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Building Interactive Entertainment & E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV

Building Interactive Entertainment & E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV. A discussion paper for the IBDGroup. Book originally Published 2000 by Microsoft Peter Krebs Charlie Kindschi Julie Hammerquist. A Presentation by Derek Seabrooke http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/webtv/notes.

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Building Interactive Entertainment & E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV

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  1. Building Interactive Entertainment& E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV A discussion paper for the IBDGroup Book originally Published 2000 by Microsoft Peter Krebs Charlie Kindschi Julie Hammerquist A Presentation by Derek Seabrooke http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/webtv/notes

  2. Building Interactive Entertainment& E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV • For More Information • http://www.webtv.net • http://www.atvef.com • http://www.microsoft.com/tv • Also see companion CD

  3. Contents • Part 1- Microsoft TV Primer • Part 2- Microsoft TV Design Guide • Part 3- Delivering Microsoft TV Content • Part 4- Microsoft TV E-Commerce • Part 5- Microsoft TV Programmer’s Guide

  4. Part I- Microsoft TV Primer • Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft Platform • Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Chapter 4- Fast track for Creating Microsoft TV Content

  5. Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Standards Make Interactive TV Content viable • Types of Content Best Suited for Interactive TV • Personalized TV • Viewer Participation

  6. Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Standards Make Interactive TV Content Commercially Viable • Microsoft TV technology is based on tried and true standards • ATVEF • HTML • Cascading Style Sheets • JavaScript • Microsoft Supports Platform Independent Standards • Microsoft TV will be present in 10 Million Homes by 2002

  7. Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Types of Content Best Suited for Interactive TV • See 1998 Forrester Report – Lazy Interactivity by Bernoff, Mines, VanBoskirk, Courtin • Computer Platforms are best suited to Effort Interactivity but TV platforms are best suited to Lazy Interactivity • User input should be minimized • Interactive TV is not well suited to Narrative Story telling – instead it should be used for specific applications like advertising, news casting, game shows etc.

  8. Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Personalized TV • Microsoft TV allows television viewing experiences to be customized to meet user’s specific tastes – customized sports score layouts, news preferences, stock portfolio – or adds a twist to a show

  9. Chapter 1- Possibilities for Microsoft TV • Viewer Participation • Some of the material already being produced on television takes advantage of user input – like talk shows, game shows, certain types of series etc. • Microsoft TV provides a more efficient mechanism for feedback than traditional telephone or letter writing

  10. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Genesis of Microsoft TV • Microsoft TV Platform • Delivering Content to Microsoft TV

  11. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Genesis of Microsoft TV • 1995 – WebTV Networks is founded by three Palo Alto entrepreneurs • 1996 – WebTV Networks introduces the WebTV Plus Internet Receiver set-top box • 1997 – Microsoft Purchases WebTV Networks spawning Microsoft TV • 1998 – Microsoft Includes WebTV client software for the PC in Windows 98 • 2000 – Microsoft promises to be a leader in television industry by producing software to drive PC’s and set-top boxes plugged into their cable companies – such as Rogers

  12. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Microsoft TV Platform • Microsoft TV is set of client and server applications which run on Windows 2000 or Windows CE systems • Microsoft TV client is a platform independent suite that can be licensed from Microsoft and integrated into any TV ready box and is fully customizable to meet specific needs of a products

  13. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Microsoft TV (client side software) is intended to be licensed to terrestrial, satellite or cable television providers • Microsoft TV Server (Server side software) is intended to be licensed to Interactive TV producers and can be used for a myriad of functions across the industry

  14. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Microsoft TV Server (con’t) • Platform Services – Core Services (Global television & Internet Service setup) • Device Services – Supports communication, configuration & updating of client machines (software patching / channel line up) • Application Services – Server side applications (SQL & E-Commerce) • Deployment & Admin Services – Handles administrative side of ISP and television services (such as billing)

  15. Chapter 2- Introducing the Microsoft TV Platform • Delivering Content to Microsoft TV • In order to effectively use Microsoft TV – hardware manufacturers should consider designing front, fore and back channel capabilities • Front Channel – Terrestrial, Satellite, Cable • Fore/back channel – Telephone, Cable, LAN • ATVEF TRANSPORTS – Transport A: Context (event triggers, links, JavaScript calls), Transport B: Content (text [HTML], sound, pictures, video, animation)

  16. Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Minimum Setup for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Recommended Setup for Creating Microsoft TV Content • The Ultimate Interactive TV Studio

