Comcast and interactive lifestyle network HSN have announced the beginning of a nationwide rollout of HSN’s Shop by Remote, an interactive television (iTV) application that enables Comcast Digital cable customers to shop and make purchases with HSN right from their remote control.
“Comcast is committed to bringing convenient, easy-to-use interactive TV applications on a national basis that will transform the way consumers interact with their televisions,” said Todd Walker, Senior Vice President for Video Product Development at Comcast. “We are excited to have HSN join our growing line up of content partners, and other iTV applications that are live in Comcast homes today.”
Just in time for the holidays, Comcast Digital customers can easily buy from HSN the latest fashions, home products or electronics from the comfort of their own home -“ all with a few clicks of the remote. With an average purchase time of less than 60 seconds, customers also will be able to select the quantity, color, features and sizes with their remote.
“As a pioneer of electronic retail, HSN has been a driving force in transactional innovation for decades,” stated Peter Ruben, HSN’s Executive Vice President of Affiliate Marketing & Sales. “As we enter the height of the holiday shopping season, HSN is thrilled to be working with an industry leader such as Comcast to provide millions more viewers a faster and easier way to shop from home.”
In addition to Shop by Remote, Comcast is deploying several iTV applications that include: “Remind-Record” and “Request for Information” — new interactive features that Comcast customers can access on their TV using their remote control. Remind-Record gives customers the ability to easily set a reminder or schedule a recording directly from an ad of an upcoming TV show or series. With Request for Information (RFI), viewers can request more information about a product or opt-in to receive free samples, coupons and services.
Comcast has successfully deployed iTV applications, including Shop by Remote, in more than eight million homes across the country to date. Comcast iTV applications are powered by Enhanced Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) technology, a standard software platform developed by the cable industry to easily deploy interactive applications using existing systems and set-top boxes.
