A new way to watch TV

Posted on 7 Nov 2008 at 16:41

You could soon watch TV in the same, interactive way that you use the internet, as broadcast companies introduce features associated with the web to our TVs.

Microsoft's Connected TV business has already integrated a search tool as part of BT Vision's freeview service, and according to company spokesman Scott Rowe, is now seeking to bring more functions from the internet into the broadcast world of TV.

"Could you imagine the internet world without a search engine? Would you flick through every web page on the net to find the one you want? What we're saying is that you shouldn't have to do that with TV," he said.

He revealed that the company is working on bringing social networking functions to TV. It intends to introduce similar services to the internet where you can rate or recommend certain TV programmes to your friends, interact and even chat with other viewers who are watching the same show.

"When you're watching a programme, there could be a way of also seeing who else is watching this programme, and what else people who watch that programme also like," said Rowe. "It's a way of using the social element of what network connectivity brings, and using that power to be able to guide people's preferences and decisions."

Microsoft also revealed the results of a recent study, which found that we spend about three and a half hours each day in front of the box, with a quarter of that time spent channel surfing. This amounts to more than seven days per year.

The survey also found that 16 to 24 year olds are most prone to channel surfing with one in five spending more than a quarter of their TV time finding something to watch, compared to one in 20 over 55s.

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota

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