Patent ID: 8893022

Claim:
A processor-implemented method for providing an interactive and shared viewing experience, comprising: receiving streaming video content at a first electronic media device associated with a first user, the streaming video content is received via a network from a server; displaying the streaming video content at a user interface of the first electronic media device in synchronicity with a display of the streaming video content at a second electronic media device associated with a second user; displaying a first avatar, which represents the first user emoting on the user interface, based on data which describes an appearance of the first avatar and based on control inputs from the first user; receiving data from the network which describes an appearance of a second avatar, which represents the second user; receiving control inputs via the network for causing the second avatar to emote on the user interface, the control inputs for causing the second avatar to emote are provided by the second user via the second electronic media device; displaying the second avatar emoting on the user interface based on the received data which describes the appearance of the second avatar and the control inputs provided by the second user, where the streaming video content and the first and second avatars are displayed on the user interface in a shared environment, the first and second users interact while viewing the streamed video content by causing the first and second avatars, respectively, to emote and the shared environment comprises a virtual world which comprises a display area on which the streaming video content is displayed and a spectator area in which the first and second avatars are located; in response to a control input from the first user, changing a camera angle from which the virtual world is viewed on the user interface; and in response to the changing of the camera angle, the display area is provided in a distorted perspective view and is repositioned in the virtual world so that the display area remains visible to the first user while the streaming video content continues to be displayed on the display area.