UniqCast uC23: Elevating Content Discovery and User Engagement
The latest release of UniqCast Platform, uC23, represents a significant leap forward in content discovery, user engagement, and service provider capabilities. Designed to redefine how IPTV and OTT operators deliver content, uC23 introduces advanced dynamic cataloging, third-party content aggregation, enhanced application features, and backend optimizations—all aimed at providing an immersive, personalized, and seamless viewing experience.
Revolutionizing Content Discovery with Dynamic Catalogues
UniqCast is setting a new standard for content discovery by introducing powerful Dynamic Catalogues, enabling service providers to transform traditional content presentation into an intuitive, user-centric experience.
This innovation allows operators to repurpose and reorganize live, catch-up, and VOD content into thematic, visually appealing rails, mimicking the immersive browsing experience of platforms like Netflix. The dynamic structure is built upon three key dimensions:
- Metadata-based catalogues – Automatically grouping content based on title, cast, genre, release year, and other attributes for seamless navigation.
- Viewership trends – Surfacing content based on popularity and audience consumption patterns, ensuring users always see the most relevant programs.
- Personalized recommendations – Leveraging user behavior and preferences to dynamically suggest content tailored to individual tastes.
Enhancing Past Live TV Programs with Automatic Categorization
One of the most groundbreaking additions in uC23 is the ability to automatically classify past live TV programs into structured content rails . This feature effectively transforms the catch-up TV (CUTV) experience, allowing operators to present categorized content in a way that significantly enhances discovery and engagement. This is a straightforward solution that does not require introducing complex live extraction mechanisms (live2vod).
- For users: This means easier access to relevant content, whether it's sports events, news segments, or entertainment shows—all presented in intuitive, categorized rails.
- For operators: It creates a Netflix-like environment out of live TV content, increasing content engagement and providing insights into viewer preferences. Identification of most popular content is always up to date and is done automatically—without operator’s involvement, thus saving time and other business resources.
Third-Party Content Aggregation – Lionsgate Integration
Content aggregation allows operators to ingest, synchronize metadata, and make content from third-party content aggregators available directly in their applications. Integration ensures users can access a rich library of premium third-party content through API integrations and stream it directly from external CDNs while preserving all necessary security requirements.
UniqCast uC23 expands content availability by integrating with external content providers, with Lionsgate as the latest addition.
- For users: This means instant access to a vast premium content library from Lionsgate, streamed directly from their CDN while maintaining the highest security standards. Furthermore, this feature gives operators the flexibility to charge for the bandwidth consumed by third-party services with simple configuration including notifications for the users about operator’s bandwidth consumption policy.
- For operators: The integration allows seamless ingestion and metadata synchronization, ensuring a rich and diverse content offering without additional operational complexity. Operators get access to premium and exclusive content with streaming and security provided by the third-party service. This content diversity, if managed well, can significantly boost perceived brand value and service reputation.
With support for third-party aggregators, UniqCast empowers operators to expand their content portfolios effortlessly, positioning their services as a one-stop entertainment hub.
STB Application Upgrades – A Smarter TV Experience
Set-top boxes (STBs) remain a crucial gateway for IPTV and OTT content consumption, and uC23 enhances this experience through Dynamic Catalog support. This feature revolutionizes how users browse, discover, and interact with content, significantly improving navigation, engagement, and content consumption patterns.
Why Dynamic Catalog Support Matters for STBs
Traditionally, STBs have relied on grid-based EPGs (Electronic Program Guides), where users must scroll through long lists of channels and schedules to find content. This approach is time-consuming, unintuitive, and does not cater to modern viewing behaviors, which favor personalized recommendations and thematic content grouping.
With Dynamic Catalog support, UniqCast transforms the STB user experience by offering flexible, metadata-driven content organization, allowing operators to structure content in a way that aligns with viewers' interests rather than strict time-based schedules. With this feature, STB users enjoy:
- Enhanced Content Discovery – Instead of searching through endless TV guides, users see curated content rails based on genres, trends, and personal viewing habits.
- Frictionless Navigation – The interface presents thematically structured content groups, enabling quick access to relevant content without excessive scrolling.
- Increased Engagement and Consumption – By dynamically surfacing the most relevant content, users are more likely to discover and consume additional programming, leading to longer viewing sessions.
Example: Thematic Catch-Up TV Experience
Imagine a sports enthusiast who missed multiple live matches over the weekend. Traditionally, they would need to manually search for replays in different sections, often struggling to locate the exact content.
With Dynamic Catalogs on STBs, UniqCast can automatically organize all past sports broadcasts into a dedicated "Weekend Sports Recap" rail, featuring replays of key matches, expert analysis, and match highlights . Instead of searching, the user immediately sees the most relevant content, improving both convenience and engagement.
