Gemstar-TV Guide launches ‘Online Video Guide’

Cory Bergman April 16th, 2007

Billed as the first website of its kind to provide users with a way to “channel surf” internet video, Gemstar-TV Guide’s brand new Online Video Guide (video.tvguide.com) combines video search with aggregation from 55 entertainment websites. “It’s a logical extension for us as we continue to focus on providing guidance on platforms beyond just linear television,” said Rich Cusick, Gemstar-TV Guide’s SVP and GM, digital media. The Online Video Guide does not host clips, but links to them. “Viewers will be sent directly to the specific clip or full episode they are interested in viewing, bypassing the host site’s homepage or other landing page,” explains the press release. The site is still in beta, which may explain why when I searched for “Heroes” I was never presented with a way to watch any of the episodes. Screen grab followed by the press release…

PRESS RELEASE — Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST), a leading media, entertainment and technology company, today announced the launch of the Online Video Guide. The product is the first to provide users with a meaningful way to “channel-surf” Internet content, giving them one-click access to their favorite shows and videos. The Online Video Guide is being launched as a beta and is now available on TVGuide.com, (http://video.tvguide.com/). It provides users with a comprehensive way to search and browse for a wide range of professional and high-quality independent video content currently available on the Internet.

“TV Guide has been the authority on television information and guidance for more than 50 years, and now, with the Online Video Guide, we are extending that expertise by providing guidance on the best entertainment content available on the Internet,” said Rich Cusick, Gemstar-TV Guide’s senior vice president and general manager, digital media. “It’s a logical extension for us as we continue to focus on providing guidance on platforms beyond just linear television.”

TV Guide’s Online Video Guide will index videos from more than 55 major entertainment-focused Web sites, including broadcast and cable network-affiliated sites, among others. The Guide enables users to search for videos in a variety of ways including by title, by show name, or by description or keyword field. Distinguishing it from other video search products currently available, the Online Video Guide will also allow users to browse videos by top videos, top TV shows, top celebrities, and also by network or genre.

Paul Greenberg, general manager of TV Guide Online said, “Our research tells us that a majority of users searching for videos on the Internet are looking for specific, professionally-produced content. Our product will provide these users with a search and browse mechanism that is distinguished from others in the market by its ability to provide meaningful and relevant search results.”

Tapping into TV Guide’s vast editorial expertise, the Online Video Guide will also provide daily picks of the videos that TV Guide editors are recommending as new and hot, as well as quick links to the most popular videos among the site’s visitors. Additionally, while primarily focused on professionally-generated content, the Guide will also highlight the latest, most talked-about viral videos.

Video clips will not be hosted at TVGuide.com, but instead the Online Video Guide will link out to video host sites, further differentiating this product from other video search sites. In fact, viewers will be sent directly to the specific clip or full episode they are interested in viewing, bypassing the host site’s homepage or other landing page.

The Online Video Guide is supported by advertising and includes a number of innovative and interactive advertising features.

The Online Video Guide is built on the new Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. SharePoint is the key technology used to index and catalog the enormous amount of video metadata, while providing quick and relevant search results.

“With their new Online Video Guide, TV Guide is taking an innovative approach in helping consumers to discover, search, catalogue and recommend media in a Web 2.0 world,” said Gabriele Di Piazza, managing director for media and entertainment, Communications Sector, Microsoft. “We’re pleased to be partnering with TV Guide to provide the core technologies and solutions, such as SharePoint Server 2007, that form the foundation of their new high-end consumer media portal.”