Samsung TVs to get new powerful Rovi programme guide

New features expected 2010

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17 August 2009 18:38 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Samsung TVs are about to get a massive boost in terms of what they can offer via the Electronic Programming Guide thanks to a deal the manufacturer just signed with Rovi, the company formerly known as Macrovision.

The agreement, says Rovi, allows Samsung to incorporate Rovi’s interactive program guide (IPG) technologies into its next-generation TVs and other consumer electronics (CE) devices.

“By working with Rovi, we are dedicated to bringing an advanced digital home entertainment experience that empowers consumers to find their favourite content on the television while also enabling them to discover new programming quickly and easily," said Kyung Shik Lee, vice president, Samsung Electronics in a statement.

Detailed earlier in the year, the new guide could allow Samsung the chance to use metadata stored in every programme to store favourites and make recommendations for undiscovered content.

Earlier in the year Rovi announced "Liquid" a guide that is designed to be able to connect to social network applications, such as Flixster using data to pull in recommendations from friends and the cloud.

The prototype described by Rovi shows the guide storing user profiles, so each member of the household can retrieve a personalised guide each time he or she turns on the TV as well as connect to content found on the Internet as well as digital content stored at home.

Samsung has yet to confirm which elements of the company's IPG it plans to use.