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NBCU Exec Discusses TV Everywhere and Second Screens

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March 14, 2013

NBCUniversal executive VP Lauren Zalaznick spoke at South by Southwest on Tuesday about big picture issues the television industry faces in meeting the evolving tastes and needs of today’s wired consumers. During the Q&A with former CEO of CBS Interactive Quincy Smith, Zalaznick spoke about TV Everywhere authentication services and the second-screen — two digital areas currently in her strategy sights. Continue reading NBCU Exec Discusses TV Everywhere and Second Screens

FOX Launches Digital Syndication Network for App Partners

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March 1, 2013

FOX has announced a new syndication network that will allow second screen TV apps including Shazam, Viggle, ConnecTV and Dijit’s NextGuide to link with its sync-to-broadcast content, currently accessible via FOX NOW apps. The network will also allow FOX to syndicate content to smart TVs and service providers interested in enhancing audience engagement. Additional partners are expected to be announced soon. Continue reading FOX Launches Digital Syndication Network for App Partners

Netflix, YouTube Take On AirPlay with Second Screen Protocol

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January 28, 2013

Netflix and YouTube have combined efforts to launch DIAL, “a protocol that helps developers of second-screen apps to discover and launch applications on smart TVs and connected devices.” DIAL is already seeing support from Samsung, Sony, Hulu and BBC and “could become a key piece in efforts to establish an open alternative to Apple’s AirPlay,” according to GigaOM. Continue reading Netflix, YouTube Take On AirPlay with Second Screen Protocol

TweetTV in Beta: Your Real-Time Interactive Social TV Guide

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January 24, 2013

The use of second screen apps is on the rise and many companies are looking to not only capitalize on that growth, but to continue transforming the interactive viewing experience. Among them, TweetTV is trying to separate itself from the pack by offering a real-time social TV guide that serves as a one-size-fits-all solution across all devices. Continue reading TweetTV in Beta: Your Real-Time Interactive Social TV Guide

Akamai Demonstrates New Real-Time Second Screen Solution

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January 24, 2013

Akamai wants to leverage the largely untapped potential of second screen viewing. Nielsen recently reported that 40 percent of U.S. television viewers use a smartphone or tablet while watching television. While individual shows and networks have created their own second screen apps, most have failed to effectively capture large audiences. Akamai hopes to change that with one service that streams relevant content in near real-time. Continue reading Akamai Demonstrates New Real-Time Second Screen Solution

Twitter TV Book Examines Second Screen Tweeting in the UK

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January 21, 2013

Twitter has released the Twitter TV Book, a breakdown of tweet-based analytics of second screen viewers in the United Kingdom. The analysis includes details regarding user demographics, devices used, television program genres and tweeting habits. Twitter says about 60 percent of the UK’s 10 million active users tweet while watching television. Continue reading Twitter TV Book Examines Second Screen Tweeting in the UK

CES 2013: Second Screen Use On The Rise, But Revenue Is Not

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January 15, 2013

During CES last week, representatives from television networks, software companies, cable providers and advertising firms gathered for the Second Screen Summit. 2012 was a busy year for second screens, as multiple companies, along with the Olympics, came out with companion products. But the direction and profitability of second screens remain in question. Continue reading CES 2013: Second Screen Use On The Rise, But Revenue Is Not

CES 2013: DISH Introduces New Second Screen App for iPads

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January 15, 2013

DISH unveiled a second screen app at CES complete with remote control, discovery and a programming grid. The app will challenge competitors like Zeebox and Peel, and unlike the third party competitors, DISH has the built-in advantage of working as the supplier of both first and second screen content. This eliminates some of the complications third party developers must overcome and could give DISH a leg up. Continue reading CES 2013: DISH Introduces New Second Screen App for iPads

CES 2013: A Look at Some of the More Interesting Predictions

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January 6, 2013

A favorite pastime of analysts in recent years has been attempting to forecast what will prove to be the top trends emerging from the annual International CES confab in Las Vegas. Of course, this year is no different, as consumer electronics continue to branch out from purely an interest of the technorati, become more intrinsically tied to our lifestyles and subsequently draw more mainstream media attention. As we get ready to hit the show floor when the exhibition opens its doors tomorrow, we take a look at some of the more interesting forecasts recently published. (One of our favorite pastimes is discovering who will be right and who will end up missing the mark.) Continue reading CES 2013: A Look at Some of the More Interesting Predictions

CES 2013: LG to Push Cloud and Second Screens in Las Vegas

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December 22, 2012

In a five-minute video interview with Beet.TV, Matthew Durgin, director of Smart TV Partnerships at LG, discusses the LG Cloud designed for interaction with LG Smart TVs, the emergence of second screen apps and new content partnerships for the company’s two-screen API. The API allows users to manage and interact with programming on their televisions using an app on their tablet or smartphone. LG has been making the two-screen solution available to some of its content partners who have been implementing it to enable surfing content on a smaller screen and then pushing the content to the main screen. Continue reading CES 2013: LG to Push Cloud and Second Screens in Las Vegas

