Rovi

Rovi Corporation was an American technology company that provided entertainment metadata, search and discovery services, and licensing for the media industry. The company originated as Macrovision Corporation, which was known for its copy protection and digital rights management technologies used by the video industry.

In 2008 Macrovision completed its acquisition of Gemstar-TV Guide International, the owner of the TV Guide brand and the Gemstar electronic program guide technology. Following the integration of Gemstar’s assets, Macrovision announced a rebranding to Rovi Corporation in 2009 to reflect its expanded focus on metadata and content discovery rather than copy protection alone.

As Rovi, the company operated a large entertainment metadata database used by set-top boxes, online services, and consumer electronics devices. It provided information about movies and television programs, including cast, synopsis, and related content, and offered programming guides and licensing of its data to hardware manufacturers and digital platforms. The portfolio included properties such as TV Guide and AllMovie, among others, contributing to its role in content discovery and metadata provisioning.

In 2016, TiVo Corporation completed its acquisition of Rovi, creating a combined company focused on video discovery, search, and delivery technologies. The transaction led to the consolidation of Rovi’s metadata assets within TiVo’s product offerings, and the Rovi brand was retired as the company integrated into TiVo. The legacy Rovi assets continued to influence TiVo’s services across hardware and software platforms.