Intel® architecture has been essential to the development of the Internet and the proliferation of Web-based services and usage models. To bring Internet-based usage models to TV, Intel is developing Intel architecture-based system-on-a-chip (SoC) media processors designed to access video from multiple sources, including broadcast TV and IP networks. In addition to these new SoC media processors, Intel’s consumer electronics (CE) platform includes an innovative software framework named Widget Channel1, designed to help CE original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), service providers, content service providers (CSPs), Web developers and advertisers quickly and affordably develop and deploy a new class of rich Internet applications for CE devices called TV Widgets.
CE platforms from Intel provide the robust processing performance and headroom needed to create a new consumer experience. The software framework provides a simple and user friendly way to personalize, enjoy and share Internet content and services on TV by enabling multiple Internet widgets to be displayed on the TV screen concurrently with video programming. The software framework is designed to run on a variety of connected CE devices including set top boxes, advanced DVD and media players, and in some cases the television itself.
Using the Internet to bring interactive services to television has long been a goal of CE OEMs, service providers, CSPs, Web developers and advertisers. Over the past 10 years, the industry has witnessed numerous attempts to bring the richness and variety of Internet services to TV and link them with interactive TV applications. While the rate of adoption has so far been disappointing, studies show that consumers remain receptive to the concept:
- Web video has demonstrated its ability to attract millions of viewers, and TV networks are increasingly using the power of the Internet to build viewer loyalty.
- Approximately 61 percent of consumers surveyed now say they want their TV to connect to the Internet2.
- While watching TV, 69 percent of 18 to 34 year olds are also on the Internet3.
- 43 percent of 2008 Super Bowl* viewers used notebook or cell phone to surf while watching TV4.
With all of this interest, it is only fair to ask – why hasn’t the Internet already caught on in the living room?
The promise of the Internet on TV has been thwarted by a variety of factors. The slow pace of broadband penetration in some areas of the world, the relative unavailability of Internet-based content, and the limited ability of existing CE client devices to deliver a rich Internet experience may help explain the low rate of adoption.
On the positive side, we are seeing steady progress in all of these areas. Faster broadband services are becoming more widely available, and TV networks and content services providers are using the Internet to disseminate increasing volumes of content.
There is another fundamental reason that PC-based Internet usage models have not won wide acceptance in the TV space. This hinges on the underlying differences between the “lean forward” PC usage environment, controlled by a mouse and keyboard, and the “lean back” TV viewing environment controlled by a remote.
When interviewed by Intel’s consumer research teams, many TV viewers say they want simple navigation that provides them with easy access to familiar Web content, such as sports, news, weather and Web videos, and they want to keep in touch with friends and family through social networking sites and photo sharing applications.
Intel consumer research also tells us what consumers do not want. They do not want a PC in their living room. They do not want a browser interface on their TV. And above all they do not want menu screens and applications to interfere with the fun and relaxation of watching television.
The type of content is also crucial. Internet applications designed for the PC, such as Web browsing and email, are best adapted to the privacy of a desktop environment, rather than the social context of the living room. Successfully bringing the Internet to TV calls for simple navigation, a user interface designed for the living room, and interactive information and entertainment services that are designed to complement TV viewing5.
Intel architecture is at the heart of hundreds of millions of PC-based internet clients, and has helped enable the proliferation of Web-based services and usage models. To accelerate the delivery of interactive applications and Internet services to TV, Intel is harnessing the power of Intel architecture in a new line of system-on-a-chip (SoC) media processors. These highly integrated devices include a high-performance Intel architecture processor core, multi-stream high-definition video processing, integrated graphics and other functional units to help set top boxes and other CE devices run multiple widgets concurrently with TV programming.
By combining a high performance processor core with integrated graphics, hardware codecs, I/O and other functional units on a single chip, Intel is bringing the benefits of Intel architecture to consumer electronics. Intel architecture-based SoC media processors can provide the application performance and integration required to meet CE requirements, with the capacity to keep pace with evolving Internet video standards on a consistent hardware platform. Support for both broadcast and Internet video content helps to provide viewers with a seamless viewing experience, regardless of the video source.
