A patent application obtained by the site FierceCable reveals that Comcast is planning to add a number of social TV features in its program guides that are staples of many second-screen apps. For example, viewers could receive notifications when their friends are watching a particular show, see trending shows in their city, as well as win rewards (like badges, coupons or a discount on their cable bill) for recommending shows to their friends or watching a particular show a certain number of times.
Comcast has been testing a social TV experience (called “Xcalibur”) in Augusta, Georgia, which includes a recommendation engine and “friend trends,” powered by Facebook (screen grab above). Tunerfish, the social TV app Comcast acquired in 2008, has been playing a central role in development — and the Tunerfish founders’ names are included in the patent application.
Comcast told FierceCable that it regularly files patent applications, and the features may or may not become full-fledged products sometime in the future.
Beyond the fact that Comcast apparently intends to integrate many second-screen features into the first-screen experience, it’s interesting to note that it wants to patent what will become basic staples of TV viewing experiences in years to come. After all, the social TV land grab includes technology patents, as well.