The Evolution of TV Systems, Content, and Users Toward Interactivity

Interactive TV research spans across a rather diverse body of scientific subfields. Research articles have appeared in several venues, such as multimedia, HCI, CSCW, UIST, user modeling, media and communication sciences. In this study, we explore the state-of-the-art and consider two basic issues: What is interactive TV research? Can it help us reinvent the practices of authoring, delivering, and watching TV? For this purpose, we have reviewed the research literature, as well as the industrial developments and identified three concepts that provide a high-level taxonomy of interactive TV research: (1) content editing, (2) content sharing, and (3) content control. We propose this simple taxonomy (edit–share–control) as an evolutionary step over the established hierarchical produce–deliver–consume paradigm. Moreover, we demonstrate how each disciplinary effort has contributed to and why the full potential of interactive TV has not yet been fulfilled. Finally, we describe how interdisciplinary approaches could provide solutions to some notable contemporary research issues. ‘Interactive Television is an oxymoron. On the other hand, television provides the most common ground in our culture for ordinary conversation, which is arguably the most enjoyable interaction a person has. We should try to leverage the power of television while creating some channel back from the audience to provide content, control or just a little conversation.’ * *Although we have tried to summarize previous research as much as possible, we still find that the quote by Dan O’Sullivan (Interactive Telecommunication program, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts) has been the most comprehensive definition of interactive television, so far. Retrieved from: http://itp.nyu.edu/∼dbo3/proj/#tele (July 2008).