Springer to launch Personal TV

System developed with Philips

By ED MEZA

BERLIN — German publishing group Axel Springer has joined forces with consumer electronics giant Philips to introduce a new global Personal TV system that allows viewers to tailor TV channels to their specific preferences.

The technology combines Springer’s metadata and electronic program guide TV Digital Personal with Philips’ Aprico software-based technology solution, creating an intelligent service that enables viewers to create specific personalized channels in their TV sets' electronic program guide such as “My News” or “My Sports,” which then automatically derive content from existing broadcast channels.

The TV Digital Personal/Aprico technology can be used globally with all available TV offerings and will be sold and distributed internationally to content, Internet and network service providers and device makers and will also be available for digital video recorders, PCs and mobile devices.

TV Digital Personal also offers attractive marketing opportunities by allowing new forms of targeted advertising to personalized TV channels.

Springer and Philips will unveil the new Personal TV solution in the second half of 2008.