[Experience] "AI Curation Read My Mind Perfectly"... Trying 'Genie TV'

Used for just over ten days, content preferences directly reflected
Analyzing viewing data to recommend home screen and content
Old TVs can use YouTube and Netflix like smart TVs

Genie TV usage screen. Photo by Oh Su-yeon

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Soo-yeon] Is it possible to watch only content that suits my taste? When flipping through hundreds of paid broadcast channels one by one, a sigh comes first at the thought of channels you want to delete altogether. Amid a flood of hundreds or thousands of pieces of content, an IPTV service that carefully selects only programs perfectly tailored to your preferences has emerged. KT’s 'Genie TV,' launched last month, is the protagonist.

I tried using the 'Genie TV Set-top Box A,' which provides a customized artificial intelligence (AI) curation service for about ten days. The Genie TV Set-top Box A is a flat device measuring 13.5 cm by 13.5 cm, small and simple, so it does not spoil the interior of the home. I was worried about having to install it myself, but if KT internet is already installed, it is easy to use by just plugging in two cables.

Genie TV has three main features. The first is the 'media portal' function, which offers various features including hundreds of channels provided by IPTV, video on demand (VOD), and over-the-top (OTT) online video services. The second is a customized AI curation function based on 3 billion data points collected from 13 million paid broadcast subscribers. Lastly, it provides a user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) suitable for video content.

The menu consists of five dedicated sections located on the top bar of the home screen: ▲Movies, Dramas, VOD ▲Live Channels ▲Kids Land ▲Genie Apps ▲OTT Services.

Existing IPTV services showed the same home screen to all users without exception. Even frequently used menus required navigating through several menus to access. Popular content was displayed prominently, but sometimes it did not match personal preferences.

For those who usually enjoy OTT services like Netflix and YouTube, the OTT Services section is set as the first screen. This provides personalized recommendations through AI curation. Thanks to this, Netflix content that previously required pressing the remote control direction key 10 times to play can now be watched with only two moves.

Genie TV usage screen. Photo by Oh Su-yeon

As the usage period lengthens and data accumulates, viewing history is analyzed to recommend frequently watched channels at specific times and preferred channels based on viewing records. After using it a few times, 'Curious Story Y' appeared as a 98% preferred content, 'Unanswered Questions' at 97%, and 'While You Were Hypnotized 4' at 96%. The accuracy was quite high. According to KT, in households with children, even subtle changes in viewing patterns that vary with the growth of infants and toddlers are detected to recommend content suitable for the next developmental stage.

By downloading the 'Genie TV Play' app on a smartphone, the phone can be used as a responsive remote control. A remote optimized for the viewing channel appears, which seemed especially useful when watching home shopping. Product information and discount benefits are displayed, and pressing a single button connects directly to ordering.

Genie TV Play Responsive Remote Control

Before experiencing Genie TV, my biggest concern was whether parents in their 50s and 60s could easily adapt. Although their TV viewing time is long, they are not as proficient with digital devices as younger generations. However, thanks to the intuitive UI and UX, after a few trials and errors, they quickly became familiar with using it. They were highly satisfied with the ability to watch Netflix and YouTube easily in addition to existing live channels.

Another strength is that even if you own an older TV rather than a smart TV, you can use it like a smart TV. You can watch Netflix and YouTube on the large TV screen, and through Genie Apps, you can also download various Android TV OS apps.