We explore the generation of interactive computer graphics at digital set-top boxes in place of the fixed graphics that were embedded to the television video before the broadcast. This direction raises new requirements for user interface development, since the graphics are merged with video at each set-top box dynamically, without the traditional quality control from the television producers. Besides the technical issues, interactive computer graphics for television should be evaluated by television viewers. We employ an animated character in an interactive music television application that was evaluated by consumers, and was developed using the Virtual Channel Control Library, a custom high-level API, that was built using Microsoft Windows and TV technologies.

In this article we present the findings of two ethnographic studies embedded into two broader projects on interactive television in the home environment. Based on previous research on the home context and inspired by ongoing trends around interactive television, we explored basic concepts, such as the extended home, and new interaction techniques, in particular those related to future developments of the remote control. For the two studies we also developed two variations of the cultural probes method: creative probing and playful probing. This methodological approach proved to be appropriate for gathering in-depth data on participants ’ opinions, attitudes, and ideas in a way favorable to the participants. Overall, our results support existing research data on user media behavior and expectations and show trends in and beyond the living room, concerned with personalization, privacy, and security as well as communication.

The purpose of this paper is to present our experience from the design of a personalized television application, and the implications for the design of interactive television applications in general. Personalized advertising is a gentle introduction to interactive television applications through a push paradigm that is closer to the established patterns of television use. While personalization is a practice widely used on the Internet, applying personalization techniques over digital television infrastructures presents significant obstacles, which we address with explicit design moves.

A different usability design approach is needed for the emerging class of home infotainment appliances, collectively referred to as the home media station (HMS). Mass-media theory, consumer electronics engineering, content creation and content distribution play a major role towards the human-centered design of home media appliances. Different audience behavior factors, such as the attention span, and group watching, affect the design of the HMS. We have employed our approach in the design of a system offering dynamic synthesis of the advertisingbreak at each television set-top box.

Abstract not found