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INTERACTION DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR INTERACTIVE ...

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capable of storing an enormous amount of data for users to manipulate. TiVo, for<br />

example, can record up to 140 hours of programming. Viewers have more control than<br />

ever over their viewing experiences by watching what they want to watch at their<br />

convenience. In addition, some DVRs such as TiVo provide personalized suggestions for<br />

additional programs that the viewer might enjoy based upon his/her previous selections.<br />

TiVo takes advantage of the metadata already associated with programs to allow<br />

users to sort in a variety of ways. For example, with TiVo’s WishList function, users can<br />

sort by and record every program or film by actor, director, category, keyword, or title.<br />

As one TiVo lover writes in her weblog: “TiVo made me so happy. TiVo would<br />

never record the same episode of a show over and over. SDVR doesn’t surprise you by<br />

taping shows it thinks you may like. TiVo does, and TiVo is always right… TiVo makes<br />

searching for shows easy and fun, with viewing ideas, trailers, categorized movie<br />

indexes” (Trisha, 2004).<br />

Many of the affordances particular to DVRs – time-shifting, convenience factor,<br />

etc. – relate to key aspects of good interaction design, because they give users more<br />

control over their viewing experiences, as well as the ability to customize what they<br />

watch. I will discuss this in greater detail in chapter five.<br />

2.2.3 Constraints<br />

DVRs have a limited storage capacity, depending on the specific unit used by the<br />

viewer. Because the data is recorded onto the hard drive of the unit itself, the storage<br />

capacity and number of recordable hours vary from unit to unit; as well, recording in<br />

“high quality” drastically reduces the number of hours a unit can record. Because most<br />

DVRs only have two tuners, it is not possible to record two shows simultaneously that<br />

have a time conflict with one another. Users also report that tuner quality is often bad,<br />

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