Tag Archives: social experiences
KIT digital working on 11 Latin American TV Projects
This article, by Phil Anderson, originally ran in Business News Americas Video management software provider KIT digital expects to end 1H13 with 11 commercially active OTT or IPTV projects in Latin America, executives told BNamericas. “We have 10 large infrastructure projects going on now, apart from [already active] Telecom Argentina,” said Charlie Deane, KIT digital’s OTT solutions director for Spanish-speaking markets. “Some are very advanced, already in internal beta-testing today. There are others that are going live in 2-3 months, and others for which we’re discussing terms, with no agreements finalized yet. We can expect them to be happening by year-end or in the first and second quarters next year.” The company established its client footprint in the region during 2011, gaining such names as The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (ZNS Network), Merville Lynch Productions, Telecom Argentina (NYSE: TEO), Clarín, Hosanna Visión, Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God), Victory in Christ Ministry … Continue reading
Was the 2012 Super Bowl a Social TV Success?
As we predicted, the 2012 Super Bowl proved to be one of the biggest social TV events of the year. However, it could have been far more impressive if brands had done a better job connecting their commercials with their social media campaigns. Research group Altimeter was disappointed by the fact that 32% of advertisements didn’t include references to brand websites or social media sites. There were also some campaigns that required viewers to spend too much time thinking about how to navigate through processes to activate perks. According to ReadWriteWeb, “…only six ads used hashtags in lieu of a Website or social media site, but those ads were notable because they did not ask viewers to like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Instead, they asked for viewer interaction.” The entertainment check-in service GetGlue claims there were over 160K Super Bowl check-ins on their service alone, which went up 700% compared to the 2011 Super Bowl. Lora … Continue reading
Super Bowl with a Second Screen
The rapid adoption of viewing live TV in tandem with a “second screen” device is bound to make the 2012 Super Bowl the biggest social TV events of the year. As a matter of fact, every major Super Bowl commercial has a social TV component. We think this is the right approach: 30-second commercial slots can’t stand alone, and advertising campaigns should go social. Music app Shazam is making all the right moves for the Super Bowl. They made headlines last year upon the launch of Shazam for TV. This year, they will power nearly a third of all Super Bowl advertisements. With over 175 million users (60 million in the U.S,) Shazam is considered one of the driving forces behind second screen interactive television. TV check-in service GetGlue, in comparison, is 2 million strong. Shazam, along with other major media companies, is relying on viewers to use their phones to interact with commercials for more than catching up with the … Continue reading
The Social EPG Is The Social TV Of Tomorrow
While social TV apps continue to crop up like proverbial weeds, the future of the social TV app will likely be a proprietary social EPG (electronic program guide) provided by the same company that supplies your pay TV service. It will likely come with a companion tablet device too, one your pay TV provider gives you for a low monthly fee, much in the same way they now provide set top boxes. Multiple tablets will mean multiple fees, but most households will want at least one for every adult or teenage member. This model is the obvious next step for an industry that’s waiting and watching as the current wave of app developers figure out the rules of the game. They’re helping to figure out the ideal user experience and which behaviors (e.g. check-in, chat, recommendations) viewers are most interested in. And they’re doing it all on their VC’s dime as the big industry players just sit back and take … Continue reading
2012 CES Marked Beginning of a New Era in Video
KIT Digital was proud to be in the midst of over 150K attendees at the 2012 CES, because of all the buzz surrounding Social TV, connected devices, and video news. These innovations are sure to dominate tech headlines in a matter of weeks. The highlights we were looking forward to, such as the OLED and 3D TVs, turned out to be amongst the major hits of CES. Two models of OLED TV’s, from LG and Samsung were on display, and sparked interest because they don’t require a backlight- which results in a thin frame, and a superior color palette. Let’s not forget the mention of quicker response times, and wider angles for viewing! We covered additional innovations in TV user experiences here. Many also agreed with our mention of developers wowing the world with their innovations in convergence of mobile devices. An increasing number of viewers watch television with a laptop, tablet, or a mobile device either with them, or … Continue reading
Gamification on the Rise in Marketing and Online Video
