Enhanced TV Applications

The embryonic enhanced TV market has been the breeding ground for a variety of applications, of which some are familiar to PC users and others are unique to television. The complexity of applications available on any given service depends both on the processing power of the client-side hardware (usually a set-top box that plugs into the back of a TV set) and the platform on which the service is built.

Possible types of enhanced TV applications include the following:

Internet access. May include Web browsing, e-mail access, instant messaging, streaming media, and the ability to run Web-based applications on a TV.

Electronic program guide (EPG). Provides an on-screen list of available programs and possibly functions as the front end to other services, such as digital video recording.

Digital video recording (DVR). Allows users to record TV programs for playback later, as well as to “pause” live shows in the middle, then resume with a recorded version.

Interactive TV. Allows users to interact with television programs, by clicking an icon that appears during a sports program to access statistics or to respond to questions in a game show, for example.