Programming Metadata Could Lead to Better-Tailored TV Offerings, Arris Says

Scene-level metadata that would allow for recommendations based on such criteria as a program's dialogue or the viewer's mood are part of the data insights available to TV service providers, said Andy Aftelak, Arris director-advanced technology, in an introduction to a report that the company announced on its blog Monday. Data about how people do their over-the-top viewing needs to be wed to customer demographic profiles, which can lead to better recommendation engines, which in turn reduce churn and optimize content acquisition, said Aftelak. That metadata, gleaned from set-top boxes and server logs, also could better monetize niche channels, since those data sources are more reliable than audience measurement panels and thus would account for streams that traditionally get overlooked, he said. Such data could be used in making the "joins" of commercial breaks in an attempt to counter advertising blocking, he said.