SymbolShifters® will be at NAB with a demonstration of a patented technology for connecting traditional television broadcast to the digital universe of computers, tablets and smartphones, and is seeking a partner to commercialize this technology.
The SymbolShifters technology briefly embeds a scannable code, such as a QR, into the video stream. The consumer does not need to scan the icon – in fact, the icon may not even be visible to the consumer. Data linked to the icon is automatically harvested and stored locally. The consumer is then free to retrieve the information at leisure. Information sent via the code could include localized coupons, digital brochures and URLs. Depending on the configuration, the information sent could also trigger actions such as a Facebook “Like” function or an “Add to Cart” linked to an online shopping cart for the consumer.
SymbolShifters technology also enables set-by-set analytics, recording viewer behavior in a detail that is otherwise hard to obtain with traditional broadcast media.
Full exploitation of this technology will require minor hardware configurations at the consumer end, depending on the functions sought. These might include a dongle, app, or download to the set top box, and the use of programmable buttons on the viewer’s remote or other technology.
SymbolShifters President Ted Hartson said the company is looking for an industry partner to commercialize the technology, which has received two US patents. “This technology brings the connectivity of the online world to traditional TV,” said Hartson. “The analytics alone should garner the attention of networks and broadcast chains that are looking for hard numbers to give to potential advertisers.”
Co-founder Walt Ciciora noted that even though there is a large migration of TV audiences to online platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, “millions continue to watch traditional television and will for years to come. This technology can make traditional television more relevant to younger consumers, and will give broadcasters who adopt the technology a competitive advantage.”
The company will conduct demonstrations of the technology at the NAB Futures Park pavilion in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and will also have private demonstrations offsite for potential partners.
SymbolShifters is an associate member of NAB.
