Social Television Networking

from the everyone-gather-round-now dept

While lots of media companies have been trying to figure out how the whole "social networking" phenomenon impacts their business, it looks like AOL is trying to take the concept to the next level while also being true to their plans of "convergence." They've patented the concept of buddy list TV sharing. The idea is that you could see what your friends were watching on TV and immediately tune in yourself. It's not too hard to see how this would work. Already, the latest version of Yahoo Messenger includes the ability to see what music your friends are listening to and immediately tuning in yourself. This idea tries to go a bit further. For instance, someone could set up a chat room around a particular TV show, and could then play that show, while everyone else could discuss it in real-time. To understand what you're watching, it would require a set-top box that would tie into your internet connection as well. Of course, it's unclear how such a system will work in an age of TiVo when no-one watches a show at the same time.
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  1. identicon
    aNonMooseCowherd, 28 Jun 2004 @ 6:25am

    the networks will subvert this

    The article says: "...the software could switch their televisions to the same channel, either automatically or by giving them a link to click." Wait until the TV networks co-opt this system by buying "votes" for programs and inserting ads disguised as viewer comments. Things like, "Isn't this the greatest show ever?" or "I blew off my poker game just to watch this program." Just like the laugh tracks they now add to bland sitcoms whose writers don't even know what humor is.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    dorpus, 28 Jun 2004 @ 6:43am

    But who watches TV anymore?

    Isn't TV just for lower class people who don't use the net?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2004 @ 9:14am

    No Subject Given

    TV is the drug of the masses
    the drudge of the lower classes
    a mindless waste
    for an awful taste
    of something like " The Simple Life 2 "

    link to this | view in thread ]


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