Sezmi, formerly known as “Building-B," this week announced its solution for TV 2.0. Broadcast DTV is a key part of it.
The service component of Sezmi offers “a seamless integration of live and stored TV, on-demand content and Internet video, all accessible at the push of a button,” according to the Silicon Valley company. The service is accessed using Sezmi’s digital media receiver, a “simple, out-of-the-box wireless product that provides consumers a high-quality digital television experience in minutes.”
Content will be delivered to the digital media receiver using Sezmi’s “FlexCast" video distribution technology, which Sezmi says “combines digital broadcast television with existing broadband infrastructure to cost effectively deliver video content. The system utilizes available capacity in existing digital television broadcast networks and creates a private, secure broadcast transmission for content.”
While this may sound like a reincarnation of the over-the-air digital TV subscription service USDTV, Sezmi differs in several ways. First, the system uses consumers’ existing broadband Internet service to provide interactivity and additional content. Second, the system is designed for self-installation, using what Sezmi calls a “cutting edge smart antenna indoor reception system.”
Sezmi is working with broadcasters to roll out the service.
“Sezmi’s innovative platform enables broadcasters to enhance their core service, while creating new revenue opportunities,” said Colleen Brown, president and CEO of Fisher Communications. “Advertisers continue to tell us they want this type of measurable targeting to generate greater efficiencies on television and as broadcasters, we need this type of audience intelligence to more effectively connect our viewers with new programs.”
Tim Hanlon, executive vice president of Denuo Group, a Publicis company, agreed. “Advertisers are demanding Internet-like efficiency with TV advertising," he said. “They want to target the right customer with the right ad, and have accurate data on viewer response. Sezmi is a breakthrough service in this area. For the first time, advertisers will know exactly who—whether it’s mom or dad or the kids—watched their commercial. Sezmi will enable improvements in advertising effectiveness and ultimately increases marketing ROI, two important goals in today’s cluttered ad landscape.”
Will Sezmi succeed where USDTV failed? One analyst, Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, thinks so. “Consumers are waiting for the television industry to catch up and meet their demand for flexible, advanced and personalized features in their television service, just like they’ve come to expect with the Internet, wireless communications and digital media," he said. “With the impending digital transition, the consumer shift to on-demand viewing, high-definition, Internet video, and other disruptions, now is the time for a true television alternative to emerge. From what I’ve seen, Sezmi’s differentiated approach, leadership and industry relationships makes it a strong contender to fill this void.”
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