Im Techcrunch-Test ist die Social-TV-App von US-Startup IntoNow ("Connect with your friends around the shows you love") kürzlich noch durchgefallen, bei Yahoo konnte die iTV-Anwendung für iPhone & Co. dennoch überzeugen:
"When we launched on January 31, 2011 our idea was to change the way people interact with TV. What we believe is that the devices we have in our lives are going to fundamentally change the way we consume, share and engage with content.
Over the course of the last 12 weeks, we’ve focused on how to iterate to bring more engaging experiences to our audience. We have a lot more to come and with that in mind we’re excited to announced that we’ve been acquired by Yahoo!"
Herzstück von IntoNow ist die selbst entwickelte Soundprint-Technik:
"IntoNow uses its SoundPrint technology to let users point their iPhone at their screen and identify exactly what they're watching, whether a breaking news broadcast or a sitcom rerun from five years ago, simply by listening to the show's audio. It's an innovative way for users to identify content without having to "check in" or categorize the content on their own, and could provide a drastic shift in how users interact with television and other video content."
Warum aber hat nun Yahoo zugeschlagen? So interessant die Soundprint-Technik ist, so unspektakulär fällt im Vergleich zu Konkurrenzangeboten bislang das Social-TV-Angebot von IntoNow nach dem (automatischen) Check-In dann aus:
"IntoNow lets you check into a show you are watching by simply listening to the audio signature of the show and comparing that agaianst its database. The app has a high gee-whiz factor, and it really nails identifying the shows with one click. But there is not much to do after that other than see what shows your friends on the app have watched and leave a comment about their bad taste in TV shows."
Um das Yahoo-Interesse zu verstehen, muss man erst die Hintergründe kennen. So bietet das Unternehmen seit geraumer Zeit mit dem Dienst Yahoo Connected TV eine Hybrid-TV-Lösung an, die auf ausgewählten TV-Geräten vorinstalliert ist. Auf der CES-Messe hatte Yahoo dann angekündigt, das vorhandene Angebot an Hybrid-TV-Apps um programmbegleitende iTV-Services erweitern zu wollen:
"Yahoo is introducing an innovative consumer experience for TV, called broadcast interactivity, on its Yahoo! Connected TV platform. With broadcast interactivity, TV programmers will be able to create TV apps that let viewers vote for a reality-TV participant, get more information about characters, or make e-commerce purchases while waching a show. For brand advertisers, broadcast interactivity will let them connect in real time with TV viewers during commercials or other branded entertainment experiences."
Vor diesem Hintergrund erscheint die IntoNow-Übernahme durchaus sinnvoll:
"IntoNow is the Yin to Yahoo's Yang. Instead of requiring publishers to identify individual pieces of content, they could add interactivity to these large swaths of content, as made identifiable using SoundPrint technology."
In diesem Fall bewahren TV-Sender zudem ihre Programmhoheit:
"Yahoo Connected TV allows broadcasters to display content on the screen for user interaction based upon what is currently playing. With Yahoo, however, the interactive content comes from the broadcaster only. It's a closed platform that's available only to paying, content-owning players."
Es bleibt also spannend, welchen Weg das Shazam für TV-Freunde nach der Yahoo-Übernahme einschlagen wird. Die SoundPrint-Technik bietet jedenfalls beste Voraussetzungen, um kontextsensitiv zum TV-Programm zu verkaufen.
Passend dazu:
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