An app for 'good' — BYUtv technology aimed at furthering network's mission

PROVO — See the good, do good, be good.

Whether it's a classic sporting event, a devotional with a general authority or family-oriented content, BYU digital media hopes its new BYUtv mobile application will influence viewers to live more wholesome lives.

"Hopefully, if you see the good and do good, you will be good, and people will be better off for it," said Ryan Holmes, director of digital media at BYU. "We want to engage people in good principles."

Holmes manages the team of full-time employees and students that developed BYUtv's new app, launched July 6. This new application was created primarily to distribute values-based programming to a wide audience, Mormon or otherwise, using popular technology.

The BYUtv application is free, requires iOS 4.3 or later and is compatible with multiple devices, including iPad, iPad2, iPhone

3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch. BYUtv is working on a web app (a mobile version of the website) for Android and other mobile devices.

Axis41 and Blink Software Solutions, a couple of design firms in Salt Lake City, helped BYUtv with the app and other projects.

The app is evidence that BYUtv has come a long way in a decade.

The first 10 years of BYUtv's existence carried the tagline "Keeping You Connected," and targeted alumni and Latter-day Saints. Content included religious programming, devotionals, forums and LDS general conference.

"Basically, the Mormon channel," Holmes said.

Then a series of miracles occurred. BYUtv quietly grew from less than a million households to 60 million U.S. homes through DirecTV, Dish Network and nearly 600 cable systems nationwide. In 2007, BYUtv launched an international station in Spanish and Portuguese that serves Latin America. Add to the list the release of BYU radio on Sirius XM. BYU and LDS Church administrators realized they had a tremendous asset in BYUtv and it was being under-utilized, Holmes said. That's when the decision was made to shift focus from "Keeping You Connected" to a new vision, "See the Good in the World."

"We have to use these incredible technologies to fulfill our charge and mission of helping our audiences to see and hear the good in the world like never before," said Derek Marquis, managing director of BYU Broadcasting. "We believe the future of our industry really is with digital media."

Work on the BYUtv app commenced about a year ago when Holmes came to BYU from a video game development company.

He was charged with helping to build a digital distribution platform that was state-of-the-art. "We had been streaming video online for a long time and wanted to take it to the next level," Holmes said.

Because resources were limited, emphasis was placed on developing applications for iPads, iPhones and iPad touch. "iOS was kind of a no-brainer. It was a huge segment of the market," Holmes said.

David Pratt, a senior architect at BYUtv, loves the application for its on-demand football feature. "It's cool to have that library with you wherever you are," he said.

In addition to on-demand football and basketball games and live television, BYUtv features family-friendly programming with shows such as "The Food Nanny," a reality show that helps bring families back to dinner; "Chef Brad," a source for healthy eating; "The Generations Project," a reality series that helps uncover hidden identities in family history; and "The Story Trek," a show where reporter Todd Hansen conducts random, door-to-door interviews to reveal how interesting lives of ordinary people are. Also accessible are hours of devotionals, forums and biographies, along with other university and family programming.