Bringing TV Search Into the 21st Century

The issue of TV search has long been confined to the archives, ignored in favour of popular electronic programming guides (EPG).  However, through an explosion of quality content available for viewers, TV Search’s pertinence has grown.

Nowadays people want the benefits of quickly finding shows by a favourite actor or actress, a particular sport or just a specialised programme. However, for a long time it has been held back by three key issues:

1 – Programme metadata

This has traditionally been sparse, only allowing for basic searches like programme titles. The reason for this is due to limited bandwidth in the broadcast stream, which only allocates a few keywords for a programme description.

2 – Technical constraints

Storing a large amount of metadata will require a considerable amount of memory, which would lead to very expensive products in a competitive market. Therefore, most televisions aren’t designed with these capabilities. However, the growth of IPTV technology and Over The Top (OTT) services has allowed search engines to reside on the Internet, taking the strain away from televisions.

3 – Limitations of search algorithms

Search algorithms on set-top boxes are traditionally very basic, often limited to searching the first letter of the title. For an extensive TV search algorithm, Google’s PageRank system is the kind needed. Their system works because pages are linked together, a similar structure for TV would allow a great strength of content to define searches.

Streamlining VOD Search Habits

Now, a recommended strong search algorithm combined with high quality metadata in a connected TV environment could help to speed up TV search technology and streamline people’s video on demand (VOD) habits.

This should be led by strong metadata which will allow a search algorithm to relate the most relevant results based on cast, keywords, genre etc. Metadata should also include extended descriptions of programmes, particularly prime-time shows.

This can also improve the accuracy of information should there be any changes. When repeating a programme that has seen changes to the billed line-up, the search results should reflect this.
This effective algorithm should have the capabilities to filter out repeats and older content so that more relevant results are presented to viewers. The same can be applied to prioritising programmes based on relevancy.

For a more detailed breakdown of how TV search can be improved TV Genius have produced an extended TV search white paper