MEDIA ADVISORY
TiVo Delivers the Best of the Web to Any Television
FrameChannel on the TiVo® service allows users to customize content from
thousands of sources and display on the television set
WHO: Continuing to bring the best of the Web to your TV, TiVo today announced the availability of FrameChannel, a new application for any broadband connected TiVo DVR that brings personalized content from the Web directly to your television set.
WHAT: TiVo users can now personalize the delivery of local news, weather and sports, as well as updates from social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr all onto your TV. FrameChannel adds to the growing content already available on the TiVo service, combining cable, movies, web and music into one box.
• Make it Personal
o The FrameChannel application makes it easy to create a constantly updating slideshow of information, based on your location and preferences. You can customize the information feed further with your favorite RSS links.
o It’s free and easy to make your own TiVo FrameChannel by visiting http://tivo.framechannel.com.
• Make it Local
o With several quick start apps, you can receive the latest local news, weather, traffic, stocks or see the latest sport scores – all customized based on your zip code.
o Or, you can select from thousands of information choices through FrameChannel to add to your slideshow of customized content on your TiVo homepage.
• Make it Social
o Via the FrameChannel app, TiVo can deliver updates from your social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Digg.
o You can even create a slideshow of pictures from Facebook, Flickr, and other sites.
HOW: To get started, visit the TiVo web site for step-by-step instructions for viewing personalized web content on your TiVo box.
WHEN: FrameChannel is available immediately on broadband connected TiVo Series2™, Series3™, TiVo HD, and Premiere DVRs.
To request additional information, contact:
Jessica Loebig: jloebig@tivo.com, 408.519.9655
Matt McLernon: mclernonm@ruderfinn.com, 415.249.6775
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TiVo, Series2, Series3 and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. and its subsidiaries worldwide. (c) 2010 TiVo Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Parks Associates ran a piece on January 27th entitled “Will the iPad Kill the Digital Photo Frame Category”? Parks suggested that digital frame manufacturers should be gravely concerned about their future. We suggest that the body is already in the coffin but requires one more nail to secure it!
Today, the iPad as a photo frame device presents a substantial obstacle to repeat usage. Each time the iPad is docked, the user needs to start their photo frame application of choice. The nail in the photo frame category coffin is an Apple modification which would allow a user to specify an application to execute on docking (or charging). Apple grab your hammer.
Thinking Screen Media, the owner of this blog and the market leader in delivering personalized “push” content to connected screens, today announced it has closed a $2 million Series B financing from strategic partner, Scala. The deal combined an asset sale and an equity investment. Hans Othar Blix, Scala’s Vice Chairman, will join Thinking Screen Media’s board of directors.
Thinking Screen Media’s FrameChannel platform enables connected screen owners to select and program the delivery of personalized content to a variety of consumer devices, selecting from a library of over 1000 content widgets. The library includes integrations with leading photosharing and social networking sites along with news, weather, sports scores, stock quotes and hyper local content. FrameChannel is available today on devices from over 20 consumer electronics providers including Tivo, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Philips, Motorola, Kodak, Toshiba, Viewsonic and Apple.
The use of proceeds will largely be focused on enhancing Thinking Screen Media’s offering on Set-top boxes and Apple’s iPad which the company believes is today’s ultimate connected screen. The company launched an iPad app on April 3, 2010 when the device first became available and has already released an update to its app. It plans to both enhance its FrameChannel app as well as add others to the iTunes library over the coming months.
The FrameChannel iPad app can be downloaded for free
“The iPad is the future, “ said co-founder and COO, Jon Finegold. “Apple has done it again setting the bar extremely high with the iPad and opening the door for many new content services. Our focus today is on a new category of application within the iPad, the many hours a day when the iPad is not in your hands. This ‘push’ category includes photo frame and screensaver or ‘PointCast-like’ capabilities but will also cover applications such as your morning alarm clock which may wake you up with local news as well as alerting services that keep you notified of the things that matter to you most throughout the day, from a sports scoreboard to a Bloomberg-like stock ticker at your desk. The possibilities are limitless.”
As part of the deal, Scala has acquired the digital signage division of Thinking Screen Media and it’s SignChannel platform . SignChannel is a SaaS platform for low cost, self service digital signage which Scala intends to bring worldwide.
“We are excited on two fronts,” said Gerard Bucas, CEO of Scala. “SignChannel will open up a whole new market for Scala in low cost digital signage while at the same time our investment in Thinking Screen Media gives us insight into what’s happening in the consumer space for connected screens.”
ABOUT THINKING SCREEN MEDIA.
Thinking Screen Media, formerly known as Frame Media, is a leader in delivering content to the “4th screen,” or the new category of Connected Screens that includes devices such as Wi-Fi photo frames, tablets, connected TVs, media players, and more. Its FrameChannel service can be customized and integrated with these devices and is available today on a growing number of top-brand products including, Tivo, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Philips, Motorola, Kodak, Toshiba, Viewsonic and Apple. FrameChannel users can easily select their favorite local, national, social networking, or photo sharing content from more than 1000 channels and program their devices to feature that content. FrameChannel intelligently streams the timeliest content from the selected channels, so users can always view the very latest information as they move through their homes.
ABOUT SCALA
Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world’s first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company’s digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen, Audi, ECE Flatmedia, Kaufhof (Metro Group) and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries.
Applelinks has a piece this morning on the FrameChannel service on the iPad.
“For several years now, FrameChannel has been the leading content platform for wireless digital photo frames – the first wave of connected consumer devices to hit the market. FrameChannel marries your personal photos from photosharing sites like Flickr and Picasa, with all kinds of personal and localized information – your weather, your news, your stocks, your favorite sports teams. FrameChannel pushes constantly updated, personalized content to the frame’s screen on your kitchen counter, or in your family room or bedroom.” Read the entire story.
Thanks Applelink.com
