The 3rd Screen

By Bryan Rhoads on February 25, 2008

third screen n. A video screen that a person uses as often as their television and computer screens.

It’s a concept that has been around for at least ten years now. And one that generally comes from the mouths of ad-hungry marketers in search of more media buys and eyeballs.

But the oft touted “3rd Screen” will become a mainstream reality in 2008 as Intel’s Silverthorne and Diamondville processors are making it not only possible, but powerful.

Some will argue that the introduction of the iPhone last year brought us our first true 3rd screen experience… granted it’s a compelling argument. But as most iPhone addicts will attest, most 3rd screens are still the lesser cousin of our other two screens (your TV and your laptop/desktop). It simply hasn’t been the “full experience”… yet.

What’s different this time around? The difference: A perfect storm of affordable, energy-efficient, and high performance processors that enable the innovative design of these new mobile devices.

Or maybe as this video implies… our 3rd screens are destined to be our 1st.

About Bryan Rhoads

Founding member of the Intel Social Media Center of Excellence. Global social media manager for our consumer audiences and brands. I helped pioneer social media techniques that laid the foundations for Intel to leverage Web 2.0. I designed and built this external blog at http://blogs.intel.com, establishing the infrastructure, legal, security and publishing guidelines that integrated social media into Intel's marketing mix. I led a 4-year research project with MIT that researched online trust and digital marketing strategies. My Intel and MIT researchers designed innovative approaches to increase user confidence and trust in online media experiences. I'm also the designer of the Intel Download Center and many highly-trafficked sections of Intel's web systems. Lecturer on digital innovation and social media at the Yale Center for Customer Insights, MIT Center for Digital Business, Innotech, SxSW Interactive, the Marketing Sciences Institute, the Experiential Marketing Summit, to name a few. Adjunct faculty at Portland State University, I also sit on the Executive Board of the Internet Strategy Forum, the Center for Consumer Research at St. Joseph's University, the Marketing Advisory Track at Northeastern University and a member of the City Club of Portland.

4 Responses to The 3rd Screen

  1. Justin says:

    Agreed that this is an older concept, so I performed a quick Wikipedia search that offerd no “Third Screen” results… That’s a rarity. No Wiki page.

  2. June Adams says:

    For most people under 25, TVs are the third or fourth screens. The primary screen is the computer because of the Internet, and then the second screen is mobile.

  3. Bassem says:

    The third screen concept is new (generally) for those who are over 30-years old. But for people under 25, it’s more natural and is really more of a second or first screen.
    It will be interesting to watch what devices are coming our way.
    Thanks!