DISH Network Announces TV Guide Channel’s New Interactive TV Functionality with Gemstar-TV Guide and Ensequence
Story Highlights
EchoStar
Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service;
Gemstar-TV Guide International and Ensequence, announced that a
new ITV application from TV Guide Channel will be available on DISH Network in
the second quarter of 2007. In addition, all TV Guide Channel programming on DISH
Network will be full screen beginning May 2, 2007 on the new channel location
117.
TV Guide Channel’s ITV application is an intuitive, easy-to-use
application that will enable viewers to interact with expert recommendations
from TV Guide while they watch the TV Guide Channel on DISH. The application
will be one of two interactive applications offered by Gemstar-TV Guide that
provide television viewers a dynamic capability, launched from a linear
channel.
DISH
Network subscribers can launch the TV Guide Channel ITV application by pressing
“Select” on their remote while tuned to TV Guide Channel on DISH
Network channel 117, or by selecting the application from under the
Entertainment category on DishHOME channel 100. TV Guide Channel’s ITV application
provides expert recommendations for what to watch in up to 10 different
categories at a time. In addition, DISH Network customers can set program
reminders, schedule digital video recordings, upgrade their DISH Network
package and order pay-per-view programming.
“We are excited to offer our subscribers an added dimension
to our ITV platform on the robust, user-friendly TV Guide Channel, powered by
Ensequence,” stated Michael Kelly, executive vice president of Commercial
and Business Services for EchoStar.
“As the market leaders of interactive TV applications, DISH Network
and Ensequence are the perfect partners to launch TV Guide Channel’s new
interactive capabilities,” said Ryan O’Hara, president of TV Guide
Channel, SPOT and Broadband. “TV Guide Channel will create a meaningful
interactive TV experience for DISH Network customers because it will simplify
and personalize TV viewing choices. The development of TV Guide Channel’s ITV
application is just one example of how TV Guide continues to evolve the brand
by providing new products and services that innovate and add value to the
consumer.”
Expert editorial recommendations provided by TV Guide will be
updated frequently and will offer viewers genre-based TV listings to simplify
program selection. TV listings and show recommendations are the foundation of
TV Guide, offering viewers an unparalleled service to help navigate today’s
multi-channel environment.
TV Guide Channel’s ITV application was developed in partnership
with Ensequence, which worked with TV Guide Channel to design the experience
and interactive television functionality to give viewers maximum value from the
listings service. The Ensequence professional services group developed the TV
Guide Channel application using the on-Q(R) Create suite.
“TV Guide Channel’s vision of an advanced interactive channel
was a perfect match with our market-leading interactive video technology,”
said Dalen Harrison, chief executive officer of Ensequence. “TV Guide
Channel is taking interactive TV experiences to a new level, and this
application is a leading example of the future of enhanced interactive channels
in the
United States.”