Advanced Television

U-verse TV goes social

October 18, 2011

By Colin Mann

US telco AT&T has unveiled a number of ways to allow its U-verse TV customers to bring together their favourite social apps on their smartphone or tablet with what they’re watching on TV.

With the U-verse IP platform, U-verse TV and High Speed Internet customers can now connect their qualifying smartphone or tablet to any U-verse receiver in the home to use a variety of apps that provide real-time TV content and social features on the companion device, with the apps recognising what is being viewed on U-verse TV.

U-verse customers can search for ‘U-verse Enabled’ in the Apple app store to access the first apps available, including:

  • BuddyTV Guide, which provides personalised recommendations, a customisable TV guide, show reminders and real-time commenting as well as extra content on your mobile device based on what you’re watching on TV. Miso (gomiso.com/uverse), which lets you easily share what you’re watching, discover new shows based on what your friends watch and get cool information about your favourite shows.
  • TV Foundry, will let you search for shows, trailers, interviews, songs and companion content, show it on the big screen and share it with friends via Facebook and Twitter.
  • Wayin, which allows you to share opinions with other Wayin community members as you post and receive photos and questions about the shows that you are watching. Wayin is able to understand the television program that you are watching and changes with you as you change programmes.

For in-home U-verse WiFi networks, customers can open the apps on their smartphone or tablet, identify which U-verse receiver they’re watching and start receiving social feeds and information within the app on their device, based on what they’re watching on TV. The 100 per cent nature of  IPTV allows customers to connect their apps to any U-verse receiver in the home through channel 9301, without needing special equipment, such as Internet-connected receivers or TV sets.

“Customers want their TV viewing experience to be social, without distracting from the TV show on their TV screen, and they want their choice of apps from their smartphone or tablet to work seamlessly with their TV and enhance their favourite TV shows,” said Jeff Weber, vice president of video services, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “These apps allow you to interact and share details about the shows you’re watching in simple and engaging ways. And you can do that on the devices that are in your hands or right next to you on the couch.”

Categories: App, Articles, Content, IPTV, OTT