New technology can pull a show on TV onto your tablet

Do you hate missing out on your favourite TV show just because you had to rush out of the house? A new technology can now 'pull' the programme on your TV screen onto your tablet so you can watch it on the go!

A scientist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has developed an innovative multi-screen mobile social television experience called the 'Social Cloud TV'.

Wen Yonggang, assistant professor from the School of Computer Engineering has described his invention as the next frontier of television experience as you can now "bring the social experience of watching television in your living room wherever you go".

The system allows you to watch TV programmes and online videos with your family and friends at the same time. The system leverages a cloud backend for media processing, such that the same video can be streamed into devices in the most suitable format.

When viewing a TV show or perhaps a live soccer match, you can invite family and friends to join your session, from either your phone book or social networking contact lists. "You could watch a video with your class mates on the computer, and just before you leave school, 'pull' the show into your tablet and continue watching on the go," Wen said in a statement.

"Upon reaching home, you could just turn on your television and 'throw' the video back to the TV, and continue watching the programme there," Wen added.

"With the increase in online video and personal multimedia devices, we have lost out on the experience of watching TV shows together as a family and as a social activity with friends. So I hope that with my invention, people can now reconnect with each other socially using videos," Wen said.