Preface Social interactive televiSion reSearch

Television since its invention has been considered a social link between people. People chat and discuss television programs, recommend shows to be watched, and send SMS messages when there is something of interest on. Like previous technologies, the digitalization of the medium imposed a number of technological priorities such as transmission mechanisms or middleware standardization. Once the technology is stable, the second phase of research focused on the immediate interactivity options, such as content navigation and interactive content. The next frontier of research focuses on the actual natural capabilities of the medium: Social Interactive Television. Social Interactive Television: Immersive Shared Experiences and Perspectives aims to set the basic research lines of this exciting topic that is social interactive television. The final intention of the book is to provide the reader an easy-to-access compendium of the research around this emergent topic.