Sharp Partners with Digitalsmiths & TMS for Smart TV Platform

The companies have developed a new smart TV platform that offers advanced guide and recommendation features. 

Sharp has announced a partnership with Digitalsmiths (a subsidiary of TiVo Inc) and Tribune Media Services (TMS) to enhance the company's smart TV experience. The updated SmartCentral 3.0 platform is now available on several 2014 Sharp display models.

"Sharp continually strives to improve the viewer experience, and the SmartCentral 3.0 platform offers integrated search, the best apps and mobile connectivity," said Vishnu Rao, director, product technology at Sharp. "Working with Digitalsmiths and TMS allows Sharp to bring the best content discovery experience to Sharp AQUOS viewers."

Sharp's SmartCentral 3.0 uses DigitalSmiths' "Seamless Discovery Platform" in conjunction with TMS' "On Entertainment data," giving customers access to a cross-platform smart guide that details cable, satellite, and streaming content. Likewise, the advanced platform also offers superior media recommendations with info and images for cross-platform titles.

"Building on our market leadership in the pay-TV market, Digitalsmiths is proud to grow our partners within the consumer electronics industry," said Ben Weinberger, co-founder of Digitalsmiths. "Content recommendations are becoming a must-have across multiple channels and platforms, and being able to work with Sharp to offer enhanced video discovery experiences in the United States, Canada and Mexico helps us expand to new markets and continue positive growth." 

"For decades, TMS data has enabled the evolution of entertainment guides with increasingly sophisticated datasets that now fuel advanced search and discovery of compelling content worldwide," said Rich Cusick, general manager of TMS. "Sharp's multiscreen experience leverages On Entertainment in a truly elegant way; we're confident that SmartCentral 3.0 users will love the functionality our data brings to life."

The SmartCentral 3.0 platform is integrated into a slew of Sharp's 2014 Aquos television models, including the LC-60SQ15U, LC-70SQ15U, LC-60UQ17U, and LC-70UQ17U  Q+ Series; the LC-60EQ10U and LC-70EQ10U Q Series; and the LC-70UD1U 4K series.

Source: TiVo

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