CoTV™ works with current PCs (and other Web devices) – and will gain in power as wireless laptops, tablets, PDAs, and cellphones (as well as entertainment gateways) become ubiquitous in the networked home.

CoTV services – based on the viewer's TV-context – can span a wide range of levels:

• from:  simple, unobtrusive use in ad servers to synchronize a cross-media counterpart to any TV ad, into any Web page
• to:  full-function portals or other Web services with deep and varied TV-related content and commerce resources, and with optional inclusion of advanced smart-client features

A key requirement for CoTV is obtaining the TV context information that is needed to individually coordinate the coactive Web experience for each viewer (via a CoTV portal). Fully automated coordination of context is a basically a matter of

1. sensing the current channel or program on the TV*
2. passing that simple information to the PC (such as by wire, wireless, or infrared)
3. linking to coordinated Web services with the assistance of a CoTV portal or Web service (based on program ID or schedule look-up).

...The reverse process of using Web links (or other controls) on the PC to control the TV is also supported, for full two-way coordination.

Full automation can be provided in a variety of ways -- the connection can be made in the home, or through an external service.

• Cable or satellite (or TelcoTV or other IPTV) operators can add this capability through their installed set-top boxes and head-end networks, with no need for a home network.  Cable operators (MSOs) are particularly well positioned to provide CoTV coordination and portal services to create an important new revenue stream.  See The CoTV Portal for MSOs (...or Satellite).
• Media Center PCs are particularly attractive as a ready and open market -- one that does not require cooperation by third parties, and that is growing to substantial numbers.  CoTV context tracking software can easily be added to a Media Center PC (or to any similar entertainment gateway, DVD player, and digital TV set that permits open extensions to its software). This installed base is already in the millions, and can be expected to reach the tens of millions within a few years.  See CoTV™ and the Home Network / Media Center / Gateway.
• Consumer electronics vendors can provide similar features directly into their products (DVRs, DVD players, and digital TV sets, gateways, etc.), for use with home networks).  See CoTV™ and the Home Network / Media Center / Gateway.
• Media adapters can also be provided directly to consumers, at low cost, to interchange remote control commands in the home, even for closed set-top boxes.

Semi-automated coordination can be used in the near term with any legacy TV and PC, to quickly embrace a critical mass of all interested viewers. This can deliver much of the value of coactivity with no need for TV-PC communication at all. Semi-automated use with an attractive suite of services could establish an early critical mass – and demonstrate the attraction of more fully automated methods to both users and the industry.

Some context association details: A key step in CoTV context association for current systems is the mapping of current channel data to identify a current content item (program or ad).  This can be done without need for any kind of coding or triggers to be made available by programmers or distributors. For programs, this can be a simple program guide lookup. For ads, this can be a similar lookup, based on realtime ad tracking data obtainable from any of a number of existing broadcast monitoring services. (Of course if interactive triggers are embedded, they can be used by CoTV services. Similarly, with digital TV systems, identifications may be made directly from any embedded program ID or ad-ID.)

Richard Reisman -- Bio
Consulting/About