Rovi, at The Cable Show this week in Los Angeles, is unveiling a service provider version of its advanced, flexible media guide, originally rolled out last summer for CE companies.

Rovi’s TotalGuide for service providers uses metadata (generated by Rovi) to power search, browsing and recommendation capabilities. The guide can include content from linear TV, video-on-demand and a DVR, as well as Web-based content. All content is available through a single interface.

The guide also offers the ability to add links to consumers' personal media libraries, as well as expand the user experience beyond the TV and into other devices.

Rovi’s metadata includes references to TV show and movie summaries and reviews, movie poster art, celebrity photos, biographies and sophisticated relational data to simplify the navigation process within the guide.

TotalGuide provides continuous recommendations for fresh, new content based on the tastes and preferences revealed in a viewer's search history, social recommendations, new releases and editorial reviews. In addition, viewers are able to browse and jump from one piece of content to another using relational data, such as cast and credits details – what Rovi calls "six-degrees" discovery.

Rovi said operators will be able to use the guide to serve targeted ads.

"The world of home entertainment is undergoing a major transition. No longer the only source of entertainment in the home, the TV now competes with several alternative platforms, most notably the Internet, which continues to grow as a major destination for on-demand and over-the-top video content. As the landscape shifts, cable operators must find new and relevant ways to engage their subscribers and drive greater value," said Corey Ferengul, executive vice president of product management and marketing at Rovi.

"Recognizing this, we will be offering our ground-breaking TotalGuide platform to cable operators so that they can differentiate their services and enhance how consumers connect to and navigate the cable experience."