Interactive TelevisionThe Living Room Revolution

Jordan Millard Jon Guerber

ECE 477, Spring 2006

Introduction• What is iTV?• Current and Future Applications• History of Interactivity• iTV Delivery and Hardware Resources• iTV Protocols• Issues, Problems, and Solutions• The Future of iTV

What is Interactive Television (iTV)• We are all used to normal Non-Interactive TV• iTV is an addition to the Current Television

Setup • Allows for 2-way communication between the

broadcaster and the customer• Users can actively participate in TV programming• Makes television more enjoyable and productive

iTV Applications • Displaying Customized Information

• Facts about Characters on a Drama• Custom News for the Busy• Programming Guides• Sports Information

iTV Applications Cont.• Video On Demand• Voting and Quizzes

• American Idol• Game Shows• Education

• Interactive Meetings• Custom Camera Angles• TV Gaming

iTV Applications Cont.• Shopping

• Real Time Auctions• 3d Shopping• Buying what you see in Programming• Gambling

• Business and Marketing• Demographic Data Collection• Targeted Advertising• Interactive Ads

History of Interactivity• Many Different Non-Technology Based

Forms of Interactive media• First Major iTV Provider: QUBE (1977-1984)

• Offered Interactive Games Shows, Polls, Educational Programming

• Teletext (1979-Present)• Allowed text to be displayed over images

History of Interactivity Cont.• Today iTV is popular throughout Europe

and Asia, starting up in America• 40% of Western European Households have iTV

• Test runs of iTV are happening in select cities

• Major Companies like Microsoft and CNN are involved

iTV Distribution• Similar to

Conventional TV with Interactive software attached• Requires a middle

person • Software sent over

internet and combined with Video in a Set-Top Box

iTV HardWare -- The Set Top Box• This is where the video and data content come

together and for iTV• Named because it is often a physical box on top

of a TV set

Jobs of the Set-Top Box• Acts as a Network Interface

• Decodes digital Streams of Audio and Video• Due to the fact that most iTV is digital, most often

Compressed with MPEG-2 or 4

• Provides a buffer • Allows for Network inconsistencies

• Synchronizes Audio, Video and Data

iTV Network Protocol StructurePhysical Display

Application Layer (Java based Apps like MHP)Transport LayerNetwork LayerData Link LayerPhysical Layer

Similar to Normal Televisions and

Computers

iTV Sent Over the Network

Broadcaster Receiver (Set-Top Box)

Internet Connection is added for remote interactivity

iTV Sent Over the Network• Reminder: iTV is normally transmitted

similarly to digital television but with additional data

• This diagram represents how iTV is transmitted with MPEG-2

• Many iTV distribution now uses MPEG-4 • More efficient but more complicated

iTV Networking – The Transport Layer• Transport Layer Defines how iTV is sent • Method 1:

• Send Video and Audio over MPEG Stream• Send Data over the internet• Receiver must receive information

from both sources and synchronize• Not often used anymore

iTV Networking – The Transport Layer• Method 2:

• Send all Information over Same MPEG Transport Stream

• Broadcasts sent in Elementary Streams of Video, Audio and Data

• Video, Audio and Data must be linked in Application

• Used Most often

iTV Networking – Application Layer• Defines how interactive applications sent in

iTV will be processed and displayed

• Many different types of execution environments are being used• Important to use the same standards for all iTV

distribution• By Far the Most Common and widely accepted

platform for execution is the Java based DVB-MHP

iTV Protocols – DVB-MHP• DVB-MHP Stands for the Digital Video

Broadcasting Multimedia Home Platform• Defines how iTV data received in a set-Top box will

be processed and displayed• Developed in the 1990’s as a way to streamline all

the ways of transmitting iTV to different types of hardware

• Now used in Europe and derivatives are being created for the United States

iTV Protocols – DVB-MHP• Goal of MHP is to combine digital

broadcasting standards with internet standards • Open Software

• Runs with HTML or Java applications• Most Commonly is run on top of Java Virtual

Machine• Disliked due to long and cumbersome

nature of standard• About 1448 pages long

iTV Protocols – DVB-MHP• MHP is based on the idea of Multiple Planes

iTV applications are displayed on separate panes as conventional video

iTV Issues: Security• iTV allows for more user interaction which

also means potential for security threats• Possible Security Problems could arise due to:

• Access to Copyrighted Information• The use of iTV for Shopping and Banking• The privacy of TV choices Made by the Consumer• Immature people who have fun hacking into iTV

systems and disrupting the normal operation

iTV Issues: Security Solutions• Encryption

• Translating sensitive information into a non-understandable message re-translating

• Make it readable again with the use of an encryption key

• Digital Signatures• Used to authenticate that the user receiving

information is indeed the correct user

iTV Issues: Security Solutions Cont.• Unauthorized Viewing Protection

• Current Set-Top Boxes will scramble programming that user has not paid for

• Copyright Protection• Modern Set-top boxes equipped with the ability to

read a copyright protection bit sent with iTV data• Will prevent the recording of copyrighted material

like movies, but allow for the recording of free TV, even with VCRs

iTV Issues: Production• Often production can be labor intensive due

to creation of programming on top of Video• Could require longer time to get program on the air

• Middleman who incorporates software with video must be flexible and creative

• Live iTV broadcasts are more difficult but not impossible

iTV Issues: Technological Challenges• Currently Many systems run into problems

and failures of iTV systems not seen in Conventional TV • Failures in the internet come into play• TV providers need to find a way to maintain and

repair systems economically

• Switching from Conventional TV systems to iTV requires massive overhead and is initially more complex for the user

iTV Issues: Societal Challenges• American Television is Designed for a lazy

person• Often people in North America aren’t looking for

more interactivity in TV

• Many feel the complexities of iTV production may lend itself to more co-operation among Cable Operators and producers• Lowers competition among companies, could lower

potential quality

iTV Issues: Societal Challenges• User voting could impact television production

• Newscasts can generate stories based on interest polls

• Reporters can be fired based on how viewer polls rate them in comparison to others

• Real time iTV polls can be relayed to politicians as they speak, showing them what people liked and allowing them to change their speech topics on the fly

The Future of iTV• European market is young but well

established

• Many trial areas are being started in the US• Just a matter of time before demand rises for iTV

knowledge about iTV spreads

• Asian iTV Market is Growing fast

• Potential Worldwide Market of 70 Million

How do I get iTV?• Many companies like Dish Network offer

limited iTV like VoD and allow for live program pausing

• Wait until interest in generated in US

• Move to Europe

Questions ?