case with basic search implementations. Viewers can search directly for moods such as ‘funny’, ‘dark’, ‘suspenseful’, or ‘gripping’, removing the middle step that prevents people from using search.
Other highlights of the OpenTV Core2 search include: integrated search functionality which goes beyond a simple ‘program title list’ search allowing viewers to search all program information including synopsis, ratings and actor/actress information; extended search allowing for searches beyond the set-top box, by including on-line databases; predictive text entry, to enter in search strings using a standard television remote.
Tracy Geist, SVP of business development at OpenTV, said: “This collaboration will change the way content is discovered on television. Jinni’s unique approach to search, discovery, and recommendations is the perfect complement to our middleware technology allowing consumers to easily find what they really ‘feel’ like watching.
“By integrating the Jinni technology with the integrated search features of our Core2 middleware, we’re enabling our customers to deliver a television-centric search product far beyond what is available today and we believe this unique capability will be an exciting differentiator for our customers as they define their consumer experience.”
