ABC's My Generation Sync Shows The Future Of TV

Posted by Chris Hall on September 28th, 2010

Regardless of your opinion of ABC's "My Generation," a show that I didn't know existed until this week, the resulting companion app is quite amazing. Instead of just being an app that just ties in with the show, My Generation Sync actually syncs with the show to provide all sorts of polls, quizzes, and behind the scenes info to make the experience more interactive.

Most impressive is the way that the app goes about syncing. Instead of having to tune in at the moment the show is live, the app uses "audio watermarks" (picked up through the internal mic) to sync the app to the exact place the show is at. This means that you are free to TiVo the show for later viewing, or to wait a few minutes to start so you can skip through all the pesky commercials.

I'm not too sure if the app will get me to tune into the show on a weekly basis (I think I have enough TV shows to watch this season), but I would love to see the technology used more. How great would it be if you could tune into a football game and have instant stats, injury reports, and replays beamed onto your iPad? Interactive polls could be done almost instantly and the commentators could almost get instant feedback to things that they say on air. The possibilities are endless.

Be sure to check out ABC's My Generation Sync, the ultimate interactive companion to the TV show. I'll just have to sit here and patiently wait for the day Disney gives Monday Night Football the same treatment.