Sky Italia has implemented a new platform for social media gaming, based on technology from HyperTV and Civolution. The system was first used to add interactive content to the Italian version of The X Factor, a worldwide first for the programme. HyperTV Experience is claimed to be the most advanced toolset for developing and publishing companion apps for multiple screens and devices. It can add games, social network integration, and additional content presentation and discovery. For the broadcaster there is geo-referencing, so collected data from the audience can be presented in interesting ways. Claudio Vaccarella of Hyper TV described Experience as “the first second screen white label platform to provide a built-in social gaming engine. Designed with TV in mind, it allows programmes to define game mechanics to build engaging user experiences without writing any software code.” Synchronisation between the programme – whether watched live, on demand or from a local recording – uses SyncNow, the Civolution system based on audio watermarking. A companion app using this technology won an IBC2012 Innovation Award. It ensures frame accurate synchronisation between the programme and the second screen content. “The growth of companion device adoption is phenomenal,” said Alex Terpstra of Civolution. “Consumers increasingly want more immersive TV experiences that bring them content in fresh ways. We are very pleased to collaborate with HyperTV to help Sky Italia deliver the next generation of TV experiences.”
