SK Broadband unveils AI-powered IPTV service

Kim Seong-soo, senior vice president of customer business division at SK Broadband, speaks in a press conference at the company's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. (SK Broadband)

SK Broadband said Thursday it is introducing an internet protocol television service using artificial intelligence to offer more tailored content to users.

The internet service provider's IPTV platform B tv newly applies SK Telecom's AI assistant service A., allowing users to easily find desired content beyond IPTV to include streaming services, YouTube and the web through voice controls.

At Thursday’s event, SK unveiled the AI 4 vision, an AI set-top box equipped with the B tv A. service and a neural network processing unit chip. The AI 4 vision set-top box is equipped with on-device AI, which adjusts voice clarity and picture quality without needing to connect to the cloud, according to the company.

“The B tv A. service clearly understands the intent and context of users’ speech, providing optimal results via voice. It gives users the feeling of having a media expert by their side,” said Kim Seong-soo, senior vice president of the customer business division at SK Broadband, in a press conference in Seoul earlier in the day.

Users can use the service by pressing the microphone button on the remote control and saying “A.” or selecting the A. icon in the menu at the top of the B tv screen. Through conversations, users can receive voice-guided information, including directors, cast, plot summaries and viewer reviews.

Last month, the internet service provider conducted an open beta test of the service with 1,200 users, with 85 percent expressing satisfaction and 88 percent indicating their intent to continue using the service, the company said.

AI analyzes the audio in real-time and video-on-demand content, adjusting voices for clarity and balancing the volume. It also enhances the contrast and colors of the video. SK plans to provide additional real-time information about people, places and products appearing in videos.

In the fourth quarter, SK will release an AI smart remote control application. This smart remote will automatically collect necessary information based on the current TV viewing situation through the Mobile B tv app. It will recommend channels based on individual viewing histories and provide relevant details for specific programs, such as free videos on demand and clips.

When watching videos on demand, it will provide information about the actors and the products they wear, and during home shopping broadcasts, it will offer product details and order links, allowing quick purchases via mobile phones.

The AI English-speaking learning service saw a 49.4 percent increase in users in the first half of this year compared to the second half of last year, following the launch of its service using ChatGPT in November. SK plans to upgrade the service by adding a generative AI image creation menu and a Korean and English mixed voice recognition engine next month.

By Jie Ye-eun(yeeun@heraldcorp.com)