Technicolor introduced MediaNavi, a multi-screen content platform designed to enable more seamless content search and discovery. It is being demoed at its CES booth in Central Hall.

The cross-platform/cross-operating system is aimed at network service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers, who would have the ability to customize MediaNavi for their devices and services. The technology will be available for trial in the spring.

MediaNavi can be personalized, with customers creating a profile in order to assist them in finding content. The system includes the customized My Channel, as well as a live channel guide and personal content library. Technicolor said it intends to offer support for UltraViolet.

MediaNavi is essentially an app that could run on a tablet or other handheld device, and if they choose, users could simultaneously control MediaNavi on the portable device while simultaneously watching content on a TV. The app is also tied to social networks such as Facebook.

Supported content apps and services will be dependent on business models of the network service provider or CE manufacturers that is offering the MediaNavi capabilities to its customers.

MediaNavi was developed under the code name “Spectrum” by a team of roughly 80 Technicolor employees in Burbank.

Skype has acquired video streaming service Qik, its first acquisition. Although CEO Tony Bates declined to discuss financial terms at a CES press conference on Thursday, reports suggest the deal, which was concluded this morning, was for $100 million.

Qik allows users to host two-way live video calls on a range of smartphones, as well as record and share video via e-mail, SMS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a number of other platforms.

“Mobile is clearly the next frontier in terms of communication,” said Bates. “Why is video on mobile so important? We are all on the go all of the time and the ability to communicate and capture in HD is compelling. HD video is a major focus for which is why this morning we entered into an agreement to acquire Qik.”

Although Bates declined to discuss integration plans for Qik into Skype he said it would enable Skype to add in premium services. “Video carriage is an area which is poised to be monetized,” he said. Bates also claimed the company was growing four times faster than other voice call providers and that Skype calls totalled 520 million minutes a day, 40 percent of which was video-based.

“We’ve crossed the tipping point in the way people want to communicate,” he said.

Augmenting Skype availability on Samsung and Panasonic connected TVs, video calling is now available on Vizio Internet TVs and the Sony Bravia line. Skype is also being supported by Panasonic’s new Blu-ray disc players DMP-BDT310, DMP-BDT210, and DMP-BDT110. These VIERA CAST-enabled Blu-ray players allow consumers to make Skype voice and video calls on virtually any HDTV using a Skype-compatible camera.

“Our aim is to connect everyone on the planet in an intimate and everyday experience,” said Bates. “Our focus is on becoming multi-platform on mobile, desktop and the living room.”

Skype filed for an IPO mid-2010 with reports valuing the company up to $1 billion. Bates took no questions about the IPO, expected this year, or the company’s finances.