facebook

Vpype, which describes itself as a "social video company," announced last week that it has begun a public beta of its Vpype Live Broadcaster Facebook application (http://apps.facebook.com/vpypebroadcaster), which it says will enable all 350 million Facebook users to create and share live, interactive video. According to the company, the app is easy to use and, among other things, allows end-users to create scheduled or unscheduled interactive live shows, send video notes, store past broadcasts complete with audience participation, and share videos through Facebook.

Video search specialist, TV Genius, announced last week that UK commercial terrestrial broadcaster, ITV, has selected its Content Discovery Platform to power a personalized recommendation feature on a new ITV Player app for Facebook. According to the company, the app, which is called "ITV Favourites" and which is available now, will "promote Christmas and New Year scheduling, as well as into 2010," through recommendations of content available via the ITV Player online catch-up service; and will also remind users of upcoming shows that might be of interest to them.

NBC last week announced the launch of a new social media game, called "Mission: Chuck Me Out" (http://www.chuckmeout.com), that is designed to reward viewers who use popular social networking sites to promote the network's returning action-comedy series, "Chuck" (note: the series' third season premieres at 9:00PM Eastern, January 10th, before the series moves to its regular day and time--Mondays at 8:00PM Eastern--on January 11th).

A UK company called 3View unveiled a hard drive-equipped, broadband-connected HD set-top box, Tuesday, that combines the ability to receive standard- and high-definition linear-TV programming from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, with various Internet/OTT capabilities. The company says that the box--which is slated to be available in retail in March--will allow users to receive a range of over-the-top video services, as well as browse the Web and use Facebook and Twitter. It bills it as "the world's first Internet-connected HD free-to-air set-top box."

MSNBC, a US cable news channel that is a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC Universal, on Tuesday unveiled a new design and various new interactive features for its msnbc.com embeddable video player. According to the company, the newly enhanced video player now allows viewers to adjust its video screen to three different sizes, making it easier for them to customize it so that it fits easily on their own Web sites and blogs.

MTV Networks and Twentieth Century Fox have announced plans for an interactive/social live-streaming event designed to promote the new James Cameron movie, "Avatar" (note: an Adobe AIR-based, clickable, interactive video trailer for "Avatar" was launched last week--see the article published on itvt.com, November 30th). The event, dubbed "Avatar Live" and sponsored by LG Mobile Phones, will stream in HD simultaneously on MTV..com and Facebook on December 3rd at 3:00PM Eastern/12:00PM Pacific, and will be followed by a "Behind the Screen" episode devoted to "Avatar" that will also air in December.

Hallmark Channel last week announced various digital and social media offerings designed to drive interest in the 450 hours of holiday-themed programming it plans to offer under a promotion called "Countdown to Christmas." At the center of the off-network effort is Hallmark Channel's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/HallmarkChannel), which it says will offer viewers exclusive videos, games, quizzes and opportunities to exchange virtual gifts.

Oxygen Media--the company behind Oxygen, a US cable channel that targets a female demographic--on Monday announced the pending launch of a Web site, called OxygenLive (http://www.OxygenLive.com), which it says will add a two-screen social/interactive TV component to every one of its original series. "Fans no longer have to wait until the next morning to chat around the water cooler about the latest show gossip," the company says in its promotional materials for the new site. "Instead, OxygenLive is the first two-screen experience in which fans can socialize, interact and react in real time through a live chat, Facebook and Twitter (#badgirlsclub) all in one place while the show airs."

Over-the-top-TV company, Roku (note: the company recently launched two new set-top boxes--see the article published on itvt.com, October 28th), on Sunday night announced the launch of the Roku Channel Store, together with 10 channels, all of which are offered free of charge to customers who want to add them to their Roku menu.

Video rental company, Netflix, announced Tuesday that subscribers to its service can now instantly watch its streaming movie and TV show offerings on Sony Bravia connected HDTV's, on earlier Bravia models that are compatible with the company's Bravia Internet video link module, and on the Sony Network Blu-ray Disc Player.

At the NewTeeVee Live conference in San Francisco last week, Microsoft announced that it will launch Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and "instant-on" HD video from Zune on its Xbox Live service, November 17th. "We're delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members," Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, said in a prepared statement. "Xbox Live's differentiator has always been our community, and we've already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It's the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love."

Broadcast network ABC said Wednesday that it is adding a new social TV feature to its ABC.com Full Episode Player. Dubbed ABC Social: Episode Commentary and integrated with Facebook Connect, the new feature--which ABC says will enable online viewers to create their own text-based commentary tracks for show episodes and share the experience with friends--is scheduled to launch this Saturday (November 7th) in association with the first episode of the new ABC series, "V," which will feature "expert commentary" from the show's executive producers, Scott Peters and Steve Pearlman.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue (as well as some stories from last week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver, which our editorial team was unable to attend):

"Misfits," a new drama series from Channel 4's digital channel, E4, that centers on a group of teenage superheroes, will offer a multiplatform experience by having two of its characters send out tweets during the course of each of its hour-long episodes, according to an article in The Guardian. The tweets for the show's first episode have been written in advance of its November 12th broadcast by a team led by the show's head writer, Howard Overman, and tweets will also be incorporated into the show's other five episodes, the show's producers say.

Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue: