TVSync API unveiled, helps devs build second-screen and smart TV apps

Second screen apps seem to be all the rage as of late, and Vobile's freshly announced TVSync API platform can help developers ride that wave of popularity. Compatible with iOS and Android devices, PCs and some smart TVs, the API can be leveraged to supplement what's on the silver screen with relevant content ranging from polls to products. Apps developed with the interface can trigger what's displayed on the companion screen at just the right moment by analyzing audio, video, or both. For instance, a recipe featured on a celebrity chef's program could be pushed to your slate as soon as it's first mentioned. Yearning to code an app of your own with the tech? Visit the source to request beta access to TVSync or look below for the full press release.

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Announcing The TVSync API Platform For Building Connected TV And Second Screen Applications

Open API Lets Cable Companies, Content Providers and Others Develop Powerful Applications Based On Vobile VDNA Technology

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marked the introduction of the TVSync Connected TV and second screen API platform. It is the first developer platform to support apps that bring the connected TV experience to all "four screens" (smartphone, tablet, PC and SmartTV). Available to broadcasters, cable companies, publishers, content providers and others, TVSync's open API leverages the best video and audio ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) technology of the industry leader Vobile to facilitate exciting new applications that synchronize, in real time, to the content a user is consuming.

TVSync, a new initiative led by Vobile, supports connected second-screen experiences that cover virtually any aspect of eCommerce, infotainment or social media. TVSync responds to the strongest trends hitting the broadcast industry: nearly 80% of younger viewers, for example, currently use a second device (typically a mobile device) while watching television. Both Apple and Google are currently working toward connected TV experiences through various projects.

"Change is on the way in how consumers interact with content across multiple devices-change that will be as disruptive as the introduction of iPhone five years ago," said Yangbin Wang, CEO of Vobile. "With TVSync, we are ready to help both incumbent companies and entrepreneurs transform the four screen media consumption experience."

Broad New Applications
TVSync's API, compatible with all iOS and Android platforms, can be utilized with any combination of devices or media. The platform links broadcast audio and/or video to related content and services on another device-eCommerce sites, information, time-shifting, social media and more.

With TVSync, content owners as well as advertisers and marketers can deploy unique and immersive second-screen experiences. Ticket offices or sports apparel can be linked to broadcast sports, for example, so that viewers in a sports bar can make purchases just by pointing their smartphones at the screen. Someone watching a cable series at a friend's house can finish the program at home or on their mobile device, schedule their DVR to record an episode, even record the full season, just by sampling the screen for a second or two.

Thanks to TVSync's ability to automatically recognize video and/or audio content of specific programs, reality show producers can incorporate instant polling or social media activity into their story lines. Viewers can also access enhanced content on demand; simply by clicking on the action, it's possible to get a recipe during a cooking show, read about the host of a show, or buy the shoes a starlet is wearing on the red carpet.