Clicker—Internet TV Guide Launched

It will be more like a complete Internet guide at your disposal which will make finding programs, and saving them just as easy as a mouse click; click at the program and get the reminders.

Through this new service, Lanzone’s aim is to make Web surfing more like surfing channels on your television as TV shows, music and music videos pour on the Internet.

Clicker clearly is trying to set itself apart by combining elements like search engine, a forum that allows users to recommend shows to each other, and a digital video recorder.

Some features that will go live online
The firm also announced some features like Facebook Connect Integration, ability to search specific content within television episodes, user generated content, and machine-learning based programming suggestions.

Its searching capabilities allow users to find things without having to watch the entire thing.

Clicker CEO Jim Lanzone explained the Search Within feature: "Want to find the 60 Minutes interview with President Obama? Just search purely within the 60 Minutes catalog. Want to find episodes of Charlie Rose where he interviews Warren Buffett? Do the same!"

After almost two months of testing, Clicker is now welcoming users to an index that includes 50,000 music videos, 400,000 TV episodes, and nearly 30,000 movies that are part of Amazon.com’s video store or Netflix’s streaming library.

Streaming from Netflix’s will require a subscription, while Amazon.com will be selling or renting video downloads. But most of the other stuff on Clicker’s database is free.

What is Clicker?
Clicker is a directory of full-length video content, with many ingenious features and user interfaces that will facilitate finding an episode of your favorite show online you might have missed or just want to re-watch it.

Clicker not just lets you save music videos, movies or TV shows in your playlist but will also provide an option to subscribe. It automatically adds the new episode of your favorite program to the playlist when a new episode becomes available. That definitely will save search time.

The Web site is not a full-on video search engine such as Google or Bing and it is definitely not like Hulu—a video-viewing site.

Two venture capital firms like, Redpoint Ventures and Benchmark Capital are backing this project with $8 million.

Clicker will be relying on advertisements and eventually on commissions from video producers that charge users for the video content.

Analysts’ views
"There are sites where you can watch programs, and there are a range of sites that touch all the different pieces, but I am unaware of anyone who does all of these things," said Greg Sterling, of Sterling Market Intelligence.

Allen Weiner, an analyst with Gartner, said Clicker.com wants to be "the interface between the consumer and video channels" and that it "takes a much more holistic view" than others. "This is a market that has to prove itself. It is not easy to be comprehensive, and it's not easy to update material."

But if Clicker.com wants to succeed it has to face tough competition from major high tech firms like Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp and possibly TV makers, added Weiner.