Interactive TV

scath

The Hardware is already here to some degree. See Amigo TV 5900 provide set top boxes and headsets developed by alcatel Lucent.http://www1.alcatel-lucent.com/products/productsummary.jsp?repositoryID=/com/en/appxml/opgproduct/alcatel5900amigotvtcm228356011635.jhtml

This allows via broadband skype/Netmeeting like experience, avatars and if you added in a webcam the picture to picture experience making TV very interactive.

You could also add in ticker advertisements and avatar sales to make money themed around sports and entertainment. Its already developed over 3 years now under an EU research media project in collaberation with Alcatel Lucent, I've mentioned it before here but no-one seems to have picked up on that. To me that sort of experience is where its add. Add email ticker into that and you're really converging. Alcatel also have an IPTV version too.

watty

I just want to watch a program/news/film with the family. Interactive is a solitary experience best done on a computer, not 10ft away on setee with remote.

Interactive TV IMO is an aggravating solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

bk

watty wrote: »

I just want to watch a program/news/film with the family. Interactive is a solitary experience best done on a computer, not 10ft away on setee with remote.

Interactive TV IMO is an aggravating solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

I almost completely agree.

Watching youtube and RTE player through my PS3 on my HD TV can be fun. Youtube in particular can be great fun for funny videos with a few friends around and a few beers.

Sky's interactive news service on sat works really well and I'd love to see a similar service from RTE.

But mostly normal internet browsing, email, etc. doesn't work, only video services sort of work.

scath

bk wrote: »

I almost completely agree.

But mostly normal internet browsing, email, etc. doesn't work, only video services sort of work.

Based on what evidence? I think this hasn't been determined because interactive TV convergence hasn't happened yet. Its at the cusp. I don't think interactive TV is creating a problem that doesn't exist. At least in the case of amigo TV, its about changing TV into an interactive experience where people interact as they watch TV. These could be especially fun during football games where you're typing and watching the game with your avatar. Now of course to do that you'd want to be able to touch type. But voice to voice, webcam/avatar could work well.

Programme forums would help generate more interest and enjoyment around the programme. Again this would be bringing TV more into the internet rather than just watch the programme into the interactivity.

End of the day people like to express themselves and interactive TV is more sociable than current TV which is not a communal experience in general. Interactive TV would change that so that groups of people who like certain programme from across the country and interact together. Whether membership would be free or chargeable is an issue. However ads could make it free and a revenue stream for TV stations.

watty

Interactive TV is one TV set (- a terminal) per person. It's not a sharing experience at all other than with the remote people.

We have a thing that does that well, computer + internet.

Either you are watching a program or interacting. They are both valid experiences but different.

It's like books. Interactive books are a disaster as a books, but if well done make decent games.

Fully interactive TV ceases to be TV.

Elmo

I don't think interactive TV will ever catch on fully in the way suggested.

The current idea of trying to make TV more like the Internet is a complete waste of time and one of the main reasons for shows like the current PLAY TV on TV3. TV isn't the internet. It is a passive experience, you sit and you watch.

scath

watty wrote: »

Interactive TV is one TV set (- a terminal) per person. In the current interactive this is true. But with Amigo TV, 2nd gereration interactive TV it is one TV set connected via internet into a network of other Amigo TV viewers with a similar headset, internet and Amigo TV set top box. This can be converged with email etc see: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=15907 and http://www.ist-ipmedianet.org/Alcatel_EuroiTV2004_AmigoTV_short_paper_S4-2.pdf.

From looking at that pdf you will see that people can discuss as they watch for instance a football match even though they are watching in different towns. Also you will see there how it works. You'll have to read the document guys to know what I'm talking about which is not current interactive TV but 2nd generation interactive TV which is not implemented widely on any terrestrial network box anywhere I know of yet nor on cable or satellite.That's why its difficult for ye to know what I'm talking about without reading that doc and imagining a new experience.

There are certain requirements for it as per the pdf:

In particular, the sections regarding architecture such as broadband interactive link is necessary. Cable and fibre are ideal of course whereas fixed broadband and wireless broadband generally may struggle. This goes back to bandwidth again. Possible the text end may not be popular whereas the voice to voice via IP over DVB-T may be much more popularly used.To be honest there is much more scope with satellite and broadband for amigo TV than terrestrial or cable but there it is still very attractive to people who are working away from home if amigo TV was implemented by say Onevision and a reason to buy a set top box off them

As you make the point guys, unlike myself most of us can't really type and watch TV at the same time. However we can talk and watch TV at the same time certainly with the headset with mic.

Amigo TV seems a compelling example of entertainment, social communal interaction, combining public broadcast (football/BGT etc), the home surroungings together. Such would be particularly suited to satellite where for example Polish People watching TVP with soccer on, can watch a programme with the family back home and have a shared experience chatting and cheeringabout the match provided their family also have Amigo TV enabled set top boxes. This is an issue for set top box manufacturers and Alcatel Lucent to combine on. This is the missing piece.