Gamification is showing tremendous growth, and is being welcomed with open arms after demonstrating success for early adopters in various industries for its role in the discovery of new products and services. In fact, 40% of adults in the U.S that are active online have expressed interest in seeking new ways to entertain themselves with gaming elements. It is additionally showing increasing popularity in online video as advertisers embrace the trend. For example, the marketing manager for the Ford Fusion, Samantha Hoyt, decided to go this route for their Fusion commercial, because they wanted to have an exciting and interactive way to build anticipation leading up to the reveal of the all-new Fusion. Kit Digital couldn’t agree more on the excitement that ties in with gamification; the KIT Cloud Social platform has gamification aspects built in, much to the liking of our users. Gamification is not only a way to attract users, but it is also a delightful add-on which helps retain them, such as the case of Samsung … Continue reading
Interest in Connected Devices Soars Worldwide
From smartphones to tablets, and now Smart TVs- we at KIT digital understand and cater to the needs of users by adding video to any device that lets us. The increasing demand itself is fascinating – in the case of Samsung Apps alone, average daily downloads hit 50,000 worldwide, and will likely hit 20 million downloads by the end of January, 2012. According to BroadCom, not only are smartphone sales growing faster than standard mobile phones, but there are 4 billion smartphones currently in use. Video represents 50% of all mobile traffic, and is expected to quickly shoot to 90%. Alan Murray, Executive Editor of The Wall Street Journal Online, claims that the average American watches 5 hours of video a day, which started with cable, then shifted to computers, and is now migrating to mobile devices. In this age of connectivity, developers, and manufacturers such as PrimeSense are also seeking additional ways to build Natural Interaction into consumer electronic … Continue reading
Innovations in TV User Experience Dominate CES Buzz
The complexities that come with most standard remote controls are unnecessary, and ridiculously outdated. Think about it: how many buttons does your TV remote have? Better yet, how many remotes are you using in the first place? The launch of Xbox Kinect (which allows users to control their TV using gesture and voice), along with rumors circulating that Apple will bring Siri to an Apple TV have dominated the discussion to date. But others are getting in on the action. Lenovo is demonstrating some serious innovation with their K91 Smart TV, running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This is on show at CES 2012 and we’ll be watching carefully to see whether this could be a future device to integrate into our Connected Device Framework. The other interesting thing about the K91 is that in another sign of the growing importance of Asian markets to consumer electronics manufacturers, the Lenovo TV will launch in China. Much has changed in the … Continue reading
CES Highlights We Are Looking Forward To
CES 2012 opens today in Las Vegas. Here are four things we’re excited to see which aim to take the in-home TV experience to levels never seen before. This is only good news for KIT, as we’re working with many of the worlds biggest media companies helping them to transform living rooms all over the world: LG 84” 4K 3D TV- These beauties will offer close to 4 times the resolution of traditional 1080p, which would make your visual experience at home far more closer to the likes of cinema quality. The resolution will be 3,840 x 2,160. And oh yes, there will also be the updated Magic Motion Remote Control, which includes voice recognition, gestures, and a scroll wheel. World’s Largest OLED TV- Techies will rejoice seeing a teaser of this LG 4-mm thick panel at CES, which boasts having “the most natural colors of any TV set” at a “much lower price point” in comparison to other OLEDs … Continue reading
Samsung Challenge Finalists: Breaking Multimedia Ground
We are tipping that the buzz around Connected TV’s will reach fever-pitch at CES this year, with media companies and device manufacturers scrambling to offer TV services directly on these ever-popular new TV’s. Samsung has put it’s money where it’s mouth is and has expanded their focus to multimedia apps, with the Samsung Free The TV Challenge. The company is awarding $225,000 in cash and prizes to winning developers for innovative multimedia apps. The challenge is now in its second year, and the finalists are truly breaking multimedia ground! The winner will be announced at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The press release states that the finalists, in alphabetical order, are: FREQSHO – music fans can create their own music channel to stream music from any artist using a smartphone, tablet or TV. An easy-to-use search engine helps users quickly find their favorite artists and social connectivity allows them to follow the latest artist information and tweets in real-time. … Continue reading
Internet Video is no Longer Just About Web Video
The number of people who consume video over the internet is growing at an astounding rate and when you combine that with the proliferation of smartphones and connected TVs, these audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented. Mobile for instance is now the fastest growing sector in video consumption. Not the largest, but the fastest growing, with 40% year over year growth from 2009. In Q4 of 2010 alone, almost 30 million people watched video on a mobile device – and then of course there are connected TVs. According to Forrester, by 2015 there will be over 43 million connected TV households in the US. Also by 2015, 58% of TVs sold will be internet connected and 34% of US households will have a connected TV. At the same time, social is no longer a nice to have – it’s become an absolute requirement for engaging audiences, and consumers now expect and demand a social experience. Facebook alone is now boasting over … Continue reading