My Review of Fanhattan as a SecondScreen Experience

Wow.  When you try this app, you will see why I mention it in other reviews so much.  It is a great Seamless, Social, and Stimulating app that also provides a good mechanism for Discovery.  It is an impressive, UX-driven, all around SecondScreen app.  If they put in the ability to control the set top box, leveraged synchronized content, and presented content from your Live TV channel guide, it would be even more AWESOME.

- Simple.  While it is an incredibly designed UX, it does not let you control the first screen (let's hope "yet" is the operative word here).  None.

- Social.  When you first open the app, it asks for your Facebook and Twitter credentials.  Unlike other apps, it actually runs thru your Facebook likes of films (from other apps) and your friends' likes of films, and then presents that as "Friends Like" and "Recently Liked"--a real plus.  I would like to see better Twitter feed integration during the a live episode and the ability to be social in the living room (present the 2nd screen to the 1st screen for sharing with the family).  Medium to High.

- Seamless.  Impressive again.  A good presentation (better than Clicker) of the available sources and their monetary requirements (membership, a price, etc).  I would like to see them integrate the live TV channel line-up, the local DVR, and the local area network, but this is a great start.  Medium (let's hope they go for high).

- Stimulating.  The simulating side is where they really shine.  The UX lends itself to showing 7-9 different views of additional data for movie or TV titles.  I had to present 2 images just to do the presentation justice.  You'll notice multiple review sites, a "Fanfeed" of multiple social networks, the cast/crew, related apps to explore, "Fan Gear" from Amazon, and related shows.  I would like to see synchronized content presentation, but in terms of static content, they are the market leader by far.  Medium trending to High.

- Discovery.  They do a great job in this area, allowing you to see what your friends have recently liked, what the most popular recommendation by friends are, and the hottest and highest rated TV shows and movies.  They incorporate that with a smart browse filter, allowing you to reduce the universe of content based on user ratings, genre, air date, etc, etc.  

Overall summary.

- Simple.  None.

- Social.  Medium trending to High.

- Seamless. Medium.

- Stimulating.  Medium trending to High.

- Discovery.  Medium.  

Wow.  An impressive app.