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INTERACTION DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR INTERACTIVE ...

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2.5.2 Affordances<br />

MSN TV offers its users many services such as Web access, email, chat, music<br />

and video, and photos. Users can take advantage of these Web-based capabilities as well<br />

as watch television all on the same screen. MSN TV is an example of converging digital<br />

technologies.<br />

2.5.3 Constraints<br />

There are many interface design issues with MSN TV. As we can see from Figure<br />

2.4, the interface is visually cluttered. It is inherently difficult to surf the Web on a<br />

television screen. Multitasking is difficult, as users don’t have the option of switching<br />

back and forth between multiple “windows” as on a PC. In addition, a television has less<br />

versatility, power, and memory than an actual computer. Resolution is also poor in NTSC<br />

delivery. Another fundamental difference between PC users and TV viewers is the “lean<br />

forward” versus the “lean back experience.” That is, PC users, with a “two foot”<br />

interface, are actively engaged with activities on the screen, while television viewers,<br />

with a “ten foot” interface, are traditionally passive consumers of content. It is difficult to<br />

force the two experiences into the television interface. Navigation and typing are also<br />

particularly difficult with a remote control or virtual keyboard rather than a mouse and<br />

real keyboard.<br />

However, with the advent of HDTV and digital television, some of the design<br />

issues – particularly with poor resolution – will soon no longer be an issue. It will be<br />

interesting to see whether Web TV returns in popularity in the near future. In fact, a<br />

single screen for television and networked interactivity may well become the norm.<br />

A more detailed analysis of Web TV will be discussed in chapter four in the case<br />

study comparing Web TV to the Microsoft Media Center.<br />

37

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