Television experience
hasn't changed that much since the era it was first introduced. Though we now
enjoy super flat screens, high definition colors and pixel resolution, and
screen sizes that can almost match those of what we see in cinemas, it's still the
same method wherein we sit in front of it and just absorb what these boob tubes
spit out. Second-screen apps is a new software crop designed to enhance the
user's viewing experience. It's the use of an additional monitor while watching
aims to make that once passive television-viewing experience more interactive
by allowing viewers get program information or chat with other viewers using a
smartphone or tablet.
Downloading these
second-screen apps onto your mobile device lets you obtain additional information
about a movie, TV show, or commercial. Want to know some background info about
the artist who sang the theme song of a particular commercial you just saw? All
you need to do is to launch a second-screen app. Do you need more information
about the plot and cast and an intriguing TV series? Firing up a second-screen
app will do the job. Or perhaps would you like to interact with other followers
of a box-office hit movie? Well, you know what to do.
The collection below
includes not only the popular, but also the not-so popular, but quality
second-screen apps. You may want to check all of them and see which one will
suit you best.
IntoNow
Powered by SoundPrint recognition technology, IntoNow is a free
app that analyzes live television audio and matches it against
"fingerprints" in its database to deliver supplemental program
information. The app has an additional feature, a built in meme generator, that
helps it stand out among numerous second-screen apps. It provides the user the
season and episode numbers, an episode synopsis, a Twitter feed that features
show mentions as well as cast tweets, actor bios, links to the show's official
webpage, and many more.
Aside from mixing up with
other fans in the dedicated Twitter stream, you can also chat with friends from
Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and iOS address book, in the IntoNow chat room. With
its highly entertaining add-on features, IntoNow is a great place to start
learning about second-screen apps. The app is available on Android, iPad, and
iPhone platforms.
Soundtracking
With its tagline, "share the soundtrack of your life," this is
exactly what Soundtracking allows you to do. This free app lets users identify
songs anywhere they can hear them, but strengthens the experience with a deep
social networking element that lets users share, like, follow, comment on each
other's music finds, or share them to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (album art),
and more. The option that really sells Soundtracking is music identification.
Bringing a finger to the Music ID icon while playing a track causes the app to
listen to the track and identify the song, artist, and album.
If you're looking to chat about music, and even share your discoveries
with others, you should not miss the SoundTracking app.
Zeebox
Zeebox is a free app that identifies the show you're watching and boosts
your TV-watching experience with show times, chat rooms, live information, and
social media activity.
Zeebox lets you use one app as the second screen for all your favorite
shows. It's filled with information, and you'll also get live updates about
actors, products, and more that appear on that particular show. If watching
television is a regular routine for you, Zeebox is the perfect companion, with
tons of information about each show and several ways to communicate with other
fans in real time. This app is available on Android, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone,
and web.
Shazam
Shazam, the free Android and iOS app that helps confused music
fans to identify songs, has undergone a recent revamp which adds numerous
features including auto-tagging, interactive maps, television interaction, and
more. Sahazam works by processing a very small sound snippet (called a
fingerprint) in your environment, and matching it against sounds in its
database. When making an audio match, Shazam opens an artist's page that
showcases a discography, interactive, YouTube videos, lyrics, and an iTunes
store link. Shazam's map is easily one of the coolest new add-on wherein it
lets users see what's popular around the globe.
Shazam has a gorgeous
interface that's simple to use. Song identifications are reliable, and extras
like the LiveLyrics feature are valuable. So if you find yourself frequently
guessing song names or their performers, Shazam should not be missing on your
app library.
Twitter
Twitter has become a giant when it comes to the second-screen playground
and it has emerged as the go-to tool for social TV. Integrated Twitter
usernames and hashtags have become a norm, flashing across the bottom of the TV
screen, attracting viewers to pull out their mobile devices and join in the
conversation via their second screens. This app is an excellent tool to have at
hand when watching a television program, especially the popular ones. You can
read program-specific tweets by clicking a hashtag and interacting with other
people watching the show. With a massive install base with one of the most
popular social apps across several app stores, the ubiquity and simplicity of
Twitter puts it at the top of the list of second-screen apps to watch. And while
Facebook has more users, it also has more noise and distractions. There's no
doubt that this app still reigns the current battle for the second screen apps.
So
the next time you're planning to spend your weekend wee hours on the sofa, fire
up one of these second-screen apps to give your TV-watching experience an extra
kick.
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