Panasonic announces MySpace TV app...why!?
Image courtesy of Engadget.
Remember that social network that you haven't used for years? Turns out Panasonic is making an app around social viewing and interconnectivity with the service, called Myspace TV, for it's Viera Smart TV offering.
Justin Timberlake, popstar and Myspace Co-owner joined Panasonic on stage to talk about the service. He spoke of being able to see what your Myspace friends are watching, and make comments through the device. Timberlake says in a press release:
Why text or email your friends to talk about your favorite programs after they’ve aired when you could be sharing the experience with real-time interactivity from anywhere across the globe? As the plot of your favorite drama unfolds, the joke of your favorite SNL character plays, or even the last second shot of your favorite team swishes the net, we’re giving you the opportunity to connect your friends to your moments as they’re actually occurring.
Firstly, this Smart TV nonsense has really got to stop. I understand that the television business has to move on in some form or fashion from what has been, technically, the same thing for quite some time now; but just putting apps on a television isn't it. Every gadget doesn't need an app platform, and in some cases (such as this) you'd be much better off without the convolution.
Second, regardless of the heartstopping 'killer app' status of Myspace TV, has Panasonic not kind of seen that big elephant in the metaphorical room of social networking? Your concepts could work (provided you improved the interface; but that's a different kettly of fish altogether) if you gave the idea of social viewing a fighting chance by providing it a thriving network of users, not one where rock bands go, never to be heard of again.
The service is expected to hit in the first half of 2012; but if we were to be so bold as to make a prediction, this won't bring Myspace back from the grave.
press release
MYSPACE AND PANASONIC PARTNER TO UNVEIL NEW SOCIAL TV SERVICE
CES 2012 – LAS VEGAS (January 9, 2012) Myspace (www.myspace.com), a leading social entertainment destination that lets artists and fans share and discover content, today announced the launch of Myspace TV, a new service that makes the television experience social. Available on the next generation of Panasonic VIERA Connect™-enabled HDTVs, Myspace TV puts viewers in control by allowing them to discover, share and comment on the programs they're viewing.
Initial channels on Myspace TV will be music-focused, leveraging Myspace's unparalleled music rights and leading library of 100,000 music videos and 42 million songs. Myspace TV will expand beyond music, however, to encompass movies, news, sports and reality channels, with a growing lineup of today's most popular broadcast and on-demand content. Audiences will not only be able to view their favorite television programs, but Myspace TV will also allow them to chat about what they're viewing while they're viewing it and invite friends to watch with them virtually. The platform fully integrates social and television in new ways that add a dimension to content discovery and evolve the traditional television experience. A companion app will be available on tablets and smartphones, providing instant sync capabilities for a seamless experience.
"Myspace was the first successful social network because it allowed individuals to share their interests, listen to music, express their creativity and connect around the things they love," said Myspace CEO Tim Vanderhook. "Historically, TV has been a shared experience, as people gathered together to watch their favorite programs. Our belief was that we could enhance the TV experience by increasing viewers' ability to connect to both content and each other. By partnering with Panasonic, we're bringing together the content that people love and a social experience in one service: Myspace TV."
Myspace co-owner Justin Timberlake added, "We're ready to take television and entertainment to the next step by upgrading it to the social networking experience. Why text or email your friends to talk about your favorite programs after they've aired when you could be sharing the experience with real-time interactivity from anywhere across the globe? As the plot of your favorite drama unfolds, the joke of your favorite SNL character plays, or even the last second shot of your favorite team swishes the net, we're giving you the opportunity to connect your friends to your moments as they're actually occurring. This is the evolution of one of our greatest inventions, the television. And, we no longer have to crowd around the same one to experience it together."
Myspace TV intends to return the diminishing social element of television by connecting viewers around content, simplifying discovery by creating fan communities empowered to comment, rate, chat and invite friends to view programming together in real-time.
Launching in the first half of 2012, Myspace TV's over-the-top television service will be offered across the Panasonic VIERA Connect platform. VIERA Connect is Panasonic's connected TV platform, which offers access to Internet-based video-on-demand content and applications, ranging from news and fitness, to social networking and online gaming. VIERA Connect requires no external box or PC1 and is accessed via a single button on the television remote control.
"Year after year, Panasonic's VIERA Connect Smart VIERA TV platform has continued to expand rapidly but with a singular focus to deliver to our consumers an extremely robust and interactive connected TV experience that can be customized and enjoyed on their large-screen HDTVs," said Joseph Taylor, Chairman & CEO, Panasonic Corporation of North America. "We are proud to partner with the new Myspace on the debut of Myspace TV on our VIERA Connect Smart TV platform. By partnering with a brand like Myspace on the VIERA Connect Smart TV platform, we're taking connected TV to a whole new level of engaging, interactive experiences for consumers."