In addition to the SoC media processor, Intel has collaborated with Yahoo! Corporation to provide an innovative software framework, named Widget Channel that is designed to help CE OEMs, service providers, CSPs, Web developers and advertisers quickly and affordably develop and deploy a new class of rich Internet applications for CE devices. The framework is designed to enable consumers to easily access Web-based video and other content based on their personal preferences. The user interface is designed to complement, rather than distract from, traditional TV viewing, thereby avoiding the usage model issues that have plagued Internet-based interactive TV services in the past.
The software framework is an essential building block that provides a set of key capabilities:
- Rapid development of TV Widgets – small locally resident applications that allow Internet-based services to be accessed on connected CE devices and displayed on TVs
- Standards-based in-home connectivity that helps TVs to access digital content stored on PCs and other connected consumer electronics devices
- A TV-centric user interface that gives developers a consistent canvas for publication, with the flexibility needed for easy brand customization and differentiation
- A cross-platform Application Programming Interface (API) for TV Widget development, based on industry standard technologies
- Built-in support for security, privacy and parental controls.
Designed to enable ease of development, key elements of Widget Channel include a client framework, a Gallery Widget application, a Widget Gallery service, TV Widget applications, a platform user interface and integration capabilities with other ISV software stacks, as shown in Figure 1. The framework includes a robust set of developer tools and is designed to support Internet connectivity, enabling developers to connect to any published Web interface. Intel and Yahoo! plan to make the Framework API available so third-party developers can benefit from the application performance, headroom and Internet connectivity of devices based on Intel architecture media processors.
Figure 1. Key Elements of Widget Channel
Widget Channel includes a client framework, Gallery Widget application, Widget
Gallery service, TV Widget applications, platform user interface and
ISV stack integration. A Widget Gallery application on the client device
connects to a live Widget Gallery service. Third party developers, service providers
and OEMs can use the Framework APIs to develop additional TV Widgets.
Successfully bringing the Internet to TV creates a new media development opportunity along with the challenge to quickly adopt the latest Internet technologies for viewing in the TV-centric environment. Time-to-market and agile development are keys to business success. The software framework provides essential software to help speed the development of the full range of local platform applications, Web video and services, including video on demand, personalized news, weather, sports, stock tickers, traffic updates, photo sharing services and social networking sites.
TV Widgets use the power of Internet connectivity to complement and enhance what consumers are watching on TV, and the software framework makes it possible for any developer to meet the growing demand for this new class of services. While they are small applications, TV Widgets are a powerful concept. Each TV Widget is a self-contained Javascript*/XML/HTML application that runs in a contained instantiation, thus assuring predictable and reliable operation. TV Widgets use the Internet to connect to the same back-end Web services that support conventional browser-based applications. These Web services can deliver a rich array of content and services to the TV Widgets. The user interface provides a convenient way of accessing Web-based information and other services on TV while concurrently watching television or another video stream.
To ensure a responsive user experience, TV Widgets operate continuously in the background, checking for and downloading fresh information from the Internet, even when they are not visible on the TV. The computing performance and memory resources of the CE device determine how many TV Widgets can run concurrently and receive data in the background. Each TV Widget has four operation modes as shown in Figure 2.
- Cinematic or Full screen mode: the application controls the full screen of activity
- Sidebar mode: the application renders within a fixed area of the UI widget container(s)
- Docked mode: the application can be docked as a snippet. Snippets represent a subset of widget information that is easily accessible on-screen. Users can select subsections of a TV Widget’s content and display it as a snippet. Multiple snippets are allowed for each TV Widget.
- Background mode: the TV Widget operates in the background with no direct user interface.
The Gallery Widget is the place where consumers go to get new TV Widgets to download to their CE devices. It is a special platform widget on the CE device that connects to the back-end Widget Gallery service, and which allows only TV Widgets that have been signed and verified to be downloaded to the CE device. This ensures that only “good” trusted TV Widgets are downloaded, thereby avoiding potentially malicious or defective ones. It can also present viewers with the selection of TV Widgets that are available to download and run on a particular client device based on its hardware capabilities.
The Widget Gallery service handles back-end services reporting, storage, security and signature verification. It provides the source for differentiated services and can be constantly updated. The Widget Gallery service supplies service providers and CE OEMs with a control point for the administration of business policies, as well as verified and tested services from third-party developers. Initially, the software framework includes a diverse collection of TV Widgets from Yahoo!. Third-party developers, service providers and CE OEMs can use the published Framework APIs to develop additional TV Widgets.
