User Responsive Augmented Reality Enhancement of Moving Images

A system includes an augmented reality (AR) device having a first display, processing hardware, and a memory storing software code. The processing hardware is configured to execute the software code to monitor media content including a sequence of moving images displayed on a second display separate from the AR device and controlled by a media player device, detect, based on monitoring the media content, an image in the sequence of moving images for enhancement by one or more AR effects. The processing hardware further executes the software code to render the one or more AR effects on the first display, and transmit, contemporaneously with rendering the one or more AR effects on the first display, a signal configured to pause or loop the playing of the media content on the second display.