Cablevision To Build Connected TV Apps

written by: Richard Kastelein

Details

Published on Sunday, 03 June 2012 12:53

According to Fierce Cable, Cablevision is preparing to deploy a connected TV app that will allow its Optimum digital cable subscribers to watch live TV and video-on-demand programming on connected TVs from Samsung.

Kenzan Media, an interactive TV firm demonstrated the app last week at The Cable Show convention in Boston and Fierce Cable shot a short video of the Samsung app for Optimum.

More from FC:

The app Kenzan demonstrated at Samsung's booth showed how Optimum subscribers who buy a smart TV from Samsung could watch live TV without using a set-top. A Kenzan executive said the company is also adding features to the app that will allow Cablevision subscribers to watch VOD programming, access DVR programming and search TV listings.

Time Warner Cable recently announced it would allow subscribers to access HBO Go through connected TVs from Samsung. Comcast is also working with Samsung to let its subscribers watch programming from their cable subscriptions on connected TVs.

Kenzan was founded by Christopher Kilmer, who worked previously as director of interactive TV at Rainbow Media, a former Cablevision subsidiary that was spun off last year and is now known as AMC Networks. Kenzan CTO Naveen Kadiyala is also a former Cablevision executive, working as a director at the company from 2000 to 2005, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The app Kenzan built for Cablevision features a user interface that is similar to the interface that runs on its Optimum App for Laptop. That product, which Cablevision deployed earlier this year, lets subscribers watch any channel from their cable subscription on a Mac or PC laptop. Time Warner Cable, which is also a Kenzan client, has deployed a similar app.

A Cablevision spokesman told the reporter that the company doesn't have a set timeline for deploying the Optimum app on connected TVs.