The Platform UI is designed for TV-centric viewing and easy control and navigation using the TV’s remote. It provides the top-level UI that allows viewers to navigate, select and interact with the TV Widgets they have downloaded to their CE device.
The Platform UI also allows viewers to customize their TV experience by selecting the TV Widgets they want to appear on the screen. The software framework includes a media player that can play video on one or more video planes, with one video plane allocated to each video stream. The UI on the graphical plane is overlaid and alpha-blended on top of the currently visible video plane.
Internet connectivity and a flexible software framework powered by Intel architecture help make the TV viewing experience more compelling than ever before, without distracting from the simple pleasure of watching TV and movies. By providing a development environment for Internet-connected applications and services powered by Intel architecture, the software framework is expected to foster the adoption of new usage models and easily accessible Internet services on TVs.
Individual consumers can find and select the content and services they prefer. For example, a sports aficionado can download a sports TV Widget to stay current on scores and other sports related news with the press of a button, while still viewing the current program on TV. Viewers can use TV Widgets to find more information about their favorite team, or choose to interact more deeply by having the TV Widget take over the full screen.
Going forward, service providers will be able to provide individual subscribers with continuous updates and recommendations about content of special interest to them. Tapping into the power of the Internet allows consumers to share content and connect with their existing social networks from the comfort and convenience of the living room.
Widget Channel provides a consistent software interface and development canvas for CSPs, Web developers and advertisers to present their content across a broad range of connected CE devices. CSPs can use the Framework API to move existing products to a TV-centric platform architecture that can be adopted by many CE OEMs across multiple generations of products, thereby reducing or eliminating the cost and inefficiency of custom development.
The software framework also provides CE OEMs with a quick time-to-market solution for the development and deployment of interactive Internet capabilities on their CE products and for integrating local applications with broadband content. Using the framework, OEMs can select from an extensive and growing pool of branded TV Widgets, while providing a platform user interface that can be used across multiple product segments and platforms, ranging from TVs to set top boxes to DVD and Blu-ray* players. The Intel CE platform provides the performance and flexibility to support these new usage models, including content-aware TV Widgets that can deliver relevant advertising and interactive e-commerce services designed to complement TV programs and video content.
Intel and Yahoo! are working closely with CE OEMs, CSPs and Web developers to create TV Widgets based on this framework taking advantage of industry-standard JavaScript* XML and HTML technologies. The Framework API will be made available as a Widget Development Kit (WDK) to third-party developers to create applications and services for viewing on TVs, or to move applications to the TV from the PC viewing environment.
The Internet is about to bring thousands of new content and service choices into the living room. By providing a breakthrough Intel architecture SoC media processor built from the ground up for Internet and broadcast video, Intel is creating a consumer electronics platform with the performance to support TV Widgets that run concurrently with video programming on the TV. The software framework component of the platform provides a quick time-to-market development environment for Internet-connected applications and services that will help drive the evolution of new interactive usage models and Internet services on TVs.
Individual consumers can easily find and select content and services and use the Internet to network with friends and family members. Intel’s platform for consumer electronics is about to transform television, making the world’s most popular entertainment medium even more compelling for consumers, while preserving the essential qualities of the TV experience.
Utilizing Intel’s world-leading process technology and manufacturing capabilities, Intel architecture-based SoC media processors provide the application performance and integration needed to support new services.
Widget Channel is designed to accelerate the delivery of these services to TV. Together, Intel architecture and Widget Channel provide a CE platform built from the ground-up for Internet-connected consumer electronics.
1 Widget Channel functionality requires a broadband Internet connection and compatible hardware. When featured on equipment associated with a television service provider, you may be required to subscribe to additional services at extra cost, and availability of Widget Channel may be limited. Check with your service provider for details.
2 iSuppli Market Research Home Networking: In Search of the Killer Application (2007)
3 Forrester’s North American Consumer Technology Adoption Studies Q3 2003, Q4 2004, Q4 2005, and Q3 2006
4 CEA and Sports Video Group
5 Intel Corporation - User Experience Group (2007)
All products dates and figures are based on current expectations and subject to change without notice