HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 12.5.2005 Telecommunications Software and Multimedia Laboratory T-111.590 Research Seminar on Digital Media Spring 2005: Digital TV Services in Handheld Devices User preferences for Mobile TV Sports Services Teemu Simonen 55482C
1 Introduction... 1 2 Sports Interactive Services... 1 2.1 Sports Services in TV... 2 2.1.1 Sports service analysis... 2 2.1.2 Viewing behaviour... 3 2.2 Sports Services in Mobile... 4 2.2.1 Sports service analysis... 4 2.3 Comparison... 6 3 Requirements... 6 4 Methodology / experiment... 7 4.1 Definition of experiment and interviews... 7 5 Results and analysis... 7 6 Conclusions... 8 7 References... 9 8 Appendix 1... 10 9 Appendix 2... 11 2
User preferences for Mobile TV Sports Services Teemu Simonen HUT, Telecommunications Software and Multimedia Laboratory Teemu.Simonen@hut.fi Abstract This paper studies user preferences for Sports Services in Mobile TV. First the current status of Sports services in TV and mobile are analyzed and compared. Then Sports services are divided by service type and requirement to different types are listed. Potential users are interviewed and user preferences for Mobile TV Sports Services are defined. 1 INTRODUCTION On 8 March 2005 in Finland started an unique mobile TV pilot. The project tests mobile TV services, consumer experiences and underlying technology with 500 users in the Helsinki capital region. Consumers, the pilot users, are able to receive broadcast content on-the-go. The content is delivered via DVB-H network. Pilot test users will be able to follow on-the-air TV and Radio programs and subscribe to other services, such as news or sports programs. Projects target is to truly understand how end-users feel about mobile phone TV services. [12] The pilot s service portfolio includes only small amount of services. Before services can be offered in Mobile TV, user preferences for service types must be examined. This paper studies the user expectations for Mobile TV Sports Services. First possibly service types are studied using current sports services in TV and mobile devices. After that, service types are analyzed and possible Mobile TV users are interviewed. The problem is to find what kind of sports services can succeed in Mobile TV. To succeed services must be used by users, so one way to work out problem, is to study what kind of services users are willing to use and what aspects are important. First is studied the service types used in TV and mobile devices today s users. After that service types benefits and problems are defined and compared between TV and mobile use. Potential users are interviewed and service types users think as possible ones are found out. 2 SPORTS INTERACTIVE SERVICES Sports interactive services are today s reality. Sports events are broadcast live on television and match s incident and scores are updated to Internet and teletext. Players 1
are interviewed in rest periods and sometimes also audience has the opportunity to give their comments or vote live on television using SMS- and MMS-messages. 2.1 Sports Services in TV The characteristics of TV were studied to understand normal TV usage and sports services in TV. Transition to digital television increases the total capacity available for services and the transmission cost per service should fall. [8] 2.1.1 Sports service analysis Interactivity in TV programs is implemented using GUI (graphical user interface) and return channel e.g. phone, mobile phone or Internet connection. The current state of Sports Services in Digi TV is analyzed in table 1. Services types are multi camera, score and data information, betting, multi language and games about sports. Every service type s features, benefits, problems and interaction channel are considered. Table 1. Current state of Sports Services in Digi TV Type of Sports Services in Digi TV Features Benefits Problems Interaction 1) multi camera camera views to choose, user can pick which focus to follow, can pick camera to follow user can interact what to watch, already existing cameras can put to use user have to choose one (more) readymade camera view, need to join more broadcast streams, one to each extra camera/view use remotecontrol device and choose one readymade camera view, user can't move cameras 2) score and data information chat (some kind of also in analog TV) provide people place to express themselves, human-tohuman interaction high-priced need personal return channel, use remotecontrol device extra info about the users handy real time information channel, can view automatically active player's information what information is used, how updated in real time use remotecontrol device 2
3) betting (?) (tested by Veikkaus, not yet in use) choose game to bet, livebetting possible possible to watch TV in same time TV isn't often personal device, so how offer privacy, how to chose which betting services are offered need personal return channel, use remotecontrol device 4) multi language (also in analog/cable TV) speech stream varies possibility to choose commentator, different languages if in start "the wrong one" is in use, user don't know it use remotecontrol device subtitles varies possibility to choose subtitles, different languages if in start "the wrong one" is in use, user don't necessarily know it use remotecontrol device 5) games about sports user can play simple (sport) game user can participate, so it is not only passive watching games must be really simple, it is difficult to play using mms messages need personal return channel [11] Analog TV-games can t be really categorized as sports services. People watch TV channel and participate games by sending SMS messages using their mobile phone. Games must be really simple e.g. football or beach volley, where players send some value, which tells what direction they try to play the ball. In TV games, there is often also chat included. In digital TV there is possibility to offer extra services customers, who are willing to pay more. Services can be e.g. formula 1 and GP2 live shows or studio services and they can be some sport forum or magazine programs. There can also be possibility to offer channels to limited use only. 2.1.2 Viewing behaviour In the study about a user interface for multichannel television is collected a list of trends in viewing behaviour. The time people watch TV in a day is reached saturation. The trend in viewing is to become more passive, in such a way that television is on, but the focus of doing is on something else. Trends are also that the number of one-person families is increasing and that prime time varies between social groups. [8] The paper stated that the future services can be expected to develop in three areas. The first one was multiplexing services, the second was addition of data services and the third was provision of a return path. The multiplexing services make possible new types 3
