// State of the Second Screen

Streaming Media magazine and Unisphere Research, along with Piksel, set about to gauge the State of the Second Screen. We asked survey respondents to provide us with details of both their viewing habits as well as their assessment of second-screen users, both in terms of expected viewing habits and key features for second-screen applications.

Most research into second-screen trends only accounts for the consumer’s point of view, but our research centered on industry experts, media engineers and executive management, providing insight into both the actual and intended uses of second-screen applications.

What we found was an industry that is a bit at odds with itself. On one hand, the streaming industry is on the forefront of using media technologies to time-shift media consumption; on the other hand, actual usage of second-screen, communications or social media applications sometimes veers away from the value-added cases we so often pitch to content owners.

Survey results, though, offer insight into both the conundrum and the solution. Respondents employed by second-screen application development houses were consistent in their desire for integrated development platforms and other key features used to develop the second-screen apps that content owners rely on to drive audience engagements.