A new Intel chip designed to provide interactivity features to television content has been backed by Disney. The chip aims to allow users to interact in certain ways with their favorite programs. “It has the potential to make TV viewing more functional and more fun,” Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television group said.
Sweeney said that viewers may be able to access complementary content during the series finale of the hit TV series “Lost”, through use of Intel’s new chip, which is designed to provide Internet applications on televisions. When present in a TV set, its on-board software lets networks, content creators and other developers to add their own applications and features.
“We know fans of Lost have a huge appetite for insight and information into the show,” Sweeney said. “Using the Intel Widget for the series finale could be a great way to give our fans an extraordinary viewing experience for the end of a truly iconic show.” ABC’s Good Morning America was also presented as a viable candidate, where users could cast votes or comment in real-time on stories being broadcast.
“It’s not just about great content and cool technology,” said Sweeney, adding that there are some legal concerns that need to be addressed before such features can be introduced.
Result for: television group
The Warner Bros. Television Group is set to resurrect its now defunct WB network as an online video site that will offer reruns of past popular shows such as “Friends” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” among others. The site will also offer new original programming.
TheWB.com will target 16-to-34-year-old viewers and the new shows will be written and produced by Josh Schwartz, best known for “Gossip Girl” and the “The O.C.”
The launch follows an industry trend, as media companies are having growing issues with attracting younger viewers who would rather spend time texting on cell phones or watching videos online at their own leisure. A prime example would be Schwartz’s “Gossip Girl,” which has generated low ratings for the CW network but has a strong loyal online audience.
In a somewhat strange move, the CW Network has recently pulled the show from online in an effort to boost TV viewer ship.
Schwartz is also currently developing a new show for TheWB.com that “takes viewers to the front of the line and behind the soundboard of a fictional Hollywood rock club,” added Warner Bros.
TheWb.com will be distributed Fancast.com and will also be available on AOL video.
Result for: television group
Joost Inc. revealed on Tuesday its new flash-based video service on joost.com. Unlike past efforts from Joost, there is no software that requires installation exclusively for Joost, only a typical flash plug-in, just like other video sharing sites. “People have always relied on their friends’ recommendations to figure out which movies they want to watch, or talked about their favorite TV shows and moments with friends and colleagues – and now Joost has combined those real-life experiences in one online destination,” said Mike Volpi, CEO, Joost.
Volpi continued: “Our integrated social tools make it easier than ever for people to find the shows, film and music they want to watch, and to form communities around that content, which ultimately enriches their overall experience.” In addition, Joost features a number of social tools which are designed to help people navigate through the largest online library of legal video programming and to integrate user expression directly into the service.
Users can interact with video and with other people on Joost: they can voice their opinions about video through comments, “shouts” or tags; they can find out what their friends are watching by adding friends through most major online webmail services via the Friends section; or they may interact with others in the Joost community through groups around their favorite shows, characters or artists.
Joost has more than 46,000 professionally-produced videos for a total of more than 8,000 hours of video entertainment. Some of Joost’s partners include CBS (Entertainment, News and Sports, and classic library content), Showtime, Last.fm, Wallstrip, Moblogic; Viacom, including Atom, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, LOGO, MTV, The N, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1 programming; television series and full-length feature films from Sony Pictures Television; and the Warner Bros. Television Group.