of service such as multi-camera sport. The paper proposes some examples to addition of data services: electronic programme guide, multilingual subtitles, interactive teletext service and games downloading. The format of existing analogue services is linear schedules of television programmes. [8] 2.2 Sports Services in Mobile Before defining characteristics of Mobile TV, the characteristics of mobile devices were studied in order to understand possibilities and restrictions of mobile use. The mobile context in mobile urban environment has been studied. The one characteristic found is claiming personal and group spaces, which means that people need space for themselves. It is also stated that space is a universal need and the culture is effecting only to the dimensions of needed space. Personal space is used to regulate involvement in social interactions. They found out that in the public places, people are trying to get personal and group spaces using resources available, e.g. mobile device or newspaper. This can be used advance in Mobile TV, because people use mobile phone to get space for themselves, so it can be natural to start using Mobile TV instead. One characteristic that is found is temporal tensions, which is used to explain situations where time is problem to the action at hand. Temporal tensions are classified into four stages: acceleration, normal proceeding, slowing down and stopping. In their study there emerge the two important tensions, hurrying and waiting. One time-killing activity is to use mobile phones, e.g. calling someone. This can be also place for Mobile TV. The last interesting characteristic in mobile was multitasking. Mobile devices are often used in urban environment and also other tasks are performed in the same time. This have also effect to Mobile TV design, because if it is known that people do many things in the same time, the sports services must be simple and fast to open and close. It can be also possible that users want to use many sports services in the same time. [9] 2.2.1 Sports service analysis Sports services in mobile are whole different story. Java games can be bought and downloaded to devices. Games can be e.g. football, mini golf, billiard, snowboarding, racing or sport quiz. This kind of interactivity is implemented using downloadable software, which is possible to buy ones and after that play game using gprs connection. This business model makes content provider requirement to collect revenues in one go and this makes pressure to spare from game development to get the price set to a level, that users are willing to pay the price. Difficulty is often that playing is not free either, because you need to use wap/gprs connection. Mobile devices have low capacity CPUs and memories compared to today s computers. So it is very limited environment to game programming. It is in fact the case that mobile devices are not smaller Java virtual machines than the standard ones. In the table 2 is the type of sports services used in mobile devices. Every service type s features, benefits, problems and interaction channel are considered. 4
One a kind of interactive service is situation follow-up service, where activated users are given up-to-date information about sport event. This kind of services makes possible request services before hand if user wants. Table 2. Current state of Sports Services in Mobile Sports services in Mobile Type of service Features Benefits Problems Interaction 1) score and data information sports news follow-up service service can be requested before hand, mobile device is personal user can't know exact costs when service is activated activate sending correctly formated sms message to service number, information is sent by sms or mms messages chat (e.g. about sport event) can be used anywhere, mobile device is personal chat messages costs more than normal sms message, if mobile device provides connection to Internet, why not use free chats can be used by wap, by Internet connection or by sms 2) betting uses mobile phones data connection to connect services wap pages betting services can be used where mobile phones data connection works, e.g. live betting in sports events usage of the service in small sized mobile phone uses phone's display and user interface, wap browsing ise used e.g. over GPRS connection 3) games about sports Java game that has designed to mobile devices' limited environment games can be played anywhere, mobile device can be used as game computer games are paid in one go when code are downloaded to devices, game playing using data connection costs, limited environment (low CPU and memory) uses phone's display and user interface, interconnection between game server (players) use devices data connections [10] 5
2.3 Comparison Comparison table is in appendix 1. [The first difference is that sports services in TV are broadcast services and only the personal return channel, which makes the interactivity of the service are unicast, when in mobile sports services the service is always personal. The second difference is that mobile devices are personal and users are carrying their phones with them. The third difference is palace where these services are used. In case of TV, the use environment is often home. In case of mobile sports services, the service can be used every time and everywhere. The fourth difference is costs. TV usage is traditionally paid once, but costs in sports services come when service is used and they are paid in return-channel bill. In mobile sports services the program is paid ones and after that also use costs if it needs connection to outside. TV and mobile sports services are related to each other, because often TV services return-channel is mobile device, so same device can be used to both services, but to TV services only in front TV. This can change, when mobile TV comes to mobile devices. ] 3 REQUIREMENTS Table 2. Mobile TV Requirements Sports Service multi camera Requirements in Mobile TV -at least two different camera view -user has to have the opportunity to change views -enough rights to interesting sport events multi language speech subtitles -at least two different commentator -at least two different languages score and data information chat -needs person to check and filter the incoming messages -needs channel who produces the service news -the information provided should not annoy anyone -the information must be valid, recent and interesting -information must be compact betting -service provider must be reliable and generally trusted 6
