Advanced Television

VDS unveils Watercooler

March 11, 2011

VDS, developer of broadcast automation software, content design and plug-in products, has introduced its first automated social media tool for television, called Watercooler.

With Watercooler, broadcasters can engage viewers and create additional revenue opportunities. Watercooler incorporates exact timing information from station automation, enabling synchronised tweets or Facebook posts throughout the broadcast, engaging viewers with programme centric information.  Watercooler uses the complete programme schedule on a per-channel basis, including the true start time, which is much different than the scheduled start time. Segment durations, time code markers and any other associated metadata can be referenced as information.

Broadcasters can create Watercooler events to occur at set points during the programme day. With user defined presets, Watercooler can send a pre-composed tweet or post a pre-composed message to Facebook in advance of a programme, at a specific point in a program, or even in advance of, or during a specific commercial spot. Viewers with specific interests can opt into reminders as to when a certain event will occur during a programme, for example, what time a specific recipe will be demonstrated on a cooking show.

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