tvChatter: a convergence between mobile, TV and microblogging

written by: Gianluigi Cuccureddu

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Published on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 01:00

Originally posted on the Agora Media Innovation Blog

An interesting new application and intersection of three technologies/devices which create a new way to use and experience the mobile device, microblogging and using it to real-time reflect and communicate on a TV show.

The application basically creates a chatroom for a TV show where people can comment on it. tvChatter makes it possible for the user to choose between seeing tweets by everyone or just those who you follow. This is a welcome refinement which adds importancy to word-of-mouth (which is the most relevant of those who you know).

This newly added dimension to watch TV and interact through tweets is a positive development for the TV industry, multitasking in front of TV is being made more relevant (in relation to the TV) which puts more emphasis on the TV medium again through the use of a Web technology. The passiveness of the TV activity is still there, but with an active layer.

These sort of applications will make the transistion more comfortable instead of disrupting experiences completely. Depending on the success, new ancillary opportunities can be developed which build on this convergence, be it through the TV, mobile and pc/netbook device. The latter broadens the scope of opportunities and integrates TV and mobile even further to make use of each the advantages.

I've been using and testing tvChatter for some time now, I need to get used to it, also the lean-in experience. At one point, the TV content becomes secundary and the interaction primary. Multitasking becomes again like now, the TV being on the background and other tasks are the primary attention.
What do you think the downsides are and what needs to be worked on?