Suddenlink Communications has signed up to use Rovi’s DTA guide for its subscribers that are using HD digital terminal adapters (DTAs.)
The Rovi DTA Guide, which was first announced at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in 2011, provides more digital-like features in viewers’ living rooms while freeing up bandwidth for more HD channels and faster broadband speeds. Financial terms of the agreement weren’t released.
“Our customers have relied on Rovi guides to inform and enhance their entertainment viewing experience,” said Suddenlink Senior Vice President and Chief Programming Officer Kathy Payne. “Suddenlink looks forward to improving the user experience in subscriber homes with Rovi DTA Guides.”
Rovi’s DTA Guide has richer features and more functionality than previous DTA guides, and allows customers to access HD signals without the frills of VOD, pay-per-view or more expensive equipment in the home.
The HD DTAs can be used by smaller cable operators that want to offer an entry-level HD service without using expensive set-top boxes, or to provision video services to second, third and fourth TVs in a home.
The Rovi DTA Guide is a software guide solution that includes navigation capabilities, channel tuning, parental controls, and multiple language options for the guide and audio. In addition to the familiar program grid, Rovi DTA Guide features TV listings by time and an On Now/On Next banner to make it easier to quickly find out what is on TV.
The scaled video feature enables viewers to continue watching their current channel while navigating the guide. Rovi has previously said it was working with multiple DTA equipment providers to pre-port and integrate the Rovi DTA Guides on standard DTA devices.
Suddenlink spokesman Gene Regan said the cable operator doesn’t disclose how may HD DTA users it has, or what DTA vendors it uses. Like Suddenlink, Vyve Broadband has a deal in place with TiVo. Vyve started using Evolution Digital’s HD universal DTAs for its TiVo users last year.
Also last year, National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) signed a master agreement for the use of the Rovi DTA Guide by its membership while Armstrong became the first North American cable operator to use the guide. The guide was first deployed by Cablevision in Argentina in 2013.