Leveraging the popularity of social TV trend, subscription-TV operator SKY has launched a new service in Brazil, enabling its SKY HD subscribers to shape their viewer experience using Twitter. #SKYREC allows users to start the recording of shows and programs on the decoder with a simple re-tweet.

The idea of the new service, conceived by AgênciaClick Isobar, was inspired by the fact that consumers more frequently turn to Twitter, not traditional program schedules on the TV company website, to discover information about TV shows. So, now SKY is using Twitter as a platform for featuring highlights of the daily programming, turning these tweets into something more than mere pieces of information—the tweets featuring the #SKYREC hashtag can be used to start recording of the related show.

The service is extremely simple to use. Completing the registration form on the SKY site, subscribers enter their Twitter names. When they re-tweet @skybrasil including the #SKYREC hashtag, they request to activate recording of the show’s episode, mentioned in the tweet, on their home SKY decoders. The system recognizes their Twitter names when they re-tweet, connects the Twitter handle with the decoder at user’s home, and the recording of a program starts automatically.

“This service gives new significance to the Twitter brand by facilitating action in the customer’s life. By using #SKYREC customers don’t have to go to the program, the program goes to them. It’s a simple, innovative idea that is extremely relevant to the customer,” said Fred Saldanha, Creative Vice President at AgênciaClick Isobar.

Now, Twitter is also one of the prime social-media destinations to source information about shows and movies and share impressions. Responding to this trend, Twitter and Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights into consumers’ behavior, are developing the collaborative The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating for the US market. The tool is designed to provide a syndicated-standard metric revealing the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter. The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will be available for the commercial use at the beginning of the fall 2013 TV season.