Widget Channel: Personalize, enjoy & share your favorite Internet experiences on TV
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 has collaborated with Yahoo! Inc. to provide a full-featured software
framework named Widget Channel,that allows TV viewers to enjoy rich Internet applications called
TV Widgets while watching their favorite programs.¹
Consumer electronics (CE) platforms from Intel, including the Intel® CE Media Processors, provide
the robust processing performance and headroom needed to create a new consumer experience. Widget
Channel provides a simple and user friendly way to personalize, enjoy and share Internet content
and services on TV by enabling multiple Internet applications 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 Blu-ray* players, set top boxes and integrated Digital TVs.
Using the Internet to bring interactive services to television has long been a goal of CE original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs), service providers, content 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. The
adoption rate is increasing and studies show that consumers are receptive to the concept:
- 21 million US broadband households download video to their TV at least once a week²
- More than three-fourths of broadband users in US and Germany are interested in having Internet service
(widgets) on their TV³
- 86% of US broadband users are interested in watching internet-based TV content on their TVs3
- More than 80% of broadband users watch TV and use the Internet at the same time.4
- More than 30% of in-home online activity takes place while watching TV4
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. The type of content is also crucial. 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’s Consumer Electronics Platform
Intel architecture is at the heart of hundreds of millions of PC-based internet clients, and this 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 SoC media processors. These highly integrated devices include a high-performance Intel
architecture processor core, multi-stream high-definition video processing capability, 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.
Intel has collaborated with Yahoo! Inc. to provide Widget Channel, a full-featured software framework that allows
TV viewers to enjoy rich Internet applications, called TV Widgets, while watching their favorite programs. Widget
Channel takes advantage of the outstanding performance and media support of Intel® media processors and is powered
by the Yahoo! Widget Engine*, a fifth-generation applications platform. The software framework helps CE OEMs,
service providers, CSPs, Web developers and advertisers quickly and affordably develop and deploy TV Widgets.
The user interface is designed for TV-centric viewing and easy control and navigation using the TV’s remote. Widget
Channel complements, rather than distracts from, traditional TV viewing, thereby avoiding the usage model issues
that have plagued Internet-based interactive TV services in the past.
Widget Channel is an essential building block that provides a set of key capabilities:
- Rapid development of TV Widgets – small Internet applications designed to complement
and enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information
and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote
control
- 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 components of Widget Channel include Widget Channel API, TV Widgets,
Gallery Widget, Widget Gallery Service, Media Player, and Stack Manager as shown in Figure 1. Widget Channel API
enables developers to use Javascript* and XML* technology to write TV Widgets for the platform, extending the power
and compatibility of PC application programs to TV and related CE devices.
Figure 1. Key Components of Widget Channel
Widget Channel includes the Widget Channel API, TV Widgets, Gallery Widget, Widget
Gallery Service, Media Player, and Stack Manager. A Gallery widget on the client
device connects to a live Widget Gallery Service. Third-party developers, service
providers and OEMs can use the Widget Channel API to develop additional TV Widgets.
TV Widgets are small Internet applications designed to complement and enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control. Widget Channel makes it possible for any developer to meet the growing demand for this new class of application. Each TV Widget is a self-contained Javascript and XML application that runs in a managed runtime environment, enabling 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 can operate continuously in the background, checking for and downloading fresh information from the Internet, even when the widgets 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 a key component of Widget Channel that allows consumers to
download new TV Widgets to their CE devices. It is a special purpose platform widget
on the CE device that connects to a back-end Widget Gallery service, and which manages
TV Widget downloads to the CE device. The Gallery Widget can be used to help ensure
only trusted TV Widgets are downloaded. 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 services
from third-party developers. Initially, Widget Gallery includes a diverse collection
of TV Widgets from Yahoo! Inc. and from third-party developers, service providers and
CE OEMs, all of whom use the Widget Channel API and Widget Developer Kit to develop TV Widgets.
A New Consumer Experience
Internet connectivity and Widget Channel and 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-based CE devices, Widget Channel
is expected to foster the adoption of new usage models and easily accessible Internet
services on TVs.
Individual consumers can find and select the TV Widgets 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.
Benefits for CSPs and CE OEMs
The Widget Channel API provides a consistent software interface and a development
canvas for content service providers (CSPs), Web developers and advertisers to present their
content across a broad range of connected CE devices. CSPs can use Widget Channel API to move
existing services to a TV-centric platform that can be adopted by many CE OEMs across multiple
generations of products, thereby reducing or eliminating the cost and inefficiency
of custom development.
Widget Channel 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 software framework, OEMs can select from a growing
pool of branded TV Widgets, while providing a platform user interface that can be used across multiple
product segments and platforms, ranging from digital TVs to set top boxes to DVD and Blu-ray* players.
The Intel media processor provides the performance and flexibility to support these new usage models.†
Intel and Yahoo! are working closely with CE OEMs, CSPs and Web developers to foster the creation of TV
Widgets based on the Widget Channel API, taking advantage of industry-standard Javascript and XML
technologies through a Widget Development Kit (WDK). Licensed third-party developers can use the WDK
to create applications and services for viewing on TVs, or to move applications to the TV from the PC
viewing environment.
The Internet on TV: an Idea Whose Time has Come
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 WDK provides a quick time-to-market development
environment for TV Widgets that will help drive the evolution of new interactive
usage models and Internet services on TVs. 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.
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.
The Intel Platform Advantage
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 TV Widget availability and features limited. Internet-linked content and
services require broadband Internet access and may require subscriptions at additional
cost. Check with your device manufacturer for details.
² InStat 2009, Competing Visions for the Future of Home Entertainment
³ TDG and Buzzback, Intel Custom Studies in 2008
4 Nielsen, TV/Internet Convergence Panel, October 2008
5 Intel Corporation - User Experience Group (2007)
All products dates and figures are based on current expectations and subject to change without notice.