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This technology enables viewers to contribute to the channel in a very personal way. With the application being as simple as making a video call from a mobile phone, viewers can upload their recorded footage direct to the TV screen."
Matt Fayle
Director
MTV Digital Media
Dial your way to fame
While User Generated Content (UGC) made a firm mark across the world wide web in 2007, MTV wanted to start 2008 by taking UGC to mobile and TV. In partnership with Optus, Gravity developed a truly innovative Participation TV offering for MTV's interactive music channel The Music Factory (TMF); a breakthrough invention that would transform viewers from passive to active audiences, allowing fans with similar interests to connect.
Convergence reinvented
With the exciting prospect of developing an Australian First and committed to supporting MTV's objective to showcase the convergence between media and mobile, Gravity designed and developed the dynamic technology that powers the new Participation TV service. Key components of the solution, operated as a managed service, include:
- Gravity's unique 3G-to-TV video calling platform, which enables the recording, reviewing, sending and receiving of videos, as well as their publication to TV and/or a mobile site;
- An MMS submission mechanism and a mobile site complement the multi-channel approach;
- A Content Moderator tool that allows TMF to screen, administer and analyse content received from video calling, MMS and the mobile site;
- An SMS notification system, used to let the submitter know his or her content will be shown on TV or the mobile site.
Truly innovative Participation TV
The new service, called Vidcast, was launched in January 2008 as the first Participation TV program of its kind to appear on Australian television.
Vidcast airs 3pm to 4pm weekdays on TMF and allows viewers to participate in the show by contributing original video content via a video call or MMS video. Apart from appearing on the TMF Vidcast program, successful entries to Vidcast will also be published on the Optus Zoo Vidcast mobile WAP site or on a Vidcast one hour mobile loop.
At the heart of this innovative consumer interaction service, Gravity's cross-channel technology promises to have a significant impact on the way consumers interact with TV and digital media going forward.
GravityFusion™ helped MTV to:
- Create a deeper level of interactivity: using mobile services creates a unique, MSISDN, based interaction.
- Enhance the user experience with multi media offerings: viewers create their own video clip, not just a text message.
- Introduce a high level of participation: users don't just see text messages or vote counts on TV, they see actual clips submitted by co-viewers, which creates a sense of involvement previously unknown to TV.
- Allow viewers to instantly react: viewers generally have access to their phone while watching TV and will react to a call to action.
- Entice viewers to spread the word virally via sms.
To experience Vidcast, video call 04 02 22 22 78 or watch the demo here.
