Agora Media Group Innovation Blog

Is this the prelude of an intimate relationship between the mobile device and the morphing television?
i.TV enables users to use their iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control for televisions and other devices.

For me, two points stand out which makes this a good example of convergence and a step forward into a more interactive television experience.
First the mobile device as a remote control. It’s a quest in finding a good remote control or piece of device which will enable an easy usage of television 2.0, the iPhone could be well one of the devices which creates this possibility, people are already used to the device, the interface works well, plus that the mobile device is already carried all day through, which is an advantage because it will add new dimensions to the new way of experiencing television in this hyperconnective society.
Secondly, i.TV offers a range of features which allows people to share, recommend and write reviews on television shows. This is the Social TV component pur sang which adds the social and interactive component to watching TV.

i.TV Press release:

i.TV redefines the universal remote control

TiVo® remote is the first integrated soft remote for i.TV on the iPhone and
iPod touch.

PALO ALTO, California–August 17, 2009–i.TV today announced the i.TV Remote Control Framework that gives third parties the ability to develop solutions to control
external devices such as a television, an AV receiver or DVR via i.TV on the iPhone and iPod touch. The TiVo® remote is the first integrated remote control
on i.TV for TiVo subscribers with a broadband-connected TiVo DVR.

“With i.TV, you can now use your iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control for televisions, DVRs and other home entertainment devices,” said i.TV CEO, Brad
Pelo. “By bringing together the television guide and remote control on a mobile device you carry in your pocket, i.TV will change how people discover and watch
television shows and movies.! We are pleased that TiVo is the first of our partners to introduce remote control capabilities for their customers who use i.TV.”
“TiVo is about giving the user control of the television experience,” said Jim Denney vice president of product marketing at TiVo Inc. “Having the TiVo remote
available through i.TV is another way TiVo customers can access the content they want, the way they want.”

The i.TV Remote Control Framework gives development partners a flexible platform upon which to re-imagine the traditional remote control. For example, developers
can make alphanumeric keypads for channel number entry optional and instead present users with a graphical user interface where they can tap on images
or links to change channels on a television.

Remote controls built upon the framework use scripts that define user interface elements and key press behavior for controlling external home entertainment devices.
Device discovery and communication between the iPhone or iPod touch and external hardware are handled via the Bonjour protocol or Apple”s External
Accessory Framework for Bluetooth accessories.

Also new in i.TV 2.0
• New user interface — Streamlined and simplified UI and user experience, based on feedback and usage data from millions of i.TV users.
• iTunes integration — From show detail screens, discover and instantly download download relevant television episodes, movies, and podcast content from
iTunes.
• Alerts – Using the iPhone OS push notification capabilities, i.TV now allows users to set alerts for specific, upcoming shows or simply ask for an alert anytime
a new episode will air.

About i.TV
i.TV (pronounced eye-dot-TV) is an application for the iPhone and iPod touch that helps people discover, share and consume media. With i.TV, users can
browse hundreds of thousands of up-to-date local TV and movie listings, as well as a catalog of hundreds of thousands of TV and movie titles available for download
and DVD rental. i.TV also includes community features and allows people to write reviews, rate shows and recommend shows to friends via an e-mail alert.
i.TV enables users to watch movie trailers and television previews, purchase movie tickets, manage their Netflix queues, and use their iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control.