Media Distillery teams up with Gracenote to improve EPG accuracy

AI for video technology specialist Media Distillery has teamed up with Nielsen-owned content identification specialist Gracenote to integrate their respective technologies and datasets to improve electronic programme guides.

The new offering is designed to help pay TV operators including cable, satellite, terrestrial, IPTV, streaming and D2C service providers as well as broadcasters to deliver improved content navigation, replay and digital video recorder functionality to viewers through increased guide and recording accuracy, according to the pair.

TV platforms typically broadcast linear content at the start times indicated in their EPGs. However, programmes often don’t start at the exact moment their EPGs list.

The joint solution integrating Media Distillery’s EPG Correction technology with Gracenote’s Global Video Data offering gives TV providers access to more precise programme start and end times, providing better control over replay and catch-up viewing experiences.

Actual programme start times are automatically updated in the guide in near real-time, according to the pair.

Operators will benefit from access to a single API to deliver efficiencies in management time and effort as well as technology and engineering resourcing, according to Media Distillery and Gracenote.

“This new solution from Media Distillery and Gracenote was brought to market for a fundamental reason – the distinct need to deliver actual programme start times in the latest content discovery paradigms. Media Distillery’s innovative technology naturally complements Gracenote’s best-in-class metadata, and we look forward to this collaboration enabling existing and potential customers to deliver better user experiences,” said Simon Adams, chief product Ooficer, Gracenote.

“Operators around the world are eager to enhance their services, and their subscribers’ user experiences, through Gracenote and Media Distillery technology. By collaborating on this integration, we’re helping service providers to do this more efficiently, and to launch faster. In our industry, Gracenote is a household name, a widely acknowledged leader, and we’re excited about this partnership,” said Roland Sars, Media Distillery CEO.