The payoff for Macrovision in its having acquired the online and print publisher of TV Guide's regular schedules, appears to have been swift and immediate with a deal that puts Macrovision equipment into Sony displays.

The interactive program guide (IPG) from the most recognized brand in TV viewing scheduling, will now be integrated into Sony digital TVs sold in the US, as the result of a multiyear agreement between TV Guide publisher Gemstar and Sony.

But the deal could just be a first step, especially for a publisher that has just been acquired by Macrovision, one of the US' principal producers of both set-top boxes and digital media security services. This morning's joint press announcement actually said as much: "This agreement is another step forward for both companies and is a natural transition to future Gemstar/Sony discussions relating to My TV Guide, Gemstar-TV Guide's suite of next generation, cross-platform guidance solutions," the statement read.

This next generation IPG could be key to many CATV providers' ability to dispense on-demand video to their subscribers, especially since My TV Guide would become the tool with which they demand it. That tool could hold open the gate for other Macrovision services down the pike, including provisions for securing the on-demand data stream between the provider and the customer...and in the end, that's where the money is.

My TV Guide is being demonstrated at CES 2008. It relies on a display's or STB's direct Internet connection to be capable of downloading supplemental information, such as trailers and descriptive articles, while the viewer is navigating the guide. Sony's Bravia line of HDTVs feature direct Internet connections, which will likely be among the first to take advantage of the product.

Such a move could make Macrovision's technology a more permanent feature of US households, as HDTVs tend to have longer staying power among consumers than STBs.