The idea of having a cool guide pre-installed in TVs kicks ass
Rovi is the new name of Macrovision, the company behind the DVD content protection system. Rovi just announced Liquid, a media guide that connects users to “content”. With Liquid, “content” can be anything: photos, music, Cable TV programs, free web videos or even online video services like Blockbuster OnDemand – the partnership has been announced today. Liquid can also interface with home networked devices via standard protocols such as uPNP and DLNA.
Macrovision realized a while back that while physical media won’t go away overnight, they also won’t be a growth opportunity in the future. To change course, Macrovision has bought Mediabolic, an embedded software company that created media and storage related software found in many consumer network storage systems.
Rovi already owns huge databases of content-related information that should give Liquid an inherent advantage over potential competitors. At the moment, Liquid will go into consumer devices like televisions, but not in cable/satellite boxes, according to Rovi. There’s no TV recording at the moment, but we would love to have that too.