What is the Mobile Phone to the Set-top Box? A Smart Remote Control

By Tsahi Levent-Levi

Categories: Clients, IPTV

October 6th, 2008

Although it is not IPTV Month any longer, there’s one thing that slipped my RSS reader (or rather, was marked for IPTV Month but I never got to it). And that’s the link between a mobile handsets and IPTV.

A lot was said and done about mobile TV, and how the Olympic Games were a win for online and mobile content. But the bottom line? People want to see their mobile phone as a simple (and smart) remote control for their set-top boxes.

Check out the following question on linked-in: If you could have one service or feature that tied your mobile phone to your livingroom what would it be?

It got 16 answers. What do people ask for? Connecting their mobile phone to the PVR so they can record their favorite shows.

I’d go a step further and say that full remote control over my home entertainment system would be great - this way, I can use the phone as a remote control for the whole thingamajig that sits in my living room while at home, and program remotely the PVR. It would be nice to have the EPG available directly on my mobile phone as well.

And while I’m at it, why not get that iPhone second as a Wii controller?