The Virtual Channel Model within a Framework for Interactive Television Research

By Konstantinos Chorianopoulos

The virtual channel model for interactive television applications builds upon previous technical work done within the broadcasting industry and the multimedia research, in order to bring the benefit of digitization to the end users. It also complements the literature about personalized content selection, user modeling and presentation, by offering a conceptual model for enhancing the television experience in an appropriate way. This article presents how the virtual channel model fits within the broader framework of interactive television research.

The virtual channel model originates from the successful contemporary interactive television designs, like ‘personalized news ticker’, ‘interactive game’, or ‘now plays’ information. Information overlays have been a popular and appropriate way to enhance television watching without disturbing the established patterns of television use.

The virtual channel is a model that shows a clear path towards the design of future interactive television applications that in addition to informational overlays also feature local storage and networking —either within the home or with the Internet.

Figure 1 Relationship between previous work about digital television and author's work about the virtual channel

Building a virtual channel is a three-step process, which is described in the figure above. Digital television transmission (figure 1, step 1) and content personalization (figure 1, step 2) have been treated extensively in the broadcasting and information filtering literature respectively. On the contrary, dynamic content selection for television presentation (figure 1, step 3) is a new concept both for television viewers —who are accustomed to receive passively programming— and to broadcasters —who have built their business around pushing content to the masses.

Multimedia content presentation has been treated to some extent by the CD-ROM industry and lately by rich-media Web sites on the Internet, but in each case the content is targeted to personal computer users and not televisions. Current information filtering theory is also inappropriate for interactive television when considering the different characteristics of users (groups of television viewers), equipment (set-top box and television), goals (relaxation, enjoyment, escaping from reality) and transmission (broadcasting).

The virtual channel model represents a feasible and effective synergy between two radically different mentalities; those of broadcasting and information technology. The virtual channel model allows broadcasters to exploit their current strengths within digital technologies in a comprehensive way. At the same time, information technology developers benefit from a clear, although different to theirs, vision for designing suitable interactive television applications.

The virtual channel model has been initially employed into the design of two interactive television applications: 1) Personalized television advertising and 2) interactive music video clip programming. The former is a demonstration of the validity of the virtual channel model for enhancing traditional television programming in a way that is transparent to the end user. The latter, is a demonstration of the validity of the virtual channel model for future television applications.

Read an introduction to virtual channel model, or read more in-depth information about the virtual channel model and its applications in Chorianopoulos et al. (2003) and find more online at the virtual channel lab.

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