Server for presenting interactive content synchronized to time-based media

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of time offsets from a plurality of client devices that identify a temporal location in a presentation of time-based media for each one of the plurality of client devices;

transmitting time-based interactive content selected according to the temporal location to at least one of the plurality of client devices for display on the at least one of the plurality of client devices, wherein the interactive content includes a quiz synchronized to the presentation;

scoring one or more responses to the quiz from the plurality of client devices; and

transmitting a quiz result based upon the scoring to one of the plurality of clients for display on the one of the plurality of client devices synchronized to the presentation according to an independently determined time offset for the one of the plurality of client devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting time-based interactive content includes transmitting a presentation offset in order to synchronize display of the time-based interactive content on each one of the plurality of client devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive content includes a poll temporally related to the presentation.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising transmitting a result for the poll to one or more of the plurality of client devices.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the interactive content for each one of the plurality of devices as the time offset for that one of the plurality of devices changes over an interval of the presentation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the presentation includes a live television broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the presentation includes a time-shifted television broadcast.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the presentation includes a display to the client device from a pre-recorded media including at least one of a CD, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, and an HD DVD.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein synchronizing the client device includes:

receiving data representative of an audio component of the presentation from each one of the plurality of client devices;

determining for each one of the plurality of client devices a time offset within the presentation; and

transmitting the time offset for each one of the plurality of client devices to that one of the plurality of client devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive content includes an instant messaging interface that couples the plurality of client devices in a communicating relationship for synchronous chat.

11. A computer program product for providing interactive content, the computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

receiving a plurality of time offsets from a plurality of client devices that identify a temporal location in a presentation of time-based media for each one of the plurality of client devices;

transmitting time-based interactive content according to the temporal location to at least one of the plurality of client devices for display on the at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the interactive content includes a quiz synchronized to the presentation;

scoring one or more responses to the quiz from the plurality of client devices; and

transmitting a quiz result based upon the scoring to one of the plurality of clients for display on the one of the plurality of client devices synchronized to the presentation according to an independently determined time offset for the one of the plurality of client devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein transmitting time-based interactive content includes transmitting a presentation offset in order to synchronize display of the time-based interactive content on each one of the plurality of client devices.

13. A server comprising:

a data network interface configured to provide a communicating relationship with a data network;

a database; and

a processor configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a plurality of time offsets from a plurality of client devices that identify a temporal location in a presentation of time-based media for each one of the plurality of client devices;

transmitting time-based interactive content from the database according to the temporal location to at least one of the plurality of client devices for display on the at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the interactive content includes a quiz synchronized to the presentation;

scoring one or more responses to the quiz from the plurality of client devices; and

transmitting a quiz result based upon the scoring to one of the plurality of clients for display on the one of the plurality of client devices synchronized to the presentation according to an independently determined time offset for the one of the plurality of client devices.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the interactive content includes a poll temporally related to the presentation.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising code that performs the step of transmitting a result for the poll to one or more of the plurality of client devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising code that performs the step of updating the interactive content for each one of the plurality of devices as the time offset for that one of the plurality of devices changes over an interval of the presentation.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the presentation includes a live television broadcast.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the presentation includes a time-shifted television broadcast.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the presentation includes a display to the client device from a pre-recorded media including at least one of a CD, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, and an HD DVD.