The research work contains three overlapping research areas:
- Software Architectures
- System Architecture
- Interactive Services and Consumers
The aim of the Software Architecture module is the study the emerging Application
Programming Interfaces (API) of the digital television: OpenTV, HTML, Java, and MHEG-5.
Demonstration platforms based on both existing and self-developed software for each API
will be build. Latter these platforms will be used as basis of comparative studies. Also,
different implementations issues of Electronics Program Guides (EPG) will be
studied.
In the System Architecture module, video and service databases, billing, return
channels, and scalable video coding will be studied. These components will form the basis
for interactive television utilizing heterogeneous networks and services.
The objective of the Interactive Services and Consumers module is to build trial
services for interactive television. The services will be first evaluated based on their
technological functionality. Then, the usability of the services will be measured.
Finally, the methods of consumer research will be used to validate the services.