Families and children are in the midst of amedia revolution. Television, Internet access, instant messaging, cell phones, and interactive video games are delivering more information for more hours than ever in history.

Rovi Corporation has unveiled its TotalGuide Solution for Service Providers, an advanced flexible media guide for cable platforms this week at The Cable Show in Los Angeles. This solution especially designed for Service Providers uses in-depth entertainment data from Rovi to power search, browse and recommendation capabilities.

The media guide streamlines the access to linear TV, digital video recorded (DVR), video on demand (VOD) content through one user interface, as well as enables service providers to seamlessly integrate broadband and personal content as they are being implemented in next generation service provider offerings. By simplifying the access to the variety of content sources, service providers are able to highlight the value of their content platform, thereby strengthening the relationship with their subscribers in an increasingly competitive market.

The guide also offers the flexibility to add links to consumers' personal media libraries as well as expand the user experience beyond the TV and into other devices. It utilizes in-depth entertainment metadata from Rovi, including TV show and movie summaries and reviews; movie poster art; celebrity photos; biographies; and sophisticated relational data to simplify the navigation process within the guide. It provides continuous recommendations for fresh, new content based on the tastes and preferences revealed in a viewer's search history, social recommendations and new releases.

Ian Olgeirson, senior analyst with SNL Kagan states that television viewing options have changed dramatically with DVRs, VOD and over-the-top content, and service providers need a next-generation guide to make sure consumers can fully take advantage of these improvements and this solution also provide a clear and engaging roadmap to programming options that are critical to the industry's ability to maintain its value proposition amid increased competition.