CTAM has selected five finalists for its second annual iTV Idol completion.
Co-sponsored by Canoe Ventures and CTAM, the competition will unfold during the "iTV Idol: Groundbreaking Applications" session at CTAM in New York on Oct. 5, with the winner announced immediately following the voting by attendees.
Arthur Orduna, chief product officer, Canoe Ventures, will host the event, which last year was won by Rebecca Lim, formerly with Starz, for the Watch Now app.
Session attendees will score the apps on functionality, user experience/creativity, scalability, business impact and consumer engagement. The iTV Idol winner will be saluted with, among other things, a trophy and ribbon. It will also gain an invitation to participate in a CTAM Wired webcast following the competition, and have their app featured on CTAM's consumer-facing website: www.thisiscable.com.
The five iTV Idol finalists and their apps are:
itaas -- a tablet computer app that allows users to discover and tune to content, create playlists, set reminders for upcoming content and avoid marital disputes by auto selecting content.
Showtime Networks -- an upsell app that puts viewers in control allowing them to learn more about Showtime and even watch full sample episodes of hit Showtime programming. And with a few clicks of the remote, viewers can upgrade to Showtime within a few minutes.
The Weather Channel and Nielsen MediaSync -- a companion app that uses audio watermarks in the show to unlock bonus content while the viewer watches the program live or on demand (via DVR or VOD). It allows viewers to interact with exclusive "synced" content on their iPad.
Intrasonics Limited -- a RFI, T-commerce, polling, trivia app that allows users to engage directly with their favorite media programs and advertising brands by enabling any broadcast media to interact directly with smartphones and tablets. The users smartphone or tablet hears unique sounds (inaudible to people) that trigger built-in actions in the App.
We TV/FuseMSG/Ensequence -- a multi-function app that puts viewers in control of a diverse in-program engagement experience. Viewers are invited to opt in to the application several times during each hour of programming and are offered new interactive content every five to seven minutes.
