Apple to License Unspecified Intellectual Property From Rovi

Great, like we need more DRM crap... :(

Can't rate this until we know exactly what technologies they have licensed.

:O Rovi is the corporate descendent of the United Video Satellite Group (later TV Guide Inc., then Gemstar-TV Guide International), which was the parent company of the ever-amazing Prevue Channel!

Not enough information as yet but would imagine that technology like this would be finding its way towards an Apple TV like device. Especially as they develop some pretty advanced EPG like technologies.

Not enough information as yet but would imagine that technology like this would be finding its way towards an Apple TV like device. Especially as they develop some pretty advanced EPG like technologies.

Meh. They barely "develop" advanced EPG-like technologies. I believe all of the guide-related products they currently sell were acquired and have not been developed out all too much since then.

If you use Comcast on a Motorola-based headend, you'll recognize the TV Guide Interactive software Comcast uses as i-Guide/iGuide on Rovi's website (probably unrelated sidenote: Apple owns some sort of trademark for iGuide)

probably unrelated sidenote: Apple owns some sort of trademark for iGuide)

That's interesting. Maybe they want to turn your Apple TV into a TiVo. Anyway, Apple TV certainly does lack anything even resembling a program guide. Of course, from Apple I'd certainly hope for something much more robust than the Prevue Channel. (Or even TiVo, for that matter.)

I'd be a lot more encouraged if Apple was buying technology from, say, Boxee, or someone who could really innovate in the TV space. Some of what needs to happen is pretty obvious - YouTube properly adapted for a TV environment, for example, has never really been done. I can get YouTube vids blown up to TV size, but that's not the same as making it 'feel' like TV. And that's the kind of thing Apple does so well, except of course they don't seem very committed to their TV product.

If they'd gone after YV they way they went after cell phones, they'd have cracked the code by now. And Microsoft would be coming out with 'Apple TV killers'.

I'd be a lot more encouraged if Apple was buying technology from, say, Boxee, or someone who could really innovate in the TV space. .

Probably this is not really a technology buy; more like these guys own a fundamental patent in some area Apple is working on.

I have some sort of Macrovision crap (courtesy of Adobe) on my Mac.

:O Rovi is the corporate descendent of the United Video Satellite Group (later TV Guide Inc., then Gemstar-TV Guide International), which was the parent company of the ever-amazing Prevue Channel!

The Prevue Channel/Prevue Guide is indeed awesome! It used to be one of my favorite channels on cable TV. I remember, when I was younger, I would sometimes just watch it for long periods at a time (when nothing else was on). It was a fun channel to watch. I miss the old Prevue Channel. Ah the 90's.....

When you really think about it, the guide channels are truly the only indispensable channels on cable or satellite. We would be lost without them! Especially since the ol' Cable Guide and TV Guide have become pretty much useless.

It will be interesting to see if Apple has some sort of guide channel in store. However, what would be the point? Everything is on-demad.

I have some sort of Macrovision crap (courtesy of Adobe) on my Mac.

I think you mean Macromedia.