Keys to the Multi-Channel World

Interactive Program Guides (IPGs) are becoming the 'killer application' for enhanced TV, according to high-tech researcher In-Stat/MDR, which expects the worldwide IPG market to grow to nearly $1 billion by 2008.

IPGs help end-users to find TV programs among listings of thousands of available options, and then make it easy to select it for viewing, tag it with a reminder for later, or set up a recording.

According to Principal Analyst Gerry Kaufhold, '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. Gemstar-TV Guide, Microsoft, Tribune Media Services, and others, have the resources to drive this complex market forward'. However, the value of the market is not expected to explode overnight: 'Growth in each of the key areas will bring in incremental revenues, and it will take shrewd business sense to turn the IPG market into a long-term, sustainable business'.

In-Stat/MDR expects three key companies to have the staying power to succeed over the long term in IPG -Gemstar-TV Guide, Microsoft and Tribune Media Services - and suggests that TV Guide is still in a position to define the agenda due to its large installed base, key customer relationships, and powerful brand name. Aside from the three main players, smaller companies will succeed by finding niche opportunities.

'Interactive Program Guides (IPGs) - the 'Killer App' for Enhanced TV' segments the market into 'network connected' IPGs and Consumer Electronics IPGs, and provides annual forecasts for four geographic regions.

In-Stat/MDR, a part Reed Business Information, is online at www.instat.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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