Xperi’s new TiVo operating system for TVs has made its debut in Europe and will also come to some “Powered by TiVo” televisions launching in the U.S. later this year.
The company has grand ambitions for its TiVo OS, which was first announced in 2022. Xperi is leveraging its collaboration with Vestel, the European TV manufacturer that makes televisions for multiple, mid-tier and lower-end TV brands, to get TiVo OS onto as many televisions as it can.
So far, things appear to be going well, with Panasonic recently announcing that its budget TV lineup, including the W60A and S45/S40 TVs, will ship with TiVo OS.
More TV brands are expected to follow suit, including JVC, Sharp and Bush, which sells TVs in the U.K., through Argos. The first batch of TiVo OS TVs will be sold in Europe, but the company is also planning to expand to the U.S. later this year, though it hasn’t yet said which brands it will be working with to do this.
The TiVo OS operating system promises to be a “first-of-its-kind neutral platform aimed at giving original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) significantly more control over the user experience and helping consumers cut through the clutter of streaming and linear content options with simplified, universal discovery”, Xperi says in its pitch. In other words, it’s trying to make the platform appeal to both consumers and TV companies alike.
TV owners will benefit from a clean, easy to use interface that provides quick access to their favourite streaming services and channels, as well as additional content from TiVo+ and some regional services, such as Freely in the U.K. The company also promises familiar search functionality, including voice search, with the ability to tailor the personalized recommendations it delivers.
For TV manufacturers, Xperi said the TiVo One platform will help them customize the platform to an extent, and implement their own ads. While it’s unlikely that many consumers will welcome the prospect of more ads, TiVo has promised its ads will be delivered using a more targeted, data-driven approach that will hopefully deliver more relevant content suggestions and products.
TiVo suggests that by delivering a more visually appealing and engaging OS, users are more likely to respond to the ads on its platform, which could mean more revenue for the TV makers who are increasingly looking to expand beyond their traditional hardware business models.
2024 is a good year for Xperi to be launching its TiVo OS platform, as there are plenty of sporting events on the calendar that could entice people to remain indoors and splash out on a new television. That said, the company faces plenty of competition, with the likes of Samsung and LG maintaining their own TV operating systems and established alternatives such as Android TV, Google TV, Fire TV and Roku also looking to get their respective platforms inside more TVs.
