Cisco and Cox at CES: Evolving Second Screen TV with Next-Gen Mobile App

Today at CES in Las Vegas, Cox Communications took the wraps off of a slate of expansions to second screen TV today, during a private press reception at the Wynn Hotel. Working with Cisco, Cox evolved their video services platform to deliver more personalized video experiences, offering their customers more of what they enjoy.

While Cox customers have been able to watch 90 channels of live, linear TV on an iPad for more than a year now, this new app – powered by Cisco’s Videoscape Unity software and technology – expands the service to iPhones and iPods, adding significant improvements in navigation.

This builds on Cox’s “Trio Program Guide,” which enables personal recommendations for up to eight people per household, including “like,” “dislike,” and “suspend” actions, as well as the ability to pause live TV from any device within Cox’s whole-home DVR network. Personalized recommendations are provided by ThinkAnalytics, and metadata by Tribune Media Services.

At the press and analyst event, Cox President Pat Esser spoke alongside Cisco’s John Chambers to demonstrate how the new app – yet to be branded – will further personalize the video experience for Cox’s customers.

“We’re delivering a viewing experience that’s more personal, by putting customers in command of the content they most enjoy,” Esser said.

Specifically, the mobile app features the aforementioned 90 live channels, plus access to video on demand. It integrates TV and tablet navigability, such that the tablet can be used as a remote control. Using Cisco’s Snowflake UI design and DRM, the app is intuitive, touch-powered, and driven by personal viewing histories and individual profiles.

The plan is to integrate all of Cox’s mobile apps into the TV app, then expand out to additional devices as the new year unfolds, Esser and others said. Among these devices, Cisco is contributing its G6 and G7 gateways, plumbed with six tuners, a 1 TB hard drive and MoCa (for whole-home DVR).

The app was built based on extensive customer research, noted Len Barlik, EVP of product management and development for Cox. “We make a point to ask our customers what they value. They told us they want easier access to the content that’s most relevant to them.”

We look forward to working closely with Cox and exploring the possibilities Cisco’s Videoscape Unity portfolio has to offer them.