Sezmi Launches Public Pilot of All-in-One Personal TV Service

Monday, November 16th, 2009
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Company reinvents TV experience with ultimate personalized on-demand TV service that directly integrates live local and cable TV networks with expansive collection of on-demand movies, TV shows and Internet video; readies nationwide 2010 launch

LOS ANGELES & BELMONT, Calif. — Sezmi today announced that the company has made its all-in-one personalized television service available to the public in an exclusive pilot in Los Angeles. The first-ever television offering to seamlessly integrate live television into a broadband content experience, Sezmi delivers a next-generation video entertainment experience that brings top rated television content from leading cable networks together with a broad selection of on-demand movies from top studios and popular Internet video content.

Sezmi’s all-digital entertainment system goes well beyond traditional television, bringing new levels of personalization and simplicity to discovering and viewing a wide array of entertainment content that has never before been this seamlessly integrated with television. The Sezmi service delivers a premium experience on a subscription basis and provides access to large volumes of pay-as-you-go movies and TV. It also contains a large collection of free on-demand content.

Buno Pati, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sezmi, said, “The launch of Sezmi in Los Angeles is the culmination of years of development and dozens of relationships in the content, broadcast and technology industries. We are extremely pleased to deliver on our vision of a premium television service that maximizes value for consumers.”

People who are accepted into Sezmi’s exclusive pilot will receive a free subscription to the Sezmi television service that can be set up in minutes to access leading broadcast and cable networks as well as Internet video content. These participants can also enjoy thousands of on-demand television shows and movies that are available to buy or rent. Sezmi will select participants for the Los Angeles pilot through an online application available for a short time only.

Sezmi designed its personalized television experience to match the evolving needs of television viewers to those of content providers. In doing so Sezmi enables new ways for its content providers to connect with audiences in diverse, highly targeted and profitable ways. Examples include advanced search and browse features that ease discovery of content, advanced promotional capabilities for matching content offers to viewer preferences, custom portals or “zones” for offering categorized content, and targeted advertising with sophisticated metrics. With Sezmi, content providers can offer viewers a broader range of content in a seamlessly integrated experience unlike the fragmented experience found in other television offerings.

“Sezmi was built based on a deep understanding of how television viewers are evolving. We recognized that a completely new end-to-end offering was required to meet the needs of both consumers and content providers,” said Phil Wiser, co-founder and president of Sezmi. “Viewers do not want to be limited by the linear structure of typical services. Content providers, who have invested heavily in their content libraries, are not embracing the free online advertising model with its questionable economics as the best way to adapt to the digital age. Sezmi solves both of these problems in a way that revolutionizes television for both the industry and its customers.”

“To date no one has delivered a complete future-proof entertainment system that meets consumers evolving demands for what they want to watch, when they want to watch, architected in a way that enables content providers to profit meaningfully through advertising and on-demand sales,” said Kurt Sherf, analyst for Parks and Associates. “Typical over-the-top products fail to deliver traditional TV; so people need multiple services to get all they want – this is unacceptable. Sezmi solves this problem very elegantly and redefines the television experience without disrupting the economics that content providers require.”

Ultimate Personalization

To connect people to the programming they care most about in a very personalized way, Sezmi automatically records, organizes, and recommends shows for each person in the family based on their individual preferences. The press of a “mi” button on the Sezmi remote instantly launches a person into a custom view of their own favorite content ready for instant viewing, along with recommendations matching their viewing habits. The Sezmi interface is elegantly designed in a unique graphical format that brings each family member’s content choices to life.

Premier Cable Content from Leading Networks

Sezmi delivers a content lineup that includes popular cable channels and shows. Sezmi breaks the strictly linear model of cable and satellite and gives content providers a new way to offer their entire range of content to consumers. For viewers, this means a very rich programming offering that includes many choices they cannot find in typical television services.

Extensive Library of World Class Movies

Sezmi is a broadband television entertainment experience that seamlessly integrates thousands of on-demand movies and TV shows directly within the primary television viewing experience. The service includes content from major studios including 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Studios and more, as well as an extensive lineup of independent studios. Sezmi has also partnered with Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC) to provide access to a broad selection of additional content powered by Roxio CinemaNow™.

Easily Discoverable Internet Content On-Demand

Sezmi also integrates a variety of Internet content including YouTube and thousands of video podcasts. The service makes professional and user-generated videos more easily discoverable and enjoyable than ever before in the television format. With the ability to quickly find and watch the most popular Internet content right on their TV, viewers are no longer forced to retreat to their computers to find and enjoy a wide selection of broadband content.

All-Inclusive and Highly Localized Broadcast Programming

Sezmi provides convenient access to a wide selection of local programming, including local sports, weather, ethnic and even special children’s programming. This wealth of specialized local programming compliments access to every major broadcast network, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, My Network, CW, Telefutura, Telemundo and Univision, which in aggregate represent the majority of all television viewing.