• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 5, 2011

Rovi, the company that powers interactive program guides, said it will launch a trial to determine the effectiveness of advertising on IPGs as they appear on Internet-connected platforms, such as TVs and Blu-ray players. Carnival Cruise Lines and clients of Brightline are scheduled to participate.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company plans to conduct similar initiatives in the U.K. and Canada later this year. In the U.K., 7% of households have an Internet-connected TV, according to a MediaCom figure.

During the trial, Rovi-served ads will run on Samsung Smart TVs -- via which many Rovi-served ads appear -- as well as other devices. The Rovi Advertising Network serves ads in approximately 30 million U.S. homes on IPGs, Blu-ray players and other platforms and includes Allrovi.com and SideReel.com.

With the test, Rovi said advertisers will gain metrics about "audience engagement through usage, acquisition, retention, recall, purchase intent and other criteria."

Earlier this month, Rovi's ad network launched an interactive advertising initiative with Toyota, where banner ads on the IPGs allow a click-through to videos and product information.