ZoneTV, Ooyala and Microsoft to create AI-driven customizable linear TV

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ZoneTV says it will utilize solutions from Ooyala and Microsoft to apply cognitive technology to linear TV by automatically curating content into a customizable suite of linear TV channels.

ZoneTV has licensed 6,000 hours of digital content which it will curate into specialized channels delivered to pay-TV subscribers. For consumers, these channels will initially appear like any traditional linear channel. However, ZoneTV’s service allows consumers to combine linear, on-demand and customized choices on the fly into a new offering called ZoneTV Dynamic Channels.

The content in the specialized channels will be presented in a consumer-friendly, easily discoverable way to viewers via the ZoneTV Programming Studio, which is integrated with Ooyala’s Flex CMS, as well as Video Indexer from Microsoft Cognitive Services, to curate fine-tuned specialized channels.

The combination of these tools features advanced algorithms that characterize content; the platform automatically extracts and analyzes metadata to identify video genre and content sentiment, pulls topics from speech and text, translates captions into multiple languages and integrates subscriber analytics.

This provides quick scalability for ZoneTV as it adds additional content, and reduces manual processes that can slow content curation and introduce errors in metadata translation and application.

In addition, ZoneTV will utilize Ooyala’s Flex Platform for its end-to-end video workflow for both new specialized channels and its VOD assets. Flex runs on Microsoft Azure Media Services and can transform assets into any format for distribution to any device with Ooyala’s video platform; and it automates transcoding, packaging and syndication, which gets content in front of audiences faster.

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