Interactive television: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Interactive television describes any number of efforts to allow viewers to interact with living room television content from the comfort of the couch. It is sometimes called interactive TV, iTV, idTV or ITV (not to be confused with the British Independent Television network).

Interactive TV is often described as "lean back" interaction, as users are typically relaxing in the living room environment with a remote control in one hand. This is in contrast to the personal computer-oriented "lean forward" experience of a keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Interactivity is supplied by the manipulation of the API of the particular software installed on a set-top box, referred to as 'middleware' due to its intermediary position in the operating environment. Software programs are broadcast on a DSM-CC 'carousel' to the set-top box and executed by a viewer pressing a 'trigger' button on their remote control (e.g. in the UK this is the red button, as in 'press red'). Typically the distribution system is based on the MPEG-2 specification.

• Examples of commonly-found middlewares include:
  • OpenTV (ANSI C) - BSkyB
  • WapTV (WTVML) - BSkyB
  • MediaHighway (MHEG-5, Pantalk) - UK terrestrial, Canal+
  • Liberate (HTML/Javascript) - NTL, Telewest
  • DVB-MHP (Java/HTML)
  • Microsoft TV (XHTML)

Development of applications using these technologies is often drawn out due to the limitations of the set-top box, the large amount of testing required and the lack of standardisation of deployed units. Almost all are proprietary and subject to heavy licensing restrictions.

Some interactive television projects are consumer electronics boxes which provide set-top interactivity, while other projects are supplied by the cable television companies (or multiple system operator, or MSO) as a system-wide solution. Some examples of interactive television include:

• MSO systems
  • Time Warner (US)
  • Comcast (US)
  • Cablevision (US)

• MSO trials or demos
  • Full Service Network from Time Warner (US)

• Consumer electronics solutions
  • TiVo
  • ReplayTV
  • UltimateTV
  • Microsoft Windows XP Media Center