Neptuny launch the first ever content recommendation system for IPTV

Milan, Italy – Neptuny, a pioneer of the IPTV sector, are launching Contentwise, a revolutionary predictive content recommendation system for IPTV operators that will help viewers select the right content to suit their tastes and requirements. ContentWise will be launched at IBC 2007 in Amsterdam from 7-11 September 2007. ContentWise generates recommendations for media content tailored to individuals’ preferences based on user ratings and content metadata* enabling them to quickly find suitable content.

Poor customer retention caused by users’ frustration from trying to find appropriate content can be a big problem for operators in the IPTV sector. To prevent operators from losing dissatisfied customers Neptuny have developed a recommendation system that allows operators to provide their users with content tailored to their preferences.

How ContentWise works

ContentWise collects information from two different sources to provide recommendations. Firstly the system takes information from all users using Collaborative Filtering, this is where the system collects information about users’ previous views and recommends items based on ratings from other users who have similar tastes. The rating process is based on feedback from users via opinions of content or their interaction with the system. Secondly it uses Content-based Filtering based on the content meta-data e.g. actor, director, producer. This is then put through a proprietary algorithm to come up with weighted recommendations for that user based on their preferences. The operator can also add business rules to this, such as promoting certain content to meet strategic marketing objectives or maximise revenue. This works especially well where there are multiple users in a household who each use their own IPTV account. The operator can base recommendations on the individual and hence giving each user an enriched tailor-made experience.

Fabio Violante, Neptuny’s CEO comments “Initially IPTV operators were concentrating on getting their services up and running. However, they are now at a stage where their content libraries are growing rapidly. As these libraries grow users are quickly become bored and frustrated having to browse through thousands of items of content with a traditional remote control to find the content they want to watch. Therefore operators are pushing for a content recommendation engine, which Neptuny have developed in answer to their needs. ContentWise enables users to enjoy their IPTV experience and operators to retain their customers and maximise revenue per user. Amazon use a similar system for recommending products which has resulted in 35% of their product sales now being generated by their recommendation engine, so now IPTV operators benefit in the same way.”

Key Features

Recommendations
ContentWise will make recommendations for VOD and nVOD content, TV Channels, TV programs and programs for Personal Video Recorder as well as suggestions for targeted advertising. The system will provide each user with a personalised view ensuring that the content they would want to see is easy to find as well as helping the operator source the right content for them.

Rating Process
ContentWise collects feedback from the user. The user can either rate a film after watching it or the system will collect information about whether the user watched the whole film or stopped it before it has finished. This will then be used to recommend content to other users who have similar taste as well as helping the operator decide what content to buy.

Advanced “Business Rules”
Operators can add additional filtering to the recommendations; these can include parental control filters to stop adult content being viewed as well as advertising based on a customer’s profile. The operator can also recommend certain content which they need to push by adding ad-hoc business rules.

Business Reporting
ContentWise offers online and offline reporting; these reports can assist the operator in content buying by analysing what their customers would like to purchase as well as feedback from the users experience so that the operator can enhance their service to increase customer satisfaction.

Easy Implementation
ContentWise is simple and easy to implement as it is compatible with all IPTV standards, protocols and platforms. ContentWise can either be installed on the operators server or Neptuny can provide them with a server appliance with the system pre-installed or Neptuny can provide it as a managed service. ContentWise will also meet any IPTV standard that the operator is complying with.

If you would like to see a demonstration of ContentWise, please visit Neptuny at Stand 3.200 / IP251 at IBC 2007

*Metadata is the electronically provided descriptive data associated with a content asset package, such as a movie. Metadata may vary in depth from merely identifying the content package title or information for viewer needs, to providing asset management resource information, or to providing business rules detailing how the content package may be displayed, copied, or sold (as defined by CableLabs).

Link: Neptuny