Second Screen Experiences
There’s been some talk lately about ‘Second Screen Experiences’ which seems to be a growing trend. What exactly is it and what can we learn from it?
The Definition
I would define ‘Second Screen Experiences’ (SSE) exactly as it sounds - any experience with a secondary device while watching a primary device. The primary device typically is a TV but could be your computer, mobile device, or even a movie theater screen. The secondary device is typically a mobile device of some kind (phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) but in the future could expand to any number of devices (watches, interactive displays, etc.). What the primary and secondary devices are, greatly determines what the SSE becomes for the user. The central idea behind an SSE is to “propose content related to the main program, such as unseen moments, alternative information, soundtrack, and characters.”1
Example Apps
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about some examples. Because this type of experience is so new, content providers are still experimenting with how to deliver additional content to the user and just exactly what that information should be. Because a user watching sports is going to want a completely different set of information than someone watching a sitcom which is going to be completely different than someone watching their local news, the provider has to tailor the information based on the content they’re providing. “…interactive video experiences vary dramatically between genres, audience, screens, whether it’s live, whether it’s on demand. An NFL fan requires a totally different experience than someone who’s watching Days of Our Lives.” 2
Fast Company provided a nice write up on 5 different startups that are trailblazing this experience: Miso, GetGlue, IntoNow, Shazaam, and Zeebox. PBS has worked with Miso on promotions in the past and we currently are working with GetGlue on many projects. I even wrote a post about my experience with IntoNow when they partnered with ABC on some of the Republican Debates which was very interesting. Each one of these apps interacts with the user on different levels. Some require you to manually select the show/movie you’re watching, others can automatically detect through your device’s microphone what you’re watching, and still others are partnering with cable & satellite providers to auto-sync what you’re watching so the experience is seamless.
And it’s not just TV companies that are getting into the game. This weekend I watched The Smurfs on blu-ray which has a companion second screen app that you can wireless sync with your player. It provides some fun content on both your secondary device AND your primary device. I hope we see more things like this from the studios in the future.
Content Providers
One of the big questions moving forward will be who delivers the secondary content? With apps such as Miso, the content is mostly user generated through their experience called SlideShows. With GetGlue, the experience is mostly about conversations with other users around a central show or movie. With IntoNow, it’s mostly being driven by IntoNow’s parent company Yahoo! and their data sets. i.e. sports scores & stats while watching a sporting event. Even networks themselves are getting into the game and cutting out the middleman. AMC has an online experience called StorySync and USA has Character Chatter. But these are centralized around the networks themselves. The big players, the cable companies (Comcast, Time Warner, etc.), have yet to enter the game - but they will. And the game will change again. Currently, their apps only have a few elements such as an electronic program guide or the ability to record your shows when you’re away from your TV. But when your app for the cable company becomes your remote AND your SSE, with links into social media such as Twitter and/or Facebook, it’ll create a seamless experience for the user no matter what channel he/she is watching.
PBS (aka: the good stuff)
If you haven’t figured it out by now, let me throw some examples your way of how PBS could benefit from this type of experience. PBS is all about content. One of the main issues I hear from people is that they never knew PBS had such a wealth of content, and online, and FREE - well…not ‘free’ but you know what I mean.
Let’s say a user is ‘checked-in’ to a PBS show through one of the many apps or services I mentioned above and they’re watching a show about Lions on NATURE. A graphic on the screen appears (aka: ‘webtag’ for those in the know) telling viewers about Africa and that more content is available at PBS.org. If the user is using a content-synced SSE, an option would appear on their device letting them instantly watch a video about Africa from the PBS archives, or the ability to save that link for watching later - maybe with their kids, or to share that link on Facebook or Twitter.
Let’s say a user is watching NEWSHOUR with a content-synced SSE and a complicated issue is being discussed. Links, videos, personal stories from many other sources about this topic could be provided via the second screen experience. The user could pause the TV - the app knows it’s paused because it’s synced via the cable provider - read all about the different viewpoints regarding this topic, watch some video on YouTube, and read a personal blog post from someone with intimate knowledge of the situation; and then return to the TV with a better understanding of the conversation.
Currently, we tweet or take questions via Facebook which a host or moderator might read aloud. But this is a bit disingenuous and has the potential to be so much more. What if PBS created a new show with direct user interaction? Again, using a content-synced SSE on a device, the viewer could influence the show with discussion & comments, steering the conversations and creating a whole new experience. An experience which is no longer one-way. A new wave of web connected television sets, even with cameras in them for video interaction, are in production which could push the idea way beyond what we now call ‘TV’.