For Operators: This approach mimics the Netflix-like experience for live and catch-up content, allowing service providers to drive more engagement while leveraging existing content assets more effectively.
Other STB Enhancements in uC23
- Enhanced FWD/RWD Navigation – Users can quickly skip between highlights or key moments, boosting content consumption.
- Advertising Zones (Boot & Standby States) – New monetization opportunities by allowing ads during STB boot-up and standby states.
- QR-Based Registration & Password Reset – Simplifies account access by allowing users to scan a QR code for hassle-free sign-up and credential recovery.
The STB improvements in uC23 make content more accessible, engaging, and easy to navigate, ensuring an optimal user experience that maximizes content discovery.
Mobile, Web, and Smart TV Apps – Seamless Multitasking with PiP
UniqCast’s mobile, web, and smart TV applications have received key upgrades, notably mobile app features Dynamic Catalogues and Picture-in-Picture (PiP) support.
Dynamic catalog with PiP – The synergy between dynamic cataloging and Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode revolutionizes the way users consume content. While PiP allows users to continue watching a video in a minimized window, the dynamic catalog continuously surfaces relevant content, enabling users to browse without disrupting playback.
Why it matters:
- Enhanced multitasking – Users can explore new content while still watching their favorite show.
- Better engagement – The ability to browse while viewing ensures increased content discovery and longer session times.
Additional enhancements include:
- GoldenPay payment gateway integration – Enables secure credit card payments and top-up mechanisms.
- T&C visibility on login screen – Optional Terms and Conditions checkbox for compliance and user awareness.
- Data charge notifications – Customizable alerts notifying users about potential data costs when streaming third-party content.
Backend Enhancements – Optimized Performance and Flexibility
The Power of Third-Party Content Integration
One of the biggest challenges for IPTV and OTT operators is content differentiation—providing viewers with diverse, high-quality content while maintaining cost efficiency and seamless user experiences. With uC23, UniqCast empowers operators with third-party content aggregation, giving them unparalleled flexibility to expand their offerings without direct content licensing and infrastructure costs.
Why does this matter? Because today’s viewers demand a variety of premium content from different providers without navigating multiple apps or subscriptions. Service operators who integrate third-party sources can retain users longer, drive engagement, and position their platform as a comprehensive entertainment hub.
Benefits for End Users: More Content, Less Friction
For consumers, integrating third-party content means:
- Seamless Access to More Entertainment – Instead of switching between multiple services, users get everything in one place.
- Consistent User Experience – All content, whether owned by the operator or provided by third parties, is presented within a unified interface, ensuring effortless discovery and playback.
- No Additional Subscriptions or Logins – Users can enjoy premium content without managing multiple accounts, making their viewing experience more enjoyable.
Benefits for Operators: Cost-Efficient Content Expansion
For operators, the ability to integrate third-party content sources unlocks major competitive advantages:
- Richer Content Library Without Licensing Overheads – Instead of acquiring expensive rights, operators can offer premium content via third-party integrations, reducing operational costs.
- Increased User Engagement & Retention – More content variety keeps users watching longer, reducing churn.
- Revenue Generation Through Bundling & Monetization – Operators can create hybrid subscription models, offering third-party content as premium add-ons or monetizing through advertising.
Lionsgate Integration: A Case Study in Third-Party Content Success
A key highlight of uC23 is the integration of Lionsgate, a globally recognized content provider. This partnership enables:
- Seamless ingestion & metadata synchronization – Lionsgate’s content is imported directly into the operator’s platform, appearing alongside the core content library.
- Direct streaming from Lionsgate’s CDN – No additional storage or bandwidth burdens on the operator, ensuring a cost-efficient delivery model.
- Secure DRM Protection (Widevine) – Ensures content remains fully protected while providing a smooth playback experience.
Example:
An IPTV operator using UniqCast can now offer Lionsgate’s latest blockbuster films and TV shows without hosting or directly licensing them. Users simply browse their existing platform, discover Lionsgate titles seamlessly, and start watching—just as if they were part of the operator’s native content catalog.This integration allows operators to scale their offerings instantly, catering to demand for premium international content without additional technical overhead.
Other Backend Enhancements in uC23
- Dynamic Catalog Enhancements – Advanced metadata processing, viewership analytics, and recommendation optimization powered by uStatia OpenSearch services.
- GoldenPay Integration – Supports credit card payments, top-ups, and extended subscription management workflows.
- Performance Optimizations – Faster bookmarks, improved caching, and scalable infrastructure for efficient content management.
Final Thoughts – A New Era of Content Discovery
With uC23, operators gain powerful tools to enhance content discovery, improve engagement, and optimize operations. By integrating dynamic cataloging, third-party content support (Lionsgate), and backend optimizations, UniqCast is paving the way for the next generation of TV experiences.
Ready to elevate your IPTV/OTT service? Explore uC23 today and transform the way your users discover and consume content.