  17. Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Minimum Setup • 166 MHz CPU; 32 MB RAM; CD-ROM; 2 GB HD; Internet Access • Windows; notepad, MS Visual Editor or MS Front Page 97; Photoshop; Microsoft TV Simulator 3.0

  18. Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Recommended Setup • Development Machine which exceeds minimum requirements • HTTP server access • WebTV Internet Receiver & Colour Television set • Local Area Network • Windows 2000; MS Interdev; MS Access or SQL Server

  19. Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Setup for the WebTV Plus Service • WebTV Plus Internet Receiver with keyboard • Colour Television set • Terrestrial, Satellite or Cable television service • Analogue Telephone Line Service • Internet Service

  20. Chapter 3- What You Need to Create & Deliver Microsoft TV Content • Ultimate Interactive TV Studio • If it is feasible within budgetary constraints, it is recommended that anyone serious about Microsoft TV Development setup the Ultimate Interactive TV Studio as illustrated in the book • The Ultimate Interactive TV Studio consists of a VBI Inserter; Video Tape Recorders; TV Modulators • IBDG’s current setup is very much like the Ultimate TV Studio

  21. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Copying the Source Files • Overview of template_main.html • Modifying template_tv.html • TV Object & Full Screen Button • Modifying template_option1.html • Testing on Microsoft TV Simulator • Testing on TV

  22. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Copying the Source Files • The template files have been copied from the Companion CD to \\elvis\itv\generic • template_main.html - defines basic structure for templates • template_tv.html - hosts TV object & main navigation controls • template_options1.html - content pages that are dynamically swapped out of the content frame when the user selects links, which may be either on the template_tv.html page or one of the options pages.

  23. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Overview of the Template_main.html page • Main Template example • Divides space into two frames • content space • television space • e.g. • content.src = template_optionsxx.html • tv.src = template_tv.html

  24. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Modifying the Template_tv.html page • Copy \\elvis\generic\* to working directory • Rename template files to new names • Open template_main.html (new name) in Internet Explorer • Right-click a cold-space on the left-hand side of the document • Select View Source from resultant menu

  25. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • The style sheet section of Source • The sample HTML files use JavaScript to detect the browser application. It sets up the Cascading Style Sheet for display attributes appropriate to that browser. • E.g. 16 pt font for TV, 12 pt font for IE

  26. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • The TV Object & Full Screen Button • Television Object is any DOM object with its source attribute set to tv:xx where xx=station or channel name • The Full Screen Button is a button (or link) which references tv:xx

  27. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Navigation is handled by text links and changing frames • You can create a powerful page by customizing link texts and references • When modifications are complete, save the file and press refresh in IE to view changes

  28. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Modifying the Template_options1.html page • Open template_options1.html in IE. View Source in notepad like before • This document consists of a body an options section and a Marquee • The Options Section defines anchors and objects presented to the user – it is designed to be easily modified • The Marquee demonstrates the ability to use HTML attributes to scroll division across the screen a given rate

  29. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Testing Content on the Microsoft TV Simulator • The Microsoft TV Simulator 3.0 is a software tool that simulates Microsoft TV for content developers • Microsoft TV Simulator consists of two modes: TV Mode & Web Mode just like the set-top box • All of the templates in Building Interactive Entertainment & E-Commerce Content for Microsoft TV comes with a viewset.html page with simulates the interactive TV link which appears during interactive television spots

  30. Chapter 4- Fast Track for Creating Microsoft TV Content • Test the Page on TV • To view templates on TV, you must visit Microsoft’s website • In the Interactive Television Development Office, this site has been book marked under Interactive TV • There is no way to view local content on TV

  31. Part II- Microsoft TV Design Guide • Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Chapter 7- Layering TV over Web Content • Chapter 8- Styles and Style Sheets • Chapter 9- Selecting Colours for Microsoft TV Content

  32. Part II- Microsoft TV Design Guide • Chapter 10- Creating Text for Microsoft TV Content • Chapter 11- Adding Images to Microsoft TV Content • Chapter 12- Adding Animation to Microsoft TV Content • Chapter 13- Handling Navigation • Chapter 14- Audio & Video

  33. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Fitting Content into Microsoft TV’s Design Area • Web Mode vs. TV Mode • Strategies for Designing Content

  34. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Fitting Content into Microsoft TV’s Design Area • Microsoft TV’s Design Area is the region of screen space where objects can be displayed • 560 x 420 pixels – 4:3 aspect ratio • Microsoft TV is not scrollable in TV mode • Microsoft TV automatically creates a 6 pixel margin from the top of the screen and 8 pixels from the sides of the screen – margin can be increased by designers • Microsoft recommends a using a 16 pixel margin • Margins can be set using topmargin & leftmargin attributes of the body tag

