With DVRs reaching critical mass worldwide and IPTV and hybrid pay-TV platforms becoming a reality, industry insiders are wondering what's coming next. The fact is these innovations are creating opportunities for interactive TV to be richer and more compelling than ever before. Interactive TV can now combine the communicative power of TV with the connectivity of the Web. The result is a new era in interactive TV. NDS has defined it as iTV 2.0

According to Paul Ranger, NDS Interactive Sales and Marketing Director, "NDS has been at the forefront of the global development of interactive TV and has produced many of the most successful interactive applications around the world. We will continue to facilitate the growth of these services on a global basis,” he says.

"Based on the experience we have accumulated over the last few years we can now use new interactive TV technology developments as a basis for new kinds of applications. The result is a real step forward in interactive services that fit with the philosophy of interactive TV 2.0," Ranger says.

First iTV application in ‘99

What first brought iTV to the attention of viewers was the launch of the interactive football application which NDS developed for the UK’s BSkyB in 1999. For the first time, viewers could watch highlights during a match, access up-to-the-minute statistics and select different camera angles. NDS followed this milestone by developing and delivering award-winning applications for MTV, QVC and Sky and others. iTV truly arrived in the UK.

As the Web evolved, a range of new services came on the scene that has paved the way for iTV 2.0 through the convergence of the media. The analogy is based on the way new Web services are being positioned, Ranger says. "They are successful because they are enabled by more powerful PCs as well as platforms that feature broadband connections in the home." Consumers can best avail themselves of the new generation of Web services forming Web 2.0 if they have the latest technology, he explains.

"In the same manner, iTV 1.0 has been a demonstrable success and the next generation of technology that is now starting to roll out enables us to look at ways we can improve and enhance what we're already doing," Ranger says. The next generation includes hybrid and IPTV platforms, DVRs, enhanced middleware and more sophisticated hardware including advanced chipsets.

These new features enable NDS to look at the ways in which it can offer a greater range of options to both platform operators and broadcasters while end users enjoy a more captivating experience.

"For example, we're looking at how services in areas such as interactive menus and guides can be personalized for individuals. The NDS ad insertion solution focuses on localization and targeting of advertising and all services will have a better user interface and smoother overall experience than was previously available.”

Greater range of content

Other innovations include richer graphic capability and greater access to video. “Interactive services can provide viewers access to a far greater range of content because we can now deliver multiple video feeds. This means that video can play a greater role in iTV services making it possible for viewers to access further content related to the linear programming," Ranger says. “The result is closer links between linear video and interactive services and increased contextualization." Subscribers will get more choice and control over how they see video while operators are rewarded with greater viewer loyalty.

One example of the new generation of iTV applications is the ability to integrate user generated content (UGC) with broadcast TV. While consumers watch the evening news or sitcoms, their computer allows them to access YouTube, MySpace and Flickr. NDS is merging these two interests into the same platform.

Personalization and combining with user generated content are just two of the iTV applications NDS has developed to meet the needs of pay TV operators and content owners. Other examples of solutions which NDS has delivered to broadcasters include:

CNN: xSpace™ and XTV™ DVR Prototype. NDS delivers IPTV and hybrid set-top box applications using xSpace technology that seamlessly integrates and delivers user generated and Web based content to the STB. NDS XTV DVR technology enables video content to be enhanced with interactive content on the DVR's disk.

Sports iTV on IPTV. IPTV platforms can include interactive applications such as alternative video options, links to supplementary content, and participatory elements including sending video content to a mobile phone.

NickHeads for Nickelodeon Participatory TV. Interactive TV quiz developed for Nickelodeon’s NickHeads series. The program was linked and synchronized with a series aired daily over three weeks in the summer. Participants were invited to play along with the quiz and submit high scores to enter a prize draw.

Interactive Advertising. End-to-end NDS iTV advertising solutions for multiple networks and devices. The NDS RapiVision™ tool can create interactive ads, while XTV Ads™, NDS’ ad insertion solution, enables operators to send selected ads to individual DVRs. This makes ad targeting a reality. The NDS Audience Measurement System (AMS) was developed to meet the challenge of assessing viewership in an increasingly on-demand world.

“What these examples show is that NDS understands iTV technologies and its potential,” Ranger says. “We also understand what today’s set-top boxes can do and what the possibilities are for tomorrow. The main point is that NDS understands how subscribers want to interact with their TV services and we have the expertise to optimize the user experience,” he says.

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Interactive TV