Socially networked television experience

A system for providing social interaction opportunities for people watching television, the system comprising:

• a television data source configured to transmit at least one of a plurality of television data streams for reception by a plurality of end devices, wherein each end device is represented by an equipment code;
• the plurality of end devices, including a first end device used by a first user and a second end device used by a second user, wherein each end device is configured to receive at least one of the plurality of television data streams, and each user is represented by an identifier code;
• and
• an interactive-information server configured to:
• store, at the direction of the first user, an identifier code representing the second end user;
• monitor which of the plurality of television data streams is being received by the second end device, by communicating with the television data source;
• notify the first user when the same television data stream is being received by both the first end device and the second end device, wherein notifying the first user comprises:
• transmitting notification data regarding when the second user of the second end device is receiving the same television data stream as the first user of the first end device;
• and
• displaying a notification on the first end device that the second end device is receiving the same television data stream;
• provide the first user with a video representation of which television data stream is being received by the second user, when the same television data stream is not being received by both the first end device and the second end device;
• notify the first user if a second communication input device is associated with the second end device that is receiving a television data stream;
• and
• provide communications between a first communication input device that is associated with the first end device that is receiving a television data stream and the second communication input device that is associated with the second end device that is receiving a television data stream, wherein each of the communication input devices is a mobile phone.

A computer implemented method of providing social interaction opportunities for people watching television, wherein the method comprises:

• storing, at the direction of a first user of a first end device, an identifier code representing a second user;
• monitoring which of a plurality of television data streams is being received by the first end device, by communicating with the television data source;
• monitoring which of the plurality of television data streams is being received by a second end device used by the second user, by communicating with the television data source;
• notifying the first user when the same television data stream is being received by both the first end device and the second end device, wherein notifying the first user comprises:
• transmitting notification data regarding when the second user of the second end device is receiving the same television data stream as the first user of the first end device;
• and
• displaying a notification on the first end device that the second end device is receiving the same television data stream;
• providing the first user with a video representation of which television data stream is being received by the second user, when the same television data stream is not being received by both the first end device and the second end device;
• notifying the first user if a second communication input device is associated with the second end device that is receiving a television data stream;
• and
• providing communications between a first communication input device that is associated with the first end device that is receiving a television data stream and the second communication input device that is associated with the second end device that is receiving a television data stream, wherein each of the communication input devices is a mobile phone.