Xfinity X1 is a platform for innovation, enabling us to provide content partners with the tools to deliver new, real-time experiences that will surprise and delight viewers, and provide customers with new ways to access, enjoy and interact with their favorite entertainment directly on the television. As the leading platform for voice control on the TV with more than 500 million voice commands every month, we’ve enabled X1 customers to vote with their voice for the 2018 E! People’s Choice Awards and The Voice, shown customers local theatres and showtimes through a partnerships with Fandango and Ticketmaster, and instantly connected customers watching the Ryder Cup to a free round of golf through GolfNow simply by saying “get GolfNow.” 

These one-of-a-kind features unlock new and unique X1 experiences and are made possible by X1’s ability to leverage deep metadata—or information about what’s happening in a given scene at a given moment—and through the powerful technology behind X1’s platform – technology that we have continually enhanced and expanded through a combination of organic growth, and strategic acquisitions.

One of the technologies powering X1 interactivity is Watchwith. This technology is a unique combination of cloud-based data services and UX software that can trigger interactive features on any linear, DVR or VOD program; integrate complex web services such as movie and concert ticketing or voting via Internet partners; and deliver a personalized and interactive user experience not just on TVs but across devices.

Another one of the enabling technologies for interactivity is called MAF, short for “Media Analysis Framework”. Originally developed at Motorola Research Labs, MAF is a sophisticated and advanced machine learning platform that allows us to derive real-time insights into any moment of video. MAF enables us to analyze thousands of linear video streams in real-time which tell us things like when a channel has gone to commercial break or which actors are on screen at any moment. MAF can even identify specific products such as cars, clothing, or furniture.

Imagine a world in which you see a product on-screen, say a quick command into your X1 voice remote, and have it shipped to you without ever checking another device. That’s the type of experience this technology has the potential to enable.

People increasingly expect their entertainment to be interactive.  And with these capabilities, we are able to fulfill and exceed those expectations by seamlessly connecting entertainment and the Internet in a way that is intuitive and fun.  Thanks to these advancements the X1 platform is now able to deliver contextually relevant and personalized Internet content and services to any moment of television and we look forward to working with new partners to offer customers even more ways to interact with and enjoy their favorite content on the biggest screen in the home.