Altice Portugal Picks Media Distillery to Improve User Experiences

Media Distillery, a provider of AI technology to optimise video UX, announces that Altice Portugal, the largest telecommunications service provider in Portugal, has gone live with EPG Correction Distillery™ to improve user experiences (UX) for subscribers to its MEO IPTV and OTT services.

The pioneering solution is now ensuring accurate start-times and end-times for 1.5 million subscribers across the most popular TV channels on MEO, the consumer TV service brand operated by Portugal’s largest operator of the same name, wholly owned by Altice Portugal.

Eliminating EPG inaccuracies delivers better UX

With EPG Correction Distillery, viewers get a better user experience because EPG programme schedule information is accurate. Typically, a TV service begins playing linear broadcasts at the EPG-indicated start-time. However, shows often don’t begin exactly at the time stated in the EPG. Without correction, on replay, the viewer might be compelled to watch the end of the preceding show. Conversely, if the programme begins before the time shown in the EPG, subscribers might miss the beginning of their selected show. These scenarios adversely affect the user’s viewing enjoyment and can cause significant frustration.

EPG Correction Distillery uses AI to automatically analyse broadcasts, in real-time, across multiple channels and makes adjustments so that replay start-times coincide with actual start-times of TV programmes as they are broadcast. As a result, users can trust the schedule information in their EPG, leading to harmonious viewing and enhanced service enjoyment.

AI-enabled time markers mean better ad insertion

Altice is additionally leveraging AI-enabled time markers, part of multiple award-winning Media Distillery technology, to insert advertisements in the MEO replay environment, thereby improving both ad effectiveness and monetization potential.

Time markers ensure that MEO can insert advertisements in a replay environment. As a result, the operator has the opportunity to benefit from a new revenue stream, meanwhile improving return on investment in content.

“Media Distillery’s innovations exemplify the future of video entertainment user experiences,” said José Pedro Nascimento, Director of Engineering and Operations at Altice Portugal.

“Consumers’ expectations, and the range of video content they demand, increase every day: EPG Connection Distillery is enabling us to provide a seamless discovery, selection and enjoyment journey, which is absolutely fundamental for a superior UX, while helping us to monetise growing replay usage,” Nascimento added.

“We’re very proud that Altice Portugal has chosen EPG Connection Distillery to provide its customers with enhanced viewing experiences,” said Roland Sars, CEO of Media Distillery.

“Furthermore, in leveraging our solution’s time markers, Altice can commercially benefit from seamless ad insertion, which ensures smooth transitions between programming and dynamically inserted advertisements, leading to enhanced revenue potential,” Sars added. “Altice is demonstrating its dedication to providing superior video services to consumers and we’re delighted to help Altice’s subscribers enjoy accurate EPGs and more harmonious UX.”

Today over 30 million homes worldwide enjoy superior TV viewing experiences thanks to Media Distillery technology.

Altice Portugal operates in all segments of the ICT sector: fixed, mobile, television, multimedia, data, advertising, data center and cloud, as well as business solutions, providing an integrated telecommunication offering with Telco, ICT and BPO. Altice Portugal is part of Altice Europe, an international group strongly anchored in robust infrastructure with high quality, with a clear content strategy and innovative offers of converged telecommunications services.

Amsterdam-based Media Distillery is an acknowledged leader in AI-driven video analysis solutions for the worldwide entertainment Industry. The cloud-based Deep Content Understanding™ solution provides fully automated real-time content analysis which empowers broadcasters and pay-TV service providers to optimise viewer engagement through accelerated and accurate content discovery and enhanced user experience.

Media Distillery’s customer base includes major operators and broadcasters located around the globe including Vodafone, Liberty Global, Telenet, NOS and VTR Chile.