VANCOUVER – Telus is giving customers in Alberta and B.C. something new to "Like" about Optik TV.
The telco introduced a new Facebook application on its Optik TV platform on Thursday, designed to provide customers with access to Facebook’s features and content without missing a second of their favorite TV show. Through ‘Share my View’, users are able to post what they’re watching on their Facebook wall, creating a social TV viewing experience that brings their friends list into the picture.
Optik TV customers need a current Facebook account and subscription to Optik Internet to take advantage of the Facebook application for TV. The application wraps part of the perimeter of the television screen, allowing users to access Facebook while simultaneously continuing to watch TV programming. Using a standard remote control, the application also offers the ability to view Facebook photo albums in slideshow mode to create a full screen presentation view of photos right on the TV.
"IPTV is the future of television, and with Optik TV the future is here at Telus”, said chief marketing officer David Fuller, in the announcement. “We are committed to enabling a truly connected home, offering new ways for our Optik TV customers to stay connected and multitask while enjoying television, and to that end we plan to launch a number of applications this year."
To promote the launch of the new TV app, Telus has teamed up with actor Leonard Nimoy in a marketing campaign that calls Facebook on Optik TV "the next frontier of social networking." The application was developed in partnership between Telus and iTV developer ES3.
