No longer does one screen cut it for TV viewing — second and third screens in the forms of laptops and smartphones are lighting up living rooms. About 80 percent of viewers use the devices to enhance the viewing experience, The Guardian reports. Whether you watch reality shows or a weekly series, you may be able to play games, as well as gain knowledge and insight into your favorite characters with second screen technology.
Second Screen Technology
A 2012 survey found nearly half of people ages 16 to 24 talk about what they are watching on television via text messaging, Twitter, email and Facebook. TV networks know this, which is why they have been attempting to grab users’ attention by rolling out interactive apps. These apps offer you exclusive companion content you use with the shows you watch on television. Even Direct TV, available through www.directstartv.org, has released a second screen app for their original series, “Rogue.”
Photo by Matthew Hurst via Flickr
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)
Automatic content recognition apps allow your tablet, laptop or mobile phone to automatically recognize the content of the show as you watch it. Your device synchronizes with the program, so it can offer you information and suggestions related to what is currently happening in the show you are viewing.
The apps also allow you to chat with others. A 2013 survey conducted by the Horowitz Associates discovered almost 25 percent of their 18- to 35-year-old respondents state they began watching a program after reading positive feedback about it online.
Fox Now for iPods, iPads and iPhones
Networks such as Fox Broadcasting are taking second screen technology a step further and making content available through their own branded apps and through other second screen providers. Fox’s second screen app for mobile devices is called Fox Now.
Fox knows there are numerous second screen apps out there, and not all viewers will choose to download its app. In Fox’s attempt to reach as many viewers as possible, it is making its second screen content available on social TV apps from other developers. To easier find and download apps offered by Fox, the company is syndicating its content out to Viggle, Shazam, Dijit’s NextGuide and ConnecTV.
What Second Screen Viewing Offers You
- Watching a program and using second screen technology allows you to access behind-the-scenes information.
- You can play interactive games.
- You can easily share the shows you watch with your friends.
- Second screen technology gives you useful information and discounts on products that are more likely to cater to your needs. These digital ads make deciding what to purchase, and sometimes even purchasing, easier. For example, if you are watching a program on your mobile phone or tablet while taking part in a live blog of the show, you may receive an advertisement for a pizza chain with a menu, and a button that allows you to order directly from your device.
- Control and discovery apps allow you to search content and receive recommendations based on your personal preferences.
- The complementary TV show apps give you access to viewing times, actor biographies and shows related to the program you are currently viewing.
- You can easily control your television using your mobile device.
- You can use this technology with live programming, as well as on programs you have previously recorded.
How do you use a second screen while watching TV? Tell us in the comments.