3 years ago, I made a prototype for LG of a social remote control. It allowed anyone in the room with a web browser (including smart phones) to send videos to the tv. It was great for group tv watching, since it gives everyone the ability to search simultaneously for a video, instead of instructing the one guy with the remote where to go.
Anyway, LG wasnt interested until I made a super gimmicky way of sending videos to the tv instead of using a button. You held your phone up to the tv, and it would transfer.
Selling a specialized device for tv watching undermines the purpose of my social remote idea. Your friends wont have one, so they can't participate as easily as they could if it was a webapp.
I suppose you could buy 4 of them, like I (an only child) did with Nintendo 64 controllers so that my friends could always play.
Anyway, LG wasnt interested until I made a super gimmicky way of sending videos to the tv instead of using a button. You held your phone up to the tv, and it would transfer.
Concept Demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETRwc7B_NNc
This limited it to apps instead of web browsers and was less reliable. But it was slightly cooler than pressing a button.
It distracted them from the whole point of my idea though. They just wanted a cool remote control they could sell with their tvs.