• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 10, 2004

Interactive Program Guides: the Portal for Television Entertainment

In-Stat/MDR, in a recent report, says that it expects the worldwide IPG market value to grow to nearly $1 Billion by 2008. The research firm reports that Interactive Program Guides (IPGs) are becoming the entertainment portal for TV viewers, and will be the "killer application" for enhanced interactive television services.

IPGs will help end-users to find a TV program, movie or sporting event from among listings of thousands of available options, and then make it easy for them to select the program for viewing, tag it with a reminder for later, or even set up a recording to capture the show for time-shifting on a Personal Video Recorder.

Gerry Kaufhold, a Principal Analyst with In-Stat/MDR,says "TV viewers will need powerful IPGs to help them find what they want to see on TV. Owners of High Definition TV sets are searching for HDTV programming, Video-On-Demand services are adding hundreds of new viewing choices, and Personal Video Recorders need program listings to find and capture popular shows,"

The In-Stat/MDR study also notes that:

- The three key ingredients needed for a successful IPG are an IPG application, access to detailed TV program listing data bases, and a way to get the data delivered out to the IPG so it can be used.

- Three key companies will ultimately have the staying power to succeed over the long term in the global IPG space

- TV Guide is in a position to define the agenda for the IPG market. Their large installed base, key customer relationships, and the power of TV Guide's brand name will keep them in command for the immediate future.

You can find out more here.