By will-buy
British television service Sky Q has improved its voice search AI to come up with recommendations based on the user’s previous viewing, culled from multiple streaming platforms. Sky, which is owned by Comcast, is encouraging people to make use of the updated voice assistant and even giving away Sky Q Voice Remotes.
Sky AI
Pressing the blue microphone button on the Sky Q Voice Remote awakens the voice assistant as it has because it debuted in 2023, but there is a new menu activated by asking the voice assistant, “what should I watch?” The new command employs an up-to-date algorithm to trawl through everything in your viewing history, although only from the box accustomed to make the request, to come up with tips on what you are able wish to watch. Looking field continues to be expanded beyond Sky’s native streaming service, and Netflix to now include Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and also the BBC. The resulting list could be watched or saved later on viewing. Sky imitates some of the streaming services in how it headlines the recommendations, citing what previously viewed content led to a suggestion, as well as picking out new shows based on the aggregate of what has been watched.
The new command adds to the existing search functions by actor, director, or genre. A few additional commands brings up trailers for new and upcoming shows and movies once the user says “Prepare for 2023” or “Sky Unmissable.” To inspire more utilisation of the voice assistant, Sky's giving some customers free voice remotes when they join the disposable Sky VIP program. Though not directly connected, the emphasis on voice control is similar to Comcast subsidiary Xfinity’s push to include voice into its services with new streaming service controls, interactive ads, NBC's new Peacock streaming service, activation of Tile audio alerts, as well as voting for singers on The Voice television show.
Smart TV Time
Sky may also be pursuing better voice search and control because of the number of new and upgraded services have debuted recently, even when they aren’t direct rivals. SFR in France and Vodafone in Spain make moves to boost their smart TV services with new hardware. Both companies separately partnered with hardware developer Devialet to launch a new smart speaker within the last couple weeks in their respective countries. The smart speakers are made to act independently as well as integrate closely using their smart TV platforms. In Russia, search engine giant Yandex has added its Alice voice assistant to the smart TV platform, while Foxtel, Australia's largest television subscription service, upped its very own smart TV options with the addition of TiVo's voice search platform. TiVo is working to improve its own offerings too, arranging with Pindrop Methods to bring vocal recognition technology to future hardware. And with Google and Amazon aggressively pursuing more of the smart TV market with new a new Chromecast set-top and new Fire TV Stick Lite, respectively, Sky can’t just depend on its current dominance in the united kingdom to last forever without innovating.
