IceTV launches Australia's first intelligent TV show Recommendation system for digital free-to-air viewers.
Sydney - 30 April, 2008 - IceTV customers can now automatically receive intelligent suggestions on TV shows they may like to record based on their series recordings, favourite TV shows and previous recording choices.
IceTV Recommendations are provided to IceTV users as part of the IceTV EPG service thanks to a recent partnership with Perth based start-up, Recommendation Ventures (www.recommendationventures.com). The two pioneering companies have teamed-up to give users intuitive recommendations, based on the individual user's tastes. When combined with the existing value-add features of IceTV, Recommendation Venture's intelligent technology will allow user's to receive truly personalised suggestions and an opportunity to discover and record new TV shows.
Suggested TV shows are displayed as an IceTV Recommendation using a separate icon within the IceTV electronic program guide (EPG), allowing IceTV users to easily locate and then select them for more information.
From there the choice is entirely theirs, IceTV users can easily set the recommended TV show to remotely record onto their compatible digital recording device at home within a few simple 'clicks'.
IceTV Recommendations can easily be seen on the IceTV Website when logged in, or while using the all new IceTV Widget. If the TV show is of no interest, the user can simple choose to 'ignore' the suggestion.
"The system is so simple. You can either ignore the suggested TV show or conveniently set your device at home to go ahead and record it. It's a case of - We recommend & then let you decide" said Matt Kossatz, IceTV's General Manager.
"With more and more channels and digital free-to-air (FTA) content to choose from, it is fast becoming difficult to find new shows that you may be interested in. IceTV Recommendations is a fantastic and easy way for you to discover shows that you may not have known about".
Mr. Kossatz then went on to say "Our partnership with Recommendation Ventures is very exciting as the methodology can easily be adapted in the future to suggest other forms of content to IceTV users, such as downloadable video content or DVD's sent in the post."
Recommendation Ventures makes it very quick and easy for online companies to add any type of personal recommendations to web properties. "We can work with any site that has a reasonable sized catalogue of products or content, ranging from news to online video," said Richard Giles, CEO of Recommendation Ventures.
"This partnership is personally very exciting. I'm a huge fan of IceTV and watching time-shifted television. When we first designed the recommendation engine it was television shows that I most wanted to see being recommended. It's fantastic receiving TV recommendations that match my tastes, it's like my own personalised television guide that adapts to what I love," said Mr. Giles.
When combined with IceTV's existing service offerings, Australian users are once again given unmatched functionality and flexibility with their digital TV viewing experience.
About IceTV
IceTV is a leading independent provider of an electronic program guide (EPG) service for digital free-to-air television and is seen by many as a pioneer in providing interactive TV technology to Australian consumers.
IceTV was commercially launched in April 2005 and has been a pioneer in driving this technology, working with major vendors and retailers in the market to help drive digital uptake in Australia.
The IceTV EPG is a complete 7-day onscreen TV Guide that allows users to easily schedule their favourite TV shows to record by simply highlighting the show and pressing 'record'. TV shows are then stored in the 'recorded library' on the device's hard drive, ready to be watched at a time that suits.
IceTV Interactive refers to a host of new and exciting features that IceTV has released following the success and expanding on the existing IceTV EPG service. Features include IceTV Remote, IceTV Link, IceTV Video, MyShows, the recently launched "Most Popular" IceTV's ratings*, which shows users what the most popular TV Shows or TV Series are in advance, as well as enable users to then schedule those shows to then automatically record on their compatible device at home.
The IceTV EPG service and IceTV Interactive features work in conjunction with either a digital set-top-box based Personal Video Recorder (PVR), a PC media centre running either Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 or the newly released Vista platforms, or a Mac running Elgato's EyeTV software and is sold on a subscription basis from as little as $2 per week. ($99 for a 12 month subscription.)
IceTV Remote provides IceTV users with the ability to schedule their TV recordings remotely via any web browser, web-enabled mobile phone or when using the IceTV Widget. IceTV users log-in at www.icetv.com.au or www.remoterecord.com.au (when using a mobile phone) and search through the IceTV EPG for free-to-air television for the week ahead and set individual episodes, or the entire series of their favourite TV show to record onto their device at home.
IceTV Remote is currently only available to IceTV users with a PC based media centre device running either Microsoft's XP MCE2005 or Vista platforms, a Mac TV Tuner 'stick' running Elgato's EyeTV software, with Beyonwiz and selected Topfield Personal Video Recorder's to announce support very shortly.
IceTV Link will enable partnering third party websites to easily promote their online content to IceTV subscribers and allow users to automatically send the content to their device at home for later viewing.
*IceTV's "Most Popular" TV shows are now viewable on the IceTV website and within the IceTV Widget. Show's ratings are displayed live and are based on the recording information of IceTV subscribers as a group.
For more information about IceTV, please visit www.icetv.com.au.
About Recommendation Ventures Pty Ltd
Recommendation Ventures provides the ability for a broad range of web companies to add personalised recommendations to their sites.
Recommendation Ventures first launched with scouta.com in February 2007, which provides personal recommendations based on what people watch and listen to on their iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV.
Today Recommendation Ventures provides a quick and easy way for other sites to add personalised recommendations, to increase sales, clicks, and return visits by up to as much as 30%.
Recommendation Ventures' technology provides recommendations based on similar items in a companies website, the social dynamics of users, and also personalised based on actions like clicks, downloads, or purchases.
For more information about Recommendation Ventures, please visit www.recommendationventures.com.
Media enquiries:
Matt Kossatz General Manager of IceTV Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 2 8424 7509 or 0421 238 963 or email matt.kossatz@icetv.com.au
Richard Giles CEO of Recommendation Ventures Pty Ltd
Tel: +61 403 188222 or email richard@scouta.com
