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16/07/03
Usability of Digital TV Product
Intellect held a seminar at the DTI on Thursday 10 July in conjunction with the Government's Digital TV Action Plan team on the subject of Usability of Digital TV Product, a subject that does; or will in the future, affect us all.
The event was attended by some 70 delegates from the receiver manufacturing industry, broadcasters, consumer groups and industry regulators. 15 speakers gave presentations on subjects, ranging from "understanding the problems from different perspectives", including users with special needs, through to "what is currently being done to address problems identified to date". In addition, four panel discussions took place which provoked a number of interesting questions.
The experience of Intellect's January 2003 Workshop on Recording and the July 2003 Seminar has demonstrated the need for our industry to maintain a close and continuing dialogue with consumer and special interest groups, broadcasters, government and regulators to address the issues of usability.
The Following were comments on the Seminar:-
"Today's event has shown that there has been real progress in making Digital Terrestrial TV Receivers easier to use. The ITC is delighted to be able to continue to support this process by sharing viewer usability research result with broadcasters and manufacturers." Andrew Dumbeck, Independent Television Commission
"We need to make it easy for the consumer by the use of clear English with no jargon and easily understood quick start guides." John Nolan, DSG
"What we need to do is work together on a common problem to find a logical solution that makes sense to the consumer." David Johnston, Philips Semiconductors
"We must take great care in developing these products to take the public along with us otherwise we will be removing the 4 or 5 channel service that they are mostly happy with and replacing it with a multichannel digital service that they neither want or understand." Richard Brown, representing both Sony's and Intellect's Technical Committees.
The outcome, in the way of deliverables, were a Designers' Check List of Usability soon to be available on the ITC Web Site, and a list of remote control preferred button labels that will shortly be available from the TEG-C committee. Research results will soon be emerging from the DTI's contractor The Generics Group, Cambridge University, Goldsmiths College and the ITC. Intellect will publish for its membership any results that it obtains.
A report of the event, along with a copy of the presentations made, will soon appear on the Intellect web site.
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