Enrichment of Interactive Digital TV using Second Screen

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, the new paradigm of the second screen in interactive digital television (iDTV) is discussed and analyzed through a systematic literature review. An architecture is proposed for the use of mobile devices as a second screen, so interactivity sent via broadcast can be also used in mobile devices, in a contextualized and synchronized fashion. A prototype was implemented in two modules: the first one to primary screen (TV) with the remote control and the other for second screen in order to compare their use. General Terms Digital TV, Ubiquitous Systems, Digital Convergence, Mobile Devices, Systematic Review Keywords Interactivity, Second Screen, Dual Device, Middleware Ginga, SBTVD, DTV, iDTV, DVB-MHP, Smartphone, Tablet, Android, Remote Control, Home Network 1. INTRODUCTION The introduction of Interactive Digital TV (iDTV) creates a new paradigm on an opportunity to transfer the application to the second device, how we watch television, it starts to function as a bidirectional communication channel, where television can send information to the viewer and vice versa. The main new feature of digital TV is and the interactive content in a second screen, synchronized interactivity, allowing applications like t-commerce, t-learning, games and additional information about a program, sent through broadcasting. However, the remote control was developed in a scenario where the television worked as a unidirectional communication device, where the viewer would only consume the information sent. The iDTV is related to computer technologies and internet and will offer a user experience quite different than the traditional user experience model for televisions [14]. Therefore, this brings a new question about the remote control: “Would it be the most appropriate device to interact with the television?” This is a work in progress that aims to analyze the use of mobile devices as a mean of interaction with television and its interactive applications. The remote control used in analogue TV still prevails [23], but its model may not be enough for users who have constant and dynamic interaction with iDTV. The popularization of these interactive services directly depends on the physical artifacts available for interaction [23]. The remote control has been adapted to be used in the context of iDTV and several buttons were added, making it difficult to use and to recognize, especially for the elderly and children [18]. The interactive applications are limited for simultaneous multiusers, due to only one user having the control of the content presented at a time [5]. The interactive application that overlaps the television programming can be intrusive and invasive for collective use. New researches have emerged proposing improvements to interaction using alternatives devices, such as joysticks, touchpads, pointing devices or mobile devices [7]. Since digital TV started offering interactive services, mobile devices began to gain space in this digital convergence. Watching television in conjunction with the use of a second screen has become increasingly popular because these devices are more accessible and disseminated [6][17][1]. This motivation arises from the increasing digital convergence and the need to always provide innovative services for home users [21]. A research from The Nielsen Company and Yahoo! Inc [27] shows that 42% of tablet owners and 40% of smartphone owners use their devices while watching TV. Although these interactions are common, these devices are not integrated with each other [10]. The second screen approach enables an intuitive interaction between TV and any other mobile device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, PDA –Personal Digital Assistant). This model offers making the user experience more pleasant and personalized. The main program is shown on the television (primary screen) and contextualized [12]. This approach aims to overcome the current limitation of input devices and enrich the user experience.The remaining of the paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, a systematic review of the literature is presented, including articles about iDTV interaction with mobile devices. In Section 3, the proposed architecture is presented. In Section 4, a prototype implementation is discussed, using as a case study a nutritional evaluation system, followed by the conclusion in Section 5.