A user-centred mobile television consumption paradigm

Abstract : This paper describes the design considerations for a mobile television service from a user-centred perspective. Results from previous research on interface design, traditional TV consumption, and focus groups on user expectations and needs in a mobile context are taken into account. 1. Introduction This paper explains the design considerations for a demonstrator for a mobile TV service, which will be part of and accessed through mobile phone devices. More specifically, this demonstrator emulates the service of the Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcast (SDMB) system. The cost-efficient country-wide distribution of the multimedia content will be achieved by integrating satellite broadcast capacities with existing terrestrial 3G and beyond 3G infrastructures [1]. The SDMB service assumes the use of mobile phones with extensive storage that allows the consumption of previously cached content at opportune times as well as the watching of live streams and receipt of alerts. The interface design of this service must consider the following factors: • how people use their mobile phones • how and why they watch regular television and whether this holds in a mobile context • the technical requirements of the different content types • the technical restrictions of the mobile phones and the SDMB system • users and their needs when in places where they obey different social norms To address these questions concerning the overall quality of experience of a mobile TV service I have conducted focus groups [2] and conducted lab-based experiments on the acceptability of audio and video encoding bit rates [3]. This resulted in the interaction design of the mobile TV service demonstrator which represents the scope of this paper.