User Interface: TV, PC, Phone. Interactive Entertainment

Much discussion of Home-IT focuses on the Internet. Innovations associated with traditional media also offer considerable potential, in part because all electronic media are evolving rapidly, converging with other media, and becoming increasingly interactive.

These hybrid media often reach the majority of the population (in some countries, a vast majority) that lacks regular, adequate Internet access (4, 5). Also, in spite of improvements in ‘‘user friendliness,’’ many users see the PC as work-related, difficult to use (requires typing), and prone to breakdowns and viruses. PCs also tend to be outdated within a few years.

By contrast, TV sets last for decades, they are easy to use, not prone to viruses, and are less expensive.

Worldwide, TV consumption is still the prevalent leisure activity, mainly because of its universal, low-cost accessibility and its ability to afford hours of entertainment and information with minimal effort. Although usage patterns are changing rapidly, for some time consumers may continue to choose TV for news and entertainment and PC for other sources of information and electronic commerce.

Also, there seems to be a demographic pattern in that young viewers increasingly stray away from conventional TV news either to Internet news or entertainment/news programs (e.g., Comedy Central). Although it is a digital technology, the tremendously rapid adoption of the DVD player is largely a replacement for VHS home video with higher video quality.

Although the expectation was that video delivery would increasingly involve home computing devices, such as combination PC-TV or Web-TV and digital recording technology such as TiVo (5), most households invest in big-screen televisions and surround sound. TiVo was also adopted more slowly than expected.

A third popular user interface is the telephone. As a result of their rapid replacement cycle compared with regular-line phones, cellular phones in particular tend to be equipped with the latest technological gadgets. As prime value is placed on instant ‘‘24/7’’ communication, mobile technology epitomizes trends in personal technology. As a result of simple use, ubiquity, and compatibility with existing technology (i.e., the existing telephone network), adoption and upgrading of mobile phones are rapid.

Besides regular voice use, text messaging has gained popularity among younger users, especially in Europe and Japan. Currently, web access is available via narrowband channels. However, the next generation of mobile broadband is currently being deployed. In concert with smartphones and wireless PDAs, broadband mobile networks (e.g., those based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) standard) provide multimedia services such as videophone or content streaming.

The first rollout in Asia started in 2003. Pricing and compelling services are again key to success.

Interactive Entertainment. Content is the key to adoption of advanced interactive services. As a result of the high visibility of movies, the great public interest in this type of content, and their easy availability, Movies-on-Demand was the offering of choice for early interactive trials. Meanwhile, cable systems and satellite providers offer near PPV with 50-100 channels offering current movies as well as specialized (e.g., ‘‘adult’’) programming and sports or music events.

Music, sports, and special interest programming also have received their share of attention by the programmers of interactive cable systems. Interactive game channels are added to some systems. In-home gambling has strong economic appeal; regulatory barriers prevail, however. Anecdotal evidence suggests that participants in interactive trials enjoyed watching regular TV programs they missed during the week, newscasts tailored to individual preferences (6), as well as erotica.

Several television providers have experimented with interactive applications that give the viewer options beyond simply choosing a program, including participation in game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, ‘‘pick-the-play’’ games for Monday Night Football, ordering pizza using Web-TV during a Star Trek marathon, access to background information for products advertised in commercials, and choice of plot lines and endings in movies.

Compared with the massive number of traditional movies available, interactive movies are few and far between. They are difficult to produce and require considerable technology. Even most sites for Internet video provide mainly repackaged conventional programming. Audience demand for interactivity is not yet understood. Many children and teens feel comfortable with it because of exposure to video and computer games; in fact, a considerable number of toys now include interactive components and interface with the world wide web (WWW) (7).

Most likely the push for greater interactivity will come from advertising, which already relies on cross-promotion between different media including TV and Internet. As the marketing increasingly focuses on individualization, the ability to provide targeted advertising even within the same program is likely to have great appeal to advertisers. Also, because commercial avoidance is increasingly common, the push for product placement within programs may also lead to increasingly individualized product inserts.

Broadcast television stations are expanding their channel offerings as a result of conversion to HDTV and the resulting availability of greater channel capacity. However, the expectation is that they will, at least initially, offer greater selection and targeting rather than actual interactivity.

The Digital Home. The ultimate interactive experience may involve a home that is equipped with technology that can respond to the residents’ needs. Smart house technology typically is developed for high-end or special needs homes, and these technologies filter down into existing and mid-level homes. Some smart-house solutions for the elderly use the TV set as an interface for appliance control and surveillance.

A key feature of future smart-house technology is the ability of various appliances to ‘‘talk to the Internet and to each other’’ (8), which allows a maximum of control by the user, as well as coordination of technologies. In the long run, shifting control onto the Web could generate considerable cost savings by reducing the complexity of the technology within each device.

Especially home networking technologies such as the European EIBus or the US-led CEBus enable the interconnection of different household devices such as heating, shades, or lighting. In addition, wireless local area networks (LANs) are gaining ground in the private sphere, connecting IT devices. Eventually, audio/video, PC, and other household networks will converge (9,10).

Although many such technologies are available, they have not been adopted on a broad scale. However, one might expect that demographic trends will drive such adoption: Aging baby boomers have an increased need for home-based conveniences and efficiencies; young home buyers have grown up with network technologies and may expect a high level of technology in their future homes. Also, elderly family members need increased attention, which may be facilitated via available technologies.

However, services to be delivered to the home not only require in-home technologies. Service providers such as banks or media firms need to prepare back-end infrastructures such as fault-tolerant servers, load-balancing access pipes, and real-time databases with information on availability or price quotes. Those out-of-home infrastructures are connected to the home via networks such as cable, telephone, powerline, or wireless connections.