Philips Research Technology Backgrounder

Personal TV Channels

Guiding you through a multi-channel universe

Increasing content, reducing satisfaction
Over the last three decades, the amount of content available to TV viewers has exploded, as media companies offer an increasing number of channels, and even video-on-demand. But quantity does not always increase the quality of watching TV: satisfaction levels have decreased, with viewers complaining that they dislike the ‘Endless zapping’, ‘still missing my favorite show’ and all the ‘irrelevant commercials’. To solve these problems, and provide viewers with a more fulfilling viewing experience, Philips has developed a technology called Personal TV Channels.

Targeting content, enhancing experiences
Integrated into a regular set-top box, this technology makes it simple to enjoy the wealth of content available on TV, video-on-demand services and Internet today. It automatically learns your preferences and favorite TV programs and uses that to add new, personal channels to your TV. Personal TV Channels shows only the content you’re interested in – it avoids frustrated zapping. And you can enjoy it whenever you want. Because of this technology you will never miss your favorite program anymore. Using Personal TV Channels is as easy as changing channels on a regular TV.

This smart system also ensures that your movie channel always has a collection of great movies you’re likely to enjoy. And the technology uses your preferences to enable targeted advertising. So not only the TV programs but also the commercials are based on your personal interest and profile. This also improves the effectiveness for advertisers.

How it works
Personal TV Channels works as follows. Whenever you decide you want to record a program, you can add that program to one of your pre-installed personal channels, or add it to a new personal channel for the type of program you want to watch (e.g., documentary, sitcom, etc.). Each of these channels contains a Program Filter, which filters all incoming programs and selects those that are suitable for any given personal channel. These programs are then stored on the relevant personal channel for you to view whenever you have time.

The technology also includes an inbuilt Program Recommender, which remembers when you add or remove a program from a personal channel. Personal TV Channels then uses this information to decide whether to record the next episode of that particular show, and similar shows that might be of interest to you on that channel. Depending on your future feedback, these shows will either continue to be recorded, or discarded. In fact, your continuing feedback enables the Program Recommender to get increasingly accurate in predicting your viewing preferences. Personal TV Channels technology is smart, but it is still easy to use: you change between your personal channels just as you would on a regular TV, and navigating inside a personal channel is as simple as operating a VHS playback system.

Industry benefits
Personal TV Channels technology offers a wealth of benefits to media and television companies. Most importantly, it allows them to offer their viewers a personalized television service, selected from their own program offerings. At the same time, viewers are able to access content that they find relevant and meaningful. As a result, churn rates are reduced, since Personal TV Channels ensures that viewers actually enjoy the package they receive, and won’t switch to another provider. Media companies can leverage the technology to increase the turnover of their Video on Demand services since users are supported in finding their favorite movies. In addition, Personal TV Channels enables the creation of a platform for targeted advertising.