Decisionmark is looking to expand its assortment of TV-centric online search tools into an enabling system for PC-based personal video recorders (PVR).
Jack Perry, Decisionmark CEO, recently began a media tour to evangelize the PVR service, which it has been offering as a programming “scheduler” for TV-tuner/recorder cards from companies including accessDTV, CyberLink, Hauppauge Computer Works, InterVideo and SnapStream Media.
Users who register at Decisionmark’s www.TitanTV.com Web site, have access to a grid of television programs available in their area. If users have TV/video cards from a participating manufacturers installed in their computers, they can click on a listed program and have the PC record it to the hard drive for later playback.
Recently, the company announced it has expanded that capability with the addition of a program search tool that allows users to key in the name of a favorite program, actor or genre to quickly find the programs they want to watch or record.
Additionally, the TitanTV main page is being updated to feature news items related to programs and the television industry in general.
Perry said the service currently draws 10,000 users a day, and is growing steadily as PCs continue move into the home theater space.
“When TV-recording on the PC becomes more mainstream we envision Decisionmark and TitanTV in a position to control the entire Web-based EPG market because of our key manufacturer partners.”
Unlike services from rival set-top PVR companies, the TitanTV Electronic Program Guide (EPG) service is free. Decisionmark derives revenue from advertising and from the services it provides to broadcasters.
Perry said Decisionmark is now “in active discussions” with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and key consumer electronics retailers to offer TitanTV and Antennae Selector systems as sales tools in the promotion of digital television. He explained that by keying in a customer’s address and zip code, the TitanTV service will be able to show what digital television channels are on the air and receivable and show exactly which shows those channels are airing. The guide indicates which DTV broadcasts are presented in HDTV or enhanced definition and which offer ancillary data cast enhancements.
“We believable that putting a listing of content at the point of sale is a valuable sales tool retailers can use to drive DTV business,” Perry said. “And if the customer decides to buy, they can then use our Antennae Selector service to determine the antennae that is the best suited to their reception needs.”
