Prevue Interactive, TV Guide Interactive
(1990-1994)
Consumers have come to expect better control, filtering and discovery tools for TV programming. Micorvision, which now owns TV Guide, introduces its Interactive Program Guide, which allows various viewers using the same TV to set up separate profiles, enabling better control, content suggestions, and more targeted advertising.
Prevue Interactive invented the first interactive program guide to enable television viewers to navigate the expansion from 50 to 500 channels due to digital compression. The Company developed a proprietary set-top box and customized data feeds and launched in cable markets throughout the US. It eventually gained competitive advantage through proprietary integrations with third party set-top box manufacturers such as Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, among others. The company merged with United Video Satellite Group as part of an IPO. Today it is the market leading interactive cable and on-line program guide to over 40 million homes.