MyGeneration
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ABC's Sync iPad app is getting revived for Grey's Anatomy (update)
Reincarnation may not be part of everyone's belief system, but ABC has apparently embraced the concept for its eavesdropping Sync iPad app, which blipped in and out of existence after My Generation failed spectacularly last fall. At least that's what Rick Mandler, vice president of digital media at ABC, shared at Hill Holiday's TVnext conference, stating, "we went back and said, let's try this again with a show that we know is going to be around for a while." Now, the app is being called away from the pearly gates to serve as an iPad companion for Grey's Anatomy and presumably will operate much like the original, by providing synced polls, quizzes, and social media ties-in -- you know, playing into that whole three screens trend. There's also no word on whether the app will receive a makeover befitting of its new McSteamy / Dreamy subject matter, or when this revival will actually take place. If ABC really wants this new media interaction experiment to go differently this time, though, we expect to learn more from an intense voice talking over flashes of frantic gurney races and risque locker room encounters sometime soon. Update: Disney / ABC Television group has now made an official announcement about the application. Apparently, the latest iteration will launch with this Thursday's episode and includes new features such behind-the-scenes extras as well as the ability to "check-in" to special environments shown in the episode. In other words, our dreams of hopping on the same elevator with McDreamy can come true virtually -- and best of all, we can let the world know through Facebook. To see what we mean check out the video after the break.
ABC app eavesdrops on your TV to synchronize interactive content using Nielsen tech (video)
Fine purveyor of TV ratings Nielsen has just found another way to monitor your home -- an official ABC app that uses the iPad's microphone to figure out exactly what you're watching (whether live or recorded) and offer interactive content on the fly. Pop-Up Video, anyone? Nielsen says the app uses the same audio watermarks embedded in most every US television show to do its thing (and thus doesn't, say, record your household conversations) so there's some serious potential for the concept to spread beyond My Generation, the single show it's been announced for so far. We'll just kick back and wait for the responsible parties to figure out we'd rather play interactive Jeopardy than figure out the size of that salacious margarita. Because, like, OMG, right? Video and press release after the break, app available free at our source link.
Video demo of ABC's My Generation synchronized app
As Dave reported earlier, ABC and Nielsen have teamed up to develop an iPad app that supports the new series My Generation. Users run the app while watching the show -- either live or recorded -- and it will stay synced with the section of the episode you're watching by "listening" to the audio from your television, using the built-in microphone. From there the app will present you with polls and quizzes related to what you're watching, along with other interactive elements. You can get a sense of how this new form of interactivity will play out by watching the video above. [Yes, it's Flash; sorry, but ABC's hosting it and that's the only way to get at it. –Ed.] While you're watching TV, the iPad is actually watching you, in a manner of speaking; the app serves as a tool for Nielsen to understand viewing habits, as they will use digital watermarking to track user behavior. With such a small percentage of viewers likely to be using the app during the show, it's hard to tell just what kind of data they'll get. But it is an interesting experiment. My Generation doesn't premiere until September 23. I tried it out on the screener (preview copies available to media and reviewers) of the pilot, and it wasn't able to sync, so hopefully that just means the app's just not ready to go live yet; either that, or the Nielsen audio encoding wasn't embedded on the screener but has been added to the broadcast version.
