The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: MOVL
Quick Pitch: MOVL has created a proprietary technology platform that connects users on mobile devices and Internet connected TVs to allow for quick deployment of apps.
Genius Idea: Atlanta-based MOVL is a startup dedicated to making social TV apps a reality. Using its homegrown MOVL Connect Platform, the company is focused on building apps for Google TV, Samsung Internet TV and PCs that users can interact with using an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android device.
Lots of startups are looking at creating content for the various connected TV platforms on the market, but MOVL’s approach is interesting in that it actively works with smartphone devices for user input.
At CES 2011, MOVL took home the $200,000 grand prize in Samsung’s Free the TV Challenge for its social TV game, WeDraw. WeDraw is like a TV version of Pictionary or Win, Lose or Draw. Users connect their smartphones to the app and then take turns drawing words on their handsets for others to guess. What the user draws on the iPhone or Android device shows up on the TV.
MOVL has also created an app called WeTeli. Dubbed a “social video jukebox,” WeTeli lets users transmit videos from YouTube to a Google TV or Samsung Internet TV. Users can vote videos up or down, adjust a queue and add comments right on the screen.
MOVL seems to position WeTeli for use in a bar or other public space, but we think the living room component works well too. Yes, most connected platforms can access YouTube natively, but being able to control or create a queue from a smartphone is likely going to be a better user experience than trying to navigate TV remote control. Likewise, the fact that multiple people can contribute content gives this particular app an edge.
One of the problems for would-be TV app developers is the fragmented nature of the connected device space. The lackluster response from consumers to Google TV only underscores how complicated this space is. Platforms need companies like MOVL to create compelling content that can convince consumers to tune into the connected living room, but on the flip side, the app companies need to choose the right platforms for their wares.
We like the promise of what MOVL is offering for social TV. We’d love to see the company look at extending it platform to work on more devices (Boxee, Roku and maybe Sony’s various platforms).
What do you think of social TV apps? Let us know.
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
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