New York -- The second-screen market is in HTML 5
technology, and manufacturers need to "sync" up with this technology
to better streamline the user experience.
"The market is [in] HTML 5," says Jonathan Ruff,
senior director, technology applications, Arris."That's where the
vast majority of developers are."
Ruff continued that the HTML 5 technology is already in
set-top boxes, but needs to be implemented into tablets to better streamline the
experience. "That's really the value of HTML 5," he says, "is
getting [the content experience] across these platforms."
Those comments came during the "Tablet Tune-Ins:
Syncing Up with the Second Screen" panel at NewBay Media's "TV in a
Multiplatform World" event Thursday at the Westin. The panel was moderated
by Multichannel News' technology editor Jeff Baumgartner.
"[HTML 5] allows us to have greater ubiquity or get to
more platforms faster," noted Dina Juliano, VP, user experience and
product design, HBO. "It takes away the time we spend on building the
individual platform or an individual piece of something."
For Brian Fuhrer, senior VP, product leadership, Nielsen,
his dealings with second-screen technology come with clients consistently asking
him when Nielsen will implement its announced plan to incorporate tablet and
iPad viewing into its metrics.
"I won't say that it's been 'tablet hysteria' since
then," says Fuhrer. "But it's definitely the No. 1 question that we
get." He noted that Nielsen has to fight the perception that it's
"100% penetration." He said that of their TV panels, about 25% have a
tablet and 16% have an iPad, noting that number is growing. "Clearly, the
penetration is really continuing," he said.
Alan Hoff, VP of strategic marketing, SeaChange
International, while championing the "unifying promotion
capabilities" of HTML 5, summed it up thusly.
"The ease of which we discovery stuff on
the tablet -- [that's] really what drives the desire."
