Second screen revolution

Second screen revolution
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Highlights

Gen Y viewers are fueling the second screen revolution by watching television while also using a smartphone or tablet. Soon to be a popular leisure...

Gen Y viewers are fueling the second screen revolution by watching television while also using a smartphone or tablet. Soon to be a popular leisure activity among the youth, it will open the door for interactive experience and tailoring content to individual viewersA sec2Television viewing experience often associated with passive entertainment and couch potatoes is all set to change. The growth of smart hand-held devices and a highly connected audience is brewing a revolution that is delivering on the promise of interactive television. Social media and television are collaboratively overcoming the lamentable shortcomings of multi-media entertainment and augmenting the experience by using a "second screen". More and more, viewers are fiddling with tablets or smartphones while watching television or tuning out during commercials. Recent studies by Nielsen estimate that in USA 36 percent of people aged 35-54, and 44 percent of people aged 55-64, use their tablets to download associated apps and to interact on social media services while watching television programs. The supplanting of the first screen of the television with the second screen of smart devices is predicted to rapidly become the preferred method of watching television, movies, sports events, and other multi-media programs. Unlike the first screen, the television set often driven by size and resolution, the second screen comes in a variety of a different shapes and sizes. These devices can connect to the Internet and social media and have the ability to run apps. The second screen phenomenon involves the use of a companion device while watching TV so the audience is empowered to interact with what they're watching. The second screen is typically being used as a remote to control the first screen, as a search tool to discover relevant and watchable content, as a personalisation tool to enhance the viewing experience, and as a feedback tool to share the viewer's opinion and experience. Gen Y viewers who are adept at multi-tasking and frequently switching between devices are fueling the second screen revolution. They aren't satisfied with the information content of a single screen, aren't willing to wait till a show is over, and instead would like to see associated information, read comments from other viewers, and post their opinions all while immersed in the entertainment. For example, while watching an election report, viewers can use an app on the second screen to look up more collateral information on the candidate, express their thoughts on the candidate, and view the opinions of others. Companies are beginning to capitalise on the viewers demand for timely information and desire to express their opinions. The intend to facilitate second screen apps that engage the audience in a more profound way than simply watching a television show or movie by simultaneously webcasting and providing access to inside information, galleries, interactive features, and interviews. The presence of the second screen allows viewers to interact with whatever is displayed on the first screen without muddling the content on the first screen. A second device enables individual experience, tracks people's preferences, personalises without interfering with the other viewers, and allows for new ways to engage the audience and foster loyalty.
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By creating feedback loops between TV and second screen, content broadcasters are offering more opportunities for viewers to interact with and influence live programming via the second screen. Entertainment industry leaders are now being forced to adopt dual screen strategies in order to better respond to the second screen viewership. More and more TV episodes will contain suggestive hash tags and pitches for dedicated apps that offer exclusive bonus content. The multiple viewing screens are being synchronised with supplementary information such as behind-the-scenes footage, additional coverage of the event online, costume design information, bonus material for mobile streaming, additional camera angles, and even ways to buy items they see on the show. TV producers are developing programs with complementary second screen interactivity baked into the overall experience. The focus is on providing content that will entice first screen viewers to hop online using their second screen and enjoy the integrated experience. Watching television while also using a smartphone or tablet is going to be one of the popular leisure activities of the social media era. The world is moving towards personalisation and the confluence between TV and the second screen will open the door for greater personalisation, interactive experience, tailoring content to individual viewers, and delivery of more targeted programs, advertisements, and content.
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