Comcast Could Add TV Apps With New DVRs

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Reports surfaced last week that Comcast was looking to improve the way users find and access content through a next-generation set-top box and DVR it is testing with some users in Augusta, Ga. Now new details are emerging, including illustrations of a new home menu that highlights social features and apps.

Wireless Goodness first uncovered details of the device, which were submitted in a filing with the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the set-top box — labeled Xfinity Spectrum in the trial, but dubbed Xcalibur internally — had online video capabilities, allowing Comcast customers to stream selected content. In addition, according to a person familiar with the trial, the test also includes social features. But based on pictures from the filing — including a mockup of what appears to be the home menu — we can draw some interesting conclusions about what Comcast has in mind.

First, the Home menu’s navigation highlights multiple categories, including “Browse,” “Search” and “Guide” — all of which presumably allow subscribers to find the TV or VOD content they’re looking for. True to earlier reports, the navigation system has a heading for “Friends,” which presumably would allow users to view what others are watching or have watched.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the navigation scheme is the option for “Apps,” which could open up a whole new world of third-party services on the new system. It’s unclear which apps might be available on the device, but connections to Pandora, Flickr or third-party social networking services like Twitter or Facebook wouldn’t be totally out of the question. Less likely would be the availability of video services — like Netflix or Hulu Plus — that potentially would be cannibalistic to Comcast’s linear TV and VOD offerings.

Also of interest is the content menu itself, which highlights various selected programming, along with “Popular TV,” which presumably would change depending on what shows Comcast subscribers are watching at any given time. But the home screen, which could be the first thing users see when they turn the TV on, will no doubt influence what people choose to watch.

While Comcast could curate the programming highlighted on the home menu, there’s also the possibility the cable provider could use some form of personalized recommendation system to point subscribers to content they might find relevant. It will be interesting to see how Comcast manages the interests of different content partners as it programs the content that appears in those windows.

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