Snell has partnered with a UK-based new media company called The Application Store (TAS) to allow users of the Snell Morpheus automation platform to enable their viewers to watch TV programs and simultaneously interact with them on portable devices like electronic tablets via metadata tags. The system was demonstrated during the NAB Show last week.
Thanks to the new joint agreement, the Morpheus system can be used to provide the TAS Screentoo application with real-time data essential to maintaining synchronicity between the primary broadcast and interactive and timeline-sensitive elements within the Screentoo app.
A MediaBall feature within Snell’s Morpheus handles the large volume of information required to power interactive applications, translating TV programs into engaging mobile and tablet experiences.
The Screentoo app enables such interactive services like voting, polls, chat and e-commerce related to and customized for a specific show or channel. The metadata provided by Morpheus has to be accurately timed to give viewers the ability to engage directly to events within the primary broadcast.
Metadata about both the program and program contents allow the Screentoo app to trigger targeted advertising, provide information about a character or actor in the show, or launch a viewer poll. With ScreenToo, viewers can vote, enter competitions, participate in quizzes and even purchase items they se on TV.
Neil Maycock, chief architect at Snell, said that in addition to delivering content to media consumers' television screens, Morpheus allows broadcasters to extend the experience onto a second device, where complementary interactive content drives up interest in programming and importantly enables new levels of highly targeted advertising.
The Application Store is a London-based developer specializing in sticky mobile and tablet development. A team of mobile developers and project managers translate brand expressions into engaging mobile and tablet experiences. The company focuses on local and global projects that deliver cross-platform brand experiences on platforms such as iOS, Android, Java, Symbian and Phone 7.