Although Yahoo apps in connected TV platform have been existing for many years now, but the company always seem to be on the fringe of the smart tv market.
The broadcast interactivity it exhibited at last year’s show is already live on the 2011 lineup of Sony Bravias and the latest Yahoo system is available on TVs from Samsung, Sony, VIZIO and Toshiba amongst others, and Yahoo clearly see 2012 as the year connected TV takes off, delivering trivia, interactive ads and the like.
The company at the show disclosed that more than 8 million consumers have purchased sets and the platform offers more than 180 plus apps on the Yahoo Connected TV every month, with new ones from ABC, AT&T Yellow Pages, Disney, ESPN, and Clear Channel announced at the trade show.
Ron Jacoby, the vice president of Yahoo! Connected TV said, “It is evident that more and more people are banking on apps across all of the screens in their lives, and we expect consumer usage of TV apps to rapidly maximize as Internet-connected devices become mainstream in 2012.”
New interactions that rides the viewer into areas of interactive voting, including show trivia, shopping, videos, photos, and game show play will now be possible for users of Yahoo’s Internet TV software, which is available on televisions from Sony, Samsung, VIZIO, Toshiba, Haier, and HiSense. Connected TV adds Internet-connected apps and widgets to the biggest screen in the home.
“Internet connectivity has matured as one of the massive selling points to TVs,” said Russ Schafer, senior director of global consumer and business, Yahoo Connected TV.
Yahoo’s Connected TV (Credit: Yahoo)
Yahoo were keen to describe the interactive components of smart TV systems. Jacoby continued, “Engagement with TV second-screen companion apps and interactive experiences, like broadcast interactivity, will also be on the rise as we enter into a new era of content convergence in the living room. We are excited to extend the broadcast interactivity experience and mobile app device communication functionality to more TV manufacturers and other leading brands in 2012.”
Yahoo presented three examples of what is or will be possible with its Connected TV service:
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Viewers of live sporting competition, such as Showtime Boxing, can vote for the boxer they think will win the match, and view relevant information such as photos or videos.
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Consumers can also utilize their TV remotes to acquire an item being emphasized on HSN, access real-time inventory data on products, and take advantage of specials of the day.
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In the first quarter of 2012, viewers will also be able to communicate with TV programming by tagging their favorite shows for social, content, and rewards-based experiences using IntoNow from Yahoo on their TV.
Moreover, at CES, the company is also unveiling technology developed by IntoNow, which Yahoo purchased last April, to Yahoo Connected TV. IntoNow is quite similar like the music application Shazam, with which users can determine song titles by playing a tune off the radio into their mobile phone’s microphone. With IntoNow, audio from a program gets run through a content-recognition server, and in 4 to 12 seconds, the program is identified.
On the other hand, the service can now also connected with Apple’s iPad and iPhone, as well as Android devices, which will be able to launch apps on the TV. Viewers will also be able to type in text on the mobile devices for TV apps, much more easily than on a remote.
Finally, there is benefit for advertisers too, is that they will now be able to display ads in the TV apps, from which viewers can effortless by products or find more information. The first advertiser with a Yahoo Connected TV was Toyota, which used the service for a multi-screen campaign built around Yahoo’s popular Fantasy Football leagues.
For more on the service, connect to the company’s Connected TV page.