  35. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Web Mode vs. TV Mode • Web Mode • scrolling • Printing, saving • Internet options • Picture-in-picture TV Window • TV Mode • Channel options • TV embedded in web site • Some web content may not display correctly

  36. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Strategies for Designing Content • Avoid MSTV client/server modification • Page width < 544 pixels • Graphic width < 544 pixels • Font should be set with Cascading Style Sheets – JavaScript should be used to detect TV and set type face to TV approved font & size • JavaScript should be used to detect TV and set colours to NTSC-compliant colours. • Be cautious about using frames

  37. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Strategies for Designing Content • Make TV Object as large as possible • Consider aspect ratio (NTSC=4:3; HDTV=16:9 etc.) • Design content to be viewable from across the room • If you are designing a page for computer & TV, always use JavaScript to optimize elements for TV viewing • Avoid scrollable content if page is to be displayed in TV mode • Use absolute positioning for DIVs • If page is for computer & TV viewing – use JavaScript to change positioning so that page displays right on both browsers

  38. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Pages should be simple on TV • Pages made for TV viewing should very simple and navigation should be intuitive • Interactive pages and games should have a simple user interface and minimize user input • Use NTSC-Compliant Colours • The National-Television-Standards-Committee (NTSC) specification for colour television cannot correctly display certain colours and is known to cause distortions if certain incompatible colours are adjacent without a gradual transition • Designers should be aware of NTSC limitations and avoid problem colours and colour combinations if possible

  39. Chapter 5- Guidelines for Designing Microsoft TV Content • Design to ATVEF specs • Microsoft TV is an implementation based on the recommendations of Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) – for best compatibility design your pages to use elements recommended by ATVEF • HTML 4.0; CCS1; Level 0 DOM; ECMAScript • Use DHTML with caution • DHTML support is not among ATVEF’s recommendations – Microsoft TV only supports a subset of DHTML – implementation is very poor

  40. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Creating an Overlay • Limitations of Overlays • About Hiding and Showing DIVs • Integrating Full-Screen TV into Web Page • Making TV Appear in the TV Object

  41. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Creating an Overlay • One way in which enhancements can be presented to the user is by means of a television overlay • (According to the research of IBO thus far – it would seem that television overlays only work on Full Screen TV)

  42. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Limitations of Overlays • Refreshing enhancements causes significant interruption to the viewer • Microsoft TV supports a special HTML attribute called transparencywhich allows see-through objects to be created and laid over TV or web content

  43. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Hiding & Showing DIVs • DHTML works over full-screen TV on Microsoft TV but may not work on all set-top boxes • Integrating Full-Screen TV into a Web Page • The TV object is any object with the URL tv:xx – it can be set as the background or as an object with height & width set to 100%

  44. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Making TV Appear in the TV Object • In order to view television in the TV Object you must view the web site in a viewer built to ATVEF spec – in Microsoft TV viewer must be set to view=tv

  45. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Creating the Overlay for Lakes & Sons • In this case the TV Object is placed in a DIV where Z-Index <= 0 Object is bottom layer & Full-Screen • Absolute Positioning • Attribute defined in Cascading Style Sheets • DIV elements are mapped to the screen using an absolute co-ordinate system based on pixels

  46. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Positioning Overlays for Microsoft TV • Absolute positioning is supported for overlays • In Full-Screen TV Microsoft TV increases the left margin by 8 pixels – for consistency Microsoft recommends setting a top margin of 8 and left margin of 0 (which is 8 pixels)

  47. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • How the Z-Index Property Works • All elements in document are assigned unique Z-Index attribute • Body tag is assigned Z-Index = 0 • Elements are assigned Z-Index by order in which they are defined • Z-Index can be overridden by developer • Elements with Z-Index < 0 appear behind the document body

  48. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Transitioning from a Web Page to Full-Screen TV • To transition from a Web Page to Full-Screen TV simply create an anchor reference to the TV Object

  49. Chapter 6- Layering Web Content over Full-Screen TV • Implementing an Order Now Button • An Order Now Button is an anchor element which references a site with E-Commerce capabilities • For more information see Lakes & Sons sample

  50. Chapter 7- Layering TV over Web Content • Using a Frameset to Lay Out Interactive • Designing an HTML TV page • Formatting Text with Style Sheets • Creating an Interactive E-Commerce Page • Creating Overlays for Lakes & Sons • How Absolute Positioning Works • Positioning Overlays for Microsoft TV • How the Z-Index property works • Transitioning from a Web to Full-Screen TV • Implementing an Order Now Button

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