EE TV subscribers can now take advantage of a new, AI-powered conversational search feature when searching for new programmes to watch. The new feature is called “Smart Search” and it interprets users’ voice searches in a more “natural way,” the company said.
BT, the company behind the EE TV platform, said Smart Search is designed to help users find things they want to watch “faster” and “more easily” than they could before. It uses conversational AI to interpret what the user is asking for, so they don’t need to name a specific film or TV show anymore.
For instance, someone might say they want to watch a “funny detective show” or a “film with the actor from The Inbetweeners" and the AI will suggest some appropriate content. Users could even mention a famous quote from a movie, such as “I’ll be back,” and the system will know what they mean.
The coolest thing about EE TV’s Smart Search feature is that it works across the platforms’ integrated apps and channels menu, so users can even look for content on platforms such as Netflix or YouTube that way – it’s not limited to EE’s content only. This removes the need to search through multiple streaming apps, which could be especially useful if someone is struggling to remember what platform a particular show is on.
Alongside Smart Search, there’s a second new feature called “Mood Matcher,” which can be used by someone who’s unsure of what they want to watch next. The way it works is that the AI will ask the user a few questions about their current mood, the kinds of genres and themes they’re interested in, and so on, and will then curate a personalised selection of content that fits with how they’re feeling. So, if you’re not in the mood for a comedy, it won’t turn up any funny movies at the wrong time.
“It’s especially handy for groups, cutting through the endless debate to get everyone on the sofa and watching faster,” EE said in a statement.
EE said conversational search is sorely needed on TV platforms. It cites a recent survey of 2,000 U.K. residents by Censuswide, which found that 41% of viewers struggle to find new content to watch on TV, due to the inadequacy of existing menus and recommendation engines. The survey found that 45% of respondents often end up watching something they’ve seen previously, because finding something new to watch feels like “too much effort.” Another 38% said deciding what to watch on TV is a major cause of household tension.
“Choosing what to watch shouldn’t be hard, but for millions of households, it genuinely is. We’ve all lost half an hour to scrolling, or given up and rewatched something familiar just to end the debate,” said EE TV’s Luciano Oliveira. “Smart Search and Mood Matcher are our answer to that: describe what you’re in the mood for, answer a few quick questions, and EE TV does the rest. Welcome to spending less time deciding, and more time relaxing and enjoying the TV you love.”
The new features can be accessed now through the EE TV application on compatible smart TVs, and the company is also planning to bring them to its EE TV Pro and EE TV Box Edge devices in future.
