AI-Assisted ‘cineSearch’ Now Available for Customers; We Put It to the Test
AI-Assisted ‘cineSearch’ Now Available for Customers; We Put It to the Test
Cineverse’s new ‘cineSearch’ feature scours the internet to bring you content recommendations based off your querie.
The difficulty of finding new shows and movies is a problem that confronts every streaming customer at least some of the time. A survey from April showed that more than half of audiences spend six minutes or more trying to find something new to watch on average. Artificial intelligence (AI) could help solve this problem, and Cineverse has announced it is rolling out a new AI-assisted search tool called “cineSearch” to see if it can contribute to the solution.
Key Details:
- cineSearch is free to use, and can search across thousands of titles to bring relevant recommendations.
- Viewers can connect their on-demand streaming subscriptions to their Cineverse account to boost cineSearch results.
- Initial tests suggest the cineSearch tool still needs some work.
The new cineSearch function is completely free to use, just like the rest of the Cineverse streaming platform. You’ll need a free Cineverse account to access cineSearch, but once you’ve to one you can link your on-demand subscriptions like Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video and others you can search through them all using the cineSearch feature.
cineSearch leverages an artificial intelligence assistant named Ava that helps to deliver personally-tailored recommendations based on the search term entered by the user. Users can even store their searches and organize results, or personalize the cineSearch interface with customized backgrounds and personal avatars.
“cineSearch represents a significant leap forward in content discovery and we’re thrilled to offer it for public preview,” said Cineverse COO and CTO Tony Huidor. “We believe this tool has come a long way since we launched in Beta earlier this year, and will continue to improve as more people use and help train the AI. cineSearch was built to not only streamline the search process but also transform how audiences engage with content, making it easier than ever to discover their next favorite film or show.”
Does cineSearch Work?
I took a few minutes to test out cineSearch for myself, and the results were decidedly mixed. One good way to help out cineSearch in providing accurate results is to link your on-demand streaming subscriptions to your Cineverse account. You’ll have to do this through the Cineverse mobile app, but once you do, cineSearch is able to generate recommendations from the streamers you have accounts with.
I highly recommend taking this step, because otherwise streamer-specific queries on cineSearch will return results that can be watched free on Cineverse instead of titles that are actually available on the services in question. Asking cineSearch about shows on Apple TV+ without linking your Apple TV+ account will not show you “Ted Lasso” or any other titles there, for example.
You can clearly see what cineSearch is trying to accomplish, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Entering the search term “Korean squid show” brought me instantly to “Squid Game,” which is what I was hoping for. More complex searches lead to more mixed results, but it’s fair to point out that cineSearch is not a final product yet.
There’s still plenty of work to do on cineSearch, however. When I looked up “romances featuring Black casts,” for example, cineSearch’s results recommended a selection of titles featuring Indian or white performers instead.
I think that cineSearch is both a useful tool, and a demonstration of the current limitations of AI. It can indeed help viewers find new shows and movies based on titles they’ve liked in the past, but it can’t fulfill the seemingly unlimited promise of artificial intelligence quite yet.
Hopefully Cineverse continues to build on cineSearch, and increasing the number of searches performed with the service will hone its recommendation abilities. I can definitely suggest trying cineSearch on Cineverse for yourself, since it’s free to try and can provide some interesting title recommendations at the very least.
Cineverse
Cineverse is a free ad-supported video-on-demand service featuring 19,000+ films and TV series. The library includes content from sianCrush, Bloody Disgusting, The Bob Ross Channel, The Country Channel, CONtv, CONtv Anime, Crime Hunters, Docurama, The Dove Channel, The Elvis Presley Channel, Fandor, and Screambox. Subscribers can go ad-free for $2.99/month.