Widgets – for a customized TV experience
A widget is a small, intuitive, user-friendly software application that appears on the TV screen and lets consumers play with graphics and information online. Viewers can use widgets to customize their viewing environment and receive relevant recommendations that will make them more likely to return to a certain content of interest, thus improving customer loyalty for the operator. By bringing web content to the TV screen, widgets have become an integral part of the TV experience.
As an example, the "Friends" widget enables subscribers with similar content tastes to create or join groups where they can share content and interact with other members who are watching the same program. They can also receive recommendations from friends.
In addition, widgets create a smart way of integrating operators' recommendations for pay-TV content. They offer a real opportunity for operators to build new services based on live monitoring of their subscribers' viewing habits. This increases operators' competitiveness, as they are able to respond more effectively to their customers' expectations.
NAGRA Media Widget platform
Nagravision has developed a dedicated widget solution, NAGRA Media Widget. This solution comprises both the technological platform itself and the widget library, and can be summarized in a few key points:
- It is TV-specific, and designed to en-hance the overall TV viewing experience.
- It can be white-labeled for subsequent branding by an operator.
- It is user-friendly for consumers but also specific to operator needs.
- It can be integrated into the operator's overall offering and EPG.
- It can be deployed on devices that are already in the field.
Operators stand to gain a lot from widgets. They can enhance the value of their platform by adding web content to their existing content offering. This can include video, photos and even online radio. The operator can choose what to offer. Since widgets are personal, they can include targeted ads.
Broadcasters can also use widgets to bring added value to live programs and channels, which are the flagship product of most pay-TV operators. Social networking applications and other web applications can be leveraged both to bring in new subscribers and to lock in existing ones using viral marketing techniques. In addition, operators can offset the decline in traditional TV advertising revenue by tapping into internet ad revenue streams.
Numericâble – NAGRA Media Widget's first deployment
In September 2009, Numericâble, France's leading TV cable operator and cable internet provider, chose Nagravision's widget platform for the launch of its "Widget TV" service on its network. Nagravision's widget platform will allow Numericâble to work together with content providers and software application developers to develop innovative services related to the content being viewed by the consumers or that respond to viewers' needs.
Numericâble will in particular offer the "MyTV" widget that will enable users to send program alerts to their friends. Subsequently, Numericâble's subscribers will be able to choose widgets from a large gallery of widgets.
Tvister for the TV screen
In September 2009, Nagravision and Deutsche Telecom launched a partnership to port the "tvister" recommendation service to TV screens. The tvister application is an intelligent TV program guide currently available on the internet. It offers information on shows, stars, and films, and also recommends other programs in the TV schedule based on what the viewer is watching.
Widget services boost operators' brand awareness and loyalty by offering personalized experiences that keep subscribers satisfied and coming back for more. This in turn generates direct revenues, additional advertising revenues as well as cross-selling opportunities.
Partnership with Samsung
In early 2010, Nagravision launched a partnership with Samsung to provide TV applications that bring more interactive web services and video content to consumers. Consumers will have access to interactive applications via Samsung Apps, the first HDTV-based application store. They will be able to buy and download the applications on select 2010 Samsung HDTV sets, Blu-ray players and home theater systems.
The Samsung Apps are based on Nagravision's content publication tools, which provide easy-to-use templates that can be used to create and publish applications.