A leader in delivering cutting-edge new-media viewing experiences, Silicon Valley-based ReinCloud Corporation, recently won first place overall in TV Hackfest, the world's premier international next-generation TV technology competition, for its ARGTV™ (Augmented Reality Gamification TV™) platform.

In describing ARGTV, ReinCloud CEO Dan Reitan said, “In the near future, you can share a drink with Don Draper of Mad Men, for instance, pick up the bottle of gin being poured, examine it, turn it around and read the back label if you want. You can then put it back, or buy a case of it from right within your TV. No phone needed. You don't even have to turn the channel, unless you want to.”

He explained that a host of other sorts of objects and characters within shows can be interacted with in various ways. These can even include recognizable 3D avatars of your friends and their ideas, comments, recommendations and purchase choices. All could lead to information, more programming, or purchase opportunities.

"With ARGTV’s in-content discovery capability, you can play with products and things that interest you, learn about them, decide about them, and purchase them more easily and naturally. These capabilities can be applied to existing shows and ads, whether they are new, or were produced 50 years ago,” Reitan said. He added that it may seem futuristic, but the future is now: "We can deliver these capabilities on devices that already represent an installed base of many millions of viewers and growing."

The ARGTV™ product is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2013, dependent on it being fully funded. ReinCloud also plans to launch a slate of new media and technology partners, each of whom can accelerate the rollout.

The TV Hackfest competition was held as part of Apps World 2013 in San Francisco which brought together more than 100 technologists from all over the world representing networks, studios and tech companies competed in the event, to help define the future of television. TV Hackfest was sponsored and judged by Google, Facebook, Twitter, and CNN.

About ReinCloud Corporation: Based in Mountain View, CA, ReinCloud Corporation has developed a proprietary Augmented-Reality-based Automated TV™ technology, which enables interactive and personalized immersive content and advertising. Just as The Cloud is changing how people watch TV, ReinCloud is changing what it means to watch television. Visit reincloud.com for more information or call Ilona at 650-898-REIN.