Can context tame web TV? Reconciling infinite choice and zero effort

Web TV is making a comeback, as users increasingly co-consume TV related web content on their companion devices (tablets and smartphones) in sync with TV watching. In this `dual screen' experience, users download and invoke TV apps on their companion devices to personalize their Superbowl or American Idol TV experience with a web counterpart. Unfortunately, the added effort in continually finding and invoking one of many TV Apps threatens to undermine the light-weightness of cognitive experience that makes TV addictive. In this paper, we propose a 2nd screen contextual UI that balances the richness of an App driven 2nd screen experience with the simplicity of a desirable TV experience. We further share user feedback that is both reinforcing and surprising in relation to the appropriate and inappropriate uses of context in a living room setting.