On Sept. 8, Rovi announced that its deal to acquire TiVo has been completed and that it will be adopting and operating under the TiVo brand. Now, the new TiVo has changed its user interface design.
TiVo says that its new UI is built with mobile devices and smart TVs in mind and as such, it is designed to provide users with content from a wide array of sources in an easier and quicker manner. The newly reformed company also claims the new interface redefines traditional television by providing a seamless experience for content consumption.
"We are transforming TV viewing into an easy, personalized experience," says Margret Schmidt, TiVo's chief design officer, in a press release dated Sept. 9. "We designed this [UI] so the viewer spends less time searching channel guides and opening apps and more time enjoying their favorite shows."
Schmidt adds that aside from the design, another reason why the new user interface can enable the user to access content faster is a new feature called Predictions, which takes note of the user's viewing habits. Using the data it gathers, Predictions proceeds to do what its name suggests and predicts shows the user may be interested in watching at the moment.
TiVo also uses the same idea for providing show recommendations. The company claims that both Predictions and recommendations are personalized and tailored to each individual user.
Aside from the aforementioned features, the new visually rich interface also accommodates content from multiple sources such as on-demand, streaming apps and linear. To give even quicker access to content across all supported platforms and providers, the new interface allows users to mark apps they frequently visit as favorites.
Customizable shortcuts for apps can also be created on TiVo's home screen. TiVo says that the combination of the new design and new features makes user interface navigation more efficient and users will need to click less.
The release of this new user interface is premised by TiVo's latest survey, which revealed that, on average, respondents spend four hours a day watching or streaming video content while an additional 19 minutes is spent on searching what they want to watch.
Moreover, 40 percent of those who can't find content to watch disengage and turn off their devices while more than 47 percent agree that it should be easier to find content granted the amount they are paying for the video streaming service.
