Enabling Frame-Accurate Synchronised Companion Screen Experiences

This paper describes the development and implementation of an open communication standard between Internet-connected TVs and companion screens, over the home network. Content providers know that the better Internet connectivity and prevalence of personal mobile devices is encouraging our audiences to seek more interactive experiences across multiple screens. In order to deliver a coherent integrated user experience, with content on all screens presented according to a common timeline, the application on the companion device needs to discover what is being shown on the TV and what the timeline position is . DVB-CSS provides a standardised way to enable this synchronisation between the TV and any personal device on the home network. We describe its development, use cases and early prototype implementation.