Vimond Connect, technology launched this week by Vimond Media Solutions, enables viewers to enjoy social media conversations during on-demand programming – without exposing them to spoilers that ruin the show for them. Vimond Connect allows VOD viewers to comment on the content as they watch, and anchors the comments to the exact moment in the video when they were posted, so they can be seen at the same point by other viewers watching later. “This enables a spoiler-free conversation around television content between viewers watching VOD, including news, sports and entertainment, at different times, with a spontaneous social experience,†Vimond Media Solutions says.
With this solution, users can find content their friends have enjoyed, go straight to the most commented moments in a programme, create groups of friends to share comments with, initiate private chats with online viewers and monitor trending topics. Conversations can be restricted to chosen receivers or groups or made more public via Facebook and Twitter. Conversations can continue after the viewing session finishes, as the system will notify you if someone responds to your comments. Users can automatically create compilations of conversations based on their chosen criteria such as topic hashtags or ‘most commented’ moments.
“Until now there has not been an easy and coherent way to integrate social media with VOD services,†Helge Høibraaten, CEO of Vimond Media Solutions, claims. “With the decline in linear TV viewing, media consumption has become a more solitary activity but previous pilots have shown that viewers really value the facility to share their reactions and thoughts as they watch. Vimond Connect offers the first opportunity for providers to bring their services more into line with the way today’s consumers like to watch and share their experience of watching.â€
