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CES 2019: TiVo, Technicolor Make Partnership Waves; Panasonic Unveils Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Set

LAS VEGAS — TiVo used the opening day of CES 2019 to announce it had extended its partnership with Verizon, with the operator using TiVo’s personalized content discovery platform to offer more targeted recommendations and search capabilities to its 4.6 million subscribers.

“We are pleased that Verizon is extending its content discovery relationship with TiVo, deploying TiVo’s Personalized Content Discovery platform to deliver a truly personalized user experience,” said Raghu Rau, interim president and CEO of TiVo. “Our fully-integrated approach gives operators like Verizon the ability to simplify the viewing experience and allows them to stay ahead of the competition in a rapidly evolving media landscape.”

Verizon said it plans to use TiVo’s personalized content discovery platform conversation and recommendations services across set-top boxes, its web sites and streaming devices.

Also during CES:

• While not announced in Las Vegas, two major tech companies made a huge splash with DXC Technology announcing in would acquire Luxoft, to the tune of approximately $2 billion.

“Luxoft and DXC are highly complementary, and our shared vision of digital transformation makes this strategic combination a great fit for both organizations — as well as enormously beneficial for our clients,” said Mike Lawrie, chairman, president and CEO of DXC Technology. “Luxoft has a proven track record and expertise in producing measurable business outcomes at-scale for global clients across key industries, including automotive and financial services. The addition of Luxoft accelerates DXC’s growth strategy as we equip the company to meet the digital requirements of our clients today and in the future.”

Luxoft will maintain its brand and operate under the DXC Technology umbrella, with Dmitry Loschinin the company’s current president and CEO, continuing to lead the division.

“Our success in recent years has been led by our talent and ability to design, develop and deliver truly innovative digital solutions tailored to client business needs,” Loschinin said. “Aligning with DXC presents an exciting opportunity to unlock new value for our people, clients and partners. We will gain the scale, resources and market presence to better serve and compete, and to more rapidly realize our vision. As part of DXC, we will preserve Luxoft’s differentiated capabilities and culture while driving growth for the combined company.”

Closing of the deal is expected by June.

• Technicolor announced Jan. 8 that Viaccess-Orca (VO), an OTT and TV platform and content protection provider, has signed on to simplify the delivery of Android TV content, with VO’s DRM solution and VO Player being integrated in Technicolor’s Android TV set-tops.

“Pay TV operators are increasingly embracing the Android TV environment because of how immersive and engaging it is,” said Gaëtan Delcroix, VP of Technicolor’s video product division. “The open and defined approach that VO has taken with its DRM solution significantly decreases integration costs for device manufacturers, enabling us to focus efforts on system on chip specificities and better meet the global demand for Android TV experiences.”

VO’s DRM and VO Player solutions are now being integrated into Technicolor Sapphire STBs, which feature an Android operating system and Broadcom 7271 chipset.

“Thanks to this new partnership, operators can now take advantage of VO’s extensive portfolio of security services, such as digital rights management and security renewal, on Technicolor Android TV STBs,” said Chem Assayag, EVP of marketing and sales at Viaccess-Orca. “The end result is that viewers around the world can enjoy premium video content from Hollywood studios they desire on Android TV.”

• Among Panasonic’s many unveilings at CES was a first in the TV space: the company’s GZ2000 4K OLED panel is the first ever to support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as the first TV to offer built-in, upward-firing speakers capable of delivering Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Available in 65- and 55-inch sizes, the GZ2000 OLED is a step above other sets, according to John Couling, SVP of commercial partnerships for Dolby.

“Together, Dolby and Panasonic are bringing best-in-class audio and imaging technology to Panasonic’s TVs,” he said. “Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos perfectly complement the GZ2000’s advanced display, transforming it into an entertainment powerhouse.”