Customised television viewing
A project on Custom-TV has recently been launched under the EU's research programme in the field of Advanced Communications Technologies and Services (ACTS) which will run until December 1999. The project aims to develop a system enabling television viewers to customise what their TV sets display. The system will enable users to view several information sources simultaneously, such as a conventional TV programme, weather reports and stock exchange news. Users will also be able to define both the layout and the content of their TV or PC screen. The project will provide tools for media content providers to define events and objects that will help viewers select content. Broadcasters will also be shown how multimedia services can be integrated into conventional broadcast material and how these can be used to develop new types of programming. The system will therefore open up a new dimension in information dissemination, and the project will also support the TV/PC industry in the development of Custom-TV compatible equipment. The compatible insertion of ISO/IEC standards, developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group, such as the MPEG-4 multimedia elements standard into the conventional MPEG-2 data transport system, will also be demonstrated during the project. Interactive programme selection and user-determined screen customisation will support the user-friendly display of these multimedia elements. The description of events and contents will be in accordance with the emerging MPEG-7 standard.