IP Democracy: Verizon's Unveils FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide

OK, I had no desire to write two posts in one day that laud Verizon’s FiOS service, but I just got an advanced word of Verizon’s new FiOS TV Interactive Media Guide (an online demo is here) and it’s very cool. You may recall that back in January at CES, Verizon announced its “next generation” of FiOS TV service, the heart of which would be an advanced interactive media guide.

Verizon just launched the guide in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and it’s definitely worlds above existing, real-world (i.e. deployed) interactive program guides. For one thing, the new guide has keyword searching that isn’t dependent on that silly “find the letter one by one” title searching typical of most real-world guides. Users are able to conduct keyword searches in different formats — keyboard, scroll wheel or even a cell-phone type format (see picture.)

For another thing, it’s very fast, with extremely low latency (.2 seconds) between user input and response. One fundamental great benefit is that the guide can occupy various portions of the screen — full, half or mini. No more cutting off from the program you’re watching to switch to the guide, an effort which today holds you captive while you study the guide and wastes a lot of time because today’s guides aren’t exactly low latency.

It’s also visually pleasing. For some reason, movie posters have become a big thing in the interactive TV guide world, with most on-screen navigation-related companies seizing upon movie poster thumbnails as the best way to visually showcase content. Of course Verizon’s new guide has movie poster navigation (the first I’ve seen outside of demos and lab versions.)

FiOS’s new guide also offers customized widgets that allow for the display of local weather, traffic, community information and more at the bottom of the screen.

Of course DVR recordings get captured by searches, a big plus, and there are other niceties, including the ablity to watch movie trailers.

It’s hard to say just how much of a competitive difference this new guide will make. Customers have to use it in order for it to become a meaningful sales tool, or positive buzz has to circulate before would-be customers take notice. It’s not something that lends itself well to TV pitches or direct mail pieces.

But, it’s cool and hopefully cable operators will take note and respond with better guides of their own.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on May 22, 2007 3:42 PM to IP Democracy