Sky or Freesat may need to be the first movers though for this to really take off ie implementation. That other issue is bandwidth as we're talking about skype over DVB-T/ Microsoft netmeeting in effect and the software installed on all set top boxes by Sky/UPC/Onevision.

Elmo

I don't know the amount of arguments we have in our house just for the remote.

scath

Elmo wrote: »

I don't know the amount of arguments we have in our house just for the remote.

I take yer point Elmo on that. I think that the voice to voice end of it rather than the text end is the real winner. There is no reason not to have multiple remote controls similar to nintendo Wii.

BigMoose

If I want to chat to anyone while watching a game I'll go to the pub. Else if I'm really desperate I'll use Skype. Cant see any need for the TV to get involved in that.

scath

BigMoose wrote: »

If I want to chat to anyone while watching a game I'll go to the pub. Else if I'm really desperate I'll use Skype. Cant see any need for the TV to get involved in that.

A locally yea, but what about a friend who has moved for a job down to Cork and you say are child minding and can't go out o the pub for example. Ye both are gonna watch the match. In this way you can have a communal experience without having to switch on the laptop. Its just handy, there, you put on the headset, and unlike the mobile its free call-ups just for maybe monthly membership or with ticker ads, provided free.

Teenagers who can't go to the pub, and its home-time for them but they're watcing TV, they would use it. The point is they could watch the television and be on skype-like at the same time on the on picture sharp TV screen. You can do it on the internet too probably via Sky Anytime or Setanta Online but nothing beats the big TV screen.

Amigo TV granted suits more for teens, distance communal social TV. Through programme communities you could connect in and see those online and interact with them just before the game, look up their profiles. Accept or reject talk requests. The picture avatars would be in a very small square in the corners. So there's a new social networking potential from it that interactive TV currently does not provide.

Amigo Tv's real strength though would be the long distance, ie satellite ie Polish working in Ireland with family back home while watching a football match, ie a good opportunity for Polsat. To share the experience.

watty

I moved this here as the only platform where this concept reliably works at all is on Cable or Fibre-IPTV as it has TV and Broadband. You can't ensure this works at all for DTT/Sat and it's nothing to do with DTT commercial licence award.

Motorola also has a good Interactive Broadcast TV/IPTV/Interactive box. Works on DTT + DSL/Fixed Wireless BB or on Cable depending on tuner fitted at factory. Comes in an HD PVR version. Includes real web browser and portal.

Sky has also launched a service for the Xbox360 http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055578137

bk

I just don't think it will take off.

TV is not about being interactive, it is about sitting there and drooling. Or maybe doing the same with family and friends in the same room.

Wanting to communicate with a friend while watching a match is a very niche thing. Most people just go to the pub to do this or bring a few beers around to one house. For longer distances people just use texting on their mobiles or IM in future, no need to get the TV involved.

I could see some sort of interactivity with game shows or with those X-Factor type shows taking off, perhaps through the new Xbox 360 service. But for te most part it TV is about switching off or social event, not interaction.

Mountjoy Mugger

I watch TV when I want to relax and not interact.

The last thing I want is to have the bloody telly winking at me.

scath

Good & valid points raised. I don't think its a reason not to implement because its nieche. I think it should be an option to make TV more! Sky Player X-Box thing seems similar alright to Amigo TV. I think the convergence is going to happen and we may see the end of terrestrial, cable and satellite in a few years if broadband increases capacity because of its distribution efficiencies. But TV instead of via website can use TV that menu systems etc while using broadband. The only bit with regards to Onevision is that Onevision could require its implementation in its set top boxes as a reason to switch to them!.

watty

Mathematics scath. Broadcast will never go out of fashion How we use it is changing.

Broadcast has 500:1 to 10,000:1 capacity advantage over unicast Broadband, FOREVER, because one is Broadcast and the other per person.

Increasing storage on PVRs ("Smart" interactive or not) allows for a seamless VOD experience with as much content as many real time network based VOD schemes.

At 2Mbps broadcast you can have more than fresh 1/2 Terabyte of local video content, including 25Mbps peak HD, thats over 100 films in HD! or 500 regular films or 2000 TV shows.

A 2T byte drive is now affordable. If you dedicate the broadcast equivalent (on Cable, DTT, Satellite or Fibre) of an MPEG2 TV channel and use MPEG4 that means you can have locally 400HD films, or 2,000 SD films or 8,000 TV shows with up to about 15% of the content upgraded daily. Add as much interactive content via broadband as you like to the broadcast content.

Use the traditional broadcast content in real time or "interactively" via cached content on hard drive (You'll hardly ever have to schedule recordings as the box will automatically record anything that is likely to be of interest). This concept almost worked on a Tivo 10 years ago, now we are talking about files that take 1/4 space for higher quality and having 100x the storage today.