Technicolor Launches Second-Screen Synching App for Blu-ray, VOD, Broadcast

With tablet and smartphone use seemingly on a vertical trajectory with no end, Technicolor has decided to roll out a 'second-screen' app that pay-TV operators can offer to enrich their linear and/or video on demand (VOD) offerings.

Analysts say that up to 70% of consumers use a laptop, tablet or mobile device to supplement their home viewing experience, whether engaging in social media or browsing for more information about the program they are viewing. Technicolor MediaEcho makes that easier, by automatically synchronising that secondary content with whatever the consumer is watching.

Information offered at consumer fingertips include cast, crew and production information, historical facts, and ancillary audio and video for tablets that allow viewers to deepen their engagement with the program without cluttering the main screen.

The app can also enable integration of social media, so users can post comments, share content and connect during their viewing experience. MediaEcho can also help with top-line revenue generation, because it can enable e-commerce within the app, allowing fans to purchase items related to the program right from their tablet.

The synching is accomplished via Technicolor’s own audio watermarking technology, which inserts an inaudible high-frequency sound that allows the app to synchronise even in the presence of ambient noise.

Synchronisation of content also works with Blu-ray disc, a feature made possible through BD-Live technology to enable a two-way communication between any Internet-connected Blu-ray Disc player and tablet device.

The intial MediaEcho launch is for Apple iOS and Android.

Technicolor is not the first mover in the market: Miso recently launched the same type of app, inking deals with DirecTV and AT&T.

By Michelle Clancy, Rapid TV News