TV Tune-In: New Second Screen Companion Hopes to Socialize TV

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November 15, 2011
  • Rogue Paper Inc. has developed a second screen app named TV Tune-In that is designed to let TV viewers engage in real-time commentary with other viewers.
  • The company refers to the app quite simply as an “Audience Engagement Platform.” It works by tracking the user’s time zone and program being watched.
  • According to Rogue: “Viewers can just plop down on the couch, turn on both screens, and dive into the sea of snarky comments about their favorite shows. The app allows users to watch live and time-shifted, to enjoy the entire delicious dish in sync with the episode you’re watching on your TV or laptop.”
  • The platform is targeting the 40 percent of consumers identified by Nielsen who simultaneously use mobile devices while watching television. These multi-taskers should be of interest to advertisers as well.
  • “From the 1950s when viewers gathered around the television and discussed the programs, to conversations happening in real-time, television has always been social,” explains Rogue Paper CEO Stephanie Boyle. “TV Tune-In harnesses the social aspect of television and provides a toolkit for broadcasters to engage their audiences and actively participate in the conversations happening around their content.”

Study says 80 Percent of Mobile Users Multitask while Watching TV

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November 14, 2011
  • Digital advertising agency Razorfish recently partnered with Yahoo to conduct a study regarding consumer behavior and the simultaneous use of television and mobile devices.
  • “While 80 percent of mobile users multitask in front of TV, 70 percent say they multitask once a week, and 49 percent on a daily basis,” reports Lost Remote. “More than 60 percent check their phones at least ‘once or twice’ during a show with 15 percent active on their devices the entire time.”
  • These multi-taskers are primarily attracted to content related to reality shows, news, comedy, sports and food.
  • The study suggests that 38 percent believe the mobile activity enhances TV broadcasts, while an equal 38 percent find it distracting.
  • Lost Remote reports: “94 percent of mobile multitaskers communicate while watching TV, while 60 percent are looking up content. Of the communicators, the most popular activities in order are: texting, talking, email, social networking and IM.”
  • Razorfish and Yahoo also learned that most of the mobile activity takes place during commercial breaks.

TV Viewers Like their Tablets and Phones: Stay Tuned for More Innovation

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October 14, 2011
  • A new study from Nielsen shows that approximately 40 percent of tablet and smartphone owners use their devices on a daily basis while simultaneously viewing television. The figures jump to 70 percent for users who do the same several times a week.
  • Most of these viewers are primarily checking email, followed by surfing information and accessing social networks, suggesting strong potential for second-screen applications.
  • The study suggests users are accessing social networks more than websites with information related to the TV program. “Unfortunately, the study doesn’t break down if people are 1) participating or just listening to social conversations and 2) if the conversations are related to the TV program at hand,” reports Lost Remote. “But it’s probably safe to say that more viewers are more inclined to talk about (or listen to) conversations about a TV show than proactively look up expanded content about it.”
  • Successful second-screen apps should bring together “social conversations, expanded content and interactive (even synchronized) advertising,” suggests the article. “Compelling second-screen experiences, in theory, will move the needle more in the ‘related’ direction, making TV viewers more engaged overall.”

Sony Vision: Will Tablets be Key to the Future of TV?

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October 3, 2011
  • Rob Wiesenthal, chief financial officer of Sony America and chief strategy officer of Sony Entertainment, says TVs will get access to video content through tablets which would enable, for example, Sony’s Video Unlimited subscribers to go to a friend’s house and “throw” a film to the TV set.
  • “If you think back five years, it was all about the boxes; Tivo, Slingbox, Roku,” he said. “I think consumers really had box exhaustion.” Apple’s AirPlay, for example, allows iPads and iPhones to wirelessly connect to TVs.
  • Sony is using the Digital Living Network Alliance standard to interoperate with different manufacturer’ devices without the need for a box.
  • “Other benefits include the lure of offering more targeted advertising through an IP-enabled tablet than has proved possible through set-top boxes, and the advantages of finding content on a tablet rather than by aiming a remote control at a TV 10 feet away,” reports Financial Times.
  • In order for this approach to work, however, home Wi-Fi networks will require the capacity to transfer large video files without interruptions and cable providers will need to be willing to make content available this way.

All About the Fans: NBC Revamps Apps Based on Audience Feedback

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September 12, 2011
  • Just in time for the fall premiere season, NBC has updated two of its iPad apps. The network has enabled its NBC app to stream full episodes and has added new social features to its NBC Live second screen app.
  • The new NBC Live additions are based on lessons the network has learned about how viewers have been using the app.
  • They noticed, for example, that different shows (scripted, reality and live TV) produce different viewer interaction, which has helped the network decide which shows to focus on inside the app for the new season.
  • People expect to share comments on Facebook and Twitter, and log in via either service (features that have been added to the app).
  • Some users prefer if content and interaction (such as slideshows, video and polls) did not interrupt the app conversation, so the interface has been improved. They also found that during “The Voice” last season, fans wanted to vote for contestants via the app just like they could on NBC.com.
  • Vivi Zigler, president NBCUniversal Digital Entertainment says that there’s “an elegance” to building an app with a specific purpose.
  • As for whether NBC is considering TV Anywhere authentication like Fox, “at this point, it’s not part of the plan,” she said, explaining that NBCU’s distribution arm has been examining that approach.

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