-the betting system must be reliable and easy to use -the billing must be exact and workable -system must provide confidentiality, integrity and availability games about sports -games must be designed to limited environment -must provide interactivity -games have to be played with Mobile TV devices user interface game played same time as sport event -games must be designed to limited environment -the game must be synchronized to the sport event -must provide interactivity -games have to be played with Mobile TV devices user intreface 4 METHODOLOGY / EXPERIMENT 4.1 Definition of experiment and interviews The experiment method that I used in this research was interview. It is used to obtain information from users. Interview s type was semi-structured interview, which means interview between structured and unstructured. In the interview, interviewee was asked a series of open-ended questions when needed. Interviewees can steer the interview in the direction of issues which they perceive as being important and they can answer the question how they like, no list of suggested answers is used. If answers are not clear, it can be asked explanations. This kind of method gathers individual opinions. The structure of the interview was more fluid than in structured interview. Even there was a prepared list of subject and questions, the order of them can be changed and some can be drop if needed. The prepared list to interview is included in appendix one. [4] [5] This method was chosen, because it is suitable to use when finding user s needs. Recording an interview was not used, because the interview was done alone. Also wanted that interviewee can relax and tell opinions freely without disturbing the situation by recording. The interview place was quiet room and when possible it is interviewee s home or otherwise easy place interviewee to participate. [5] 5 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS Users Requirements to Sports Services in Mobile TV display must be large enough when using TV stream must be always in view 7
extra information services must be possible to turn off many camera views many commentators, different languages must have possibility to turn commentator s speech away without taking all sounds away Sports Service type s requirements can be combined with requirements given by users. 6 CONCLUSIONS Sports service types in the Digi TV that users are willing to use are: multi camera o motor sport: racing, F1, Rally o football, hockey, golf score and data information news service: latest news and video clips live betting Users preferences to Sports Services in Mobile TV are Formula 1 Mobile TV service (can be multi camera) o used when no TV around e.g. in work commercials in live broadcasts can be putted practice by ad text/logo in the beside of the screen ads get more viewers when watching sports athlete s information s (compact statistics) are viewed on side of the screen and it follows the active one live betting o bet while watching event o statistics about bet s targets o hint service Formula racing game that is played while watching race 8
o press brake in right place in the curve (to the car in the screen) o shift gear in the optimal moment 7 REFERENCES [1] Kuuluvainen, I.; Koivisto, K.; Kaunisto, R.; Black, A.; Bayley, O.; Koivunen, M.-R. 1995. Putting usability into television. Consumer Electronics, 1995., Proceedings of International Conference on, 7-9 June 1995 pp. 318 319 [2] Nielsen, J. Let's ask the users. Software, IEEE, Volume: 14, Issue: 3, May-June 1997 pp. 110 111 [3] CS MacNeill, R&D Engineer, BBC Research & Development. 2003. Television for all. DIFFUSION online [4] Dumas, J. S. & Redish, J. C. 1993. A practical guide to usability testing, Norwood, NJ: Ablex. [5] Faulkner, Xristine. Usability Engineering. Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2000 [6] Sung Heum Lee. 1999. Usability Testing for Developing Effective Interactive Multimedia Software: Concepts, Dimensions, and Procedures. Educational Technology & Society 2(2) 1999. [7] Mary B. Evans. 1999. Challenges in Developing Research-Based Web Design Guidelines. IEEE Transactions on professional communication, vol 43, no. 3, September 2000 [8] Cooper, R.L.W.; Jourdan, P.; Ferrier, C.; Tazine, N.-E. A user interface for multichannel television, Broadcasting Convention, 1995. IBC 95., International, 14-18 Sep 1995 pp.338 345 [9] Sakari Tamminen, Antti Oulasvirta, Kalle Toiskallio and Anu Kankainen. Understanding mobile contexts, 2003, Online Springer-Verlag London Limited 2004, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Volume 8 Issue 2 [10] D Ralph and C G Shephard, Services via mobility portals, BT Technol J Vol 19 No 1 January 2001 [11] Enabling Custom Enhancements in Digital Sports Broadcasts, Richter A. Rafey, Simon Gibbs, Michael Hoch, Hubert Le Van Gong and Sidney Wang, Proceedings of the sixth international conference on 3D Web technology [12] The Finnish Mobile TV project, http://www.finnishmobiletv.com/ 9
8 APPENDIX 1 multi camera multi language score and data information betting games about sports speech subtitles chat news TV +user interaction (camera or focus can be picked) +possibility to watch different views in the same time +rights to sports content -it isn't possible to move or zoom camera -more complex to produce +possibility to choose commentator -can be confusing +possibility to choose different languages -can be confusing +human-to-human interaction +good way to express yourself -high price -need personal return channel +automatic information service +group usage possible +advanced graphics +watching adds some information's value -only limited amount of information can be presented -what information to choose -how can information be updated no services available in Finland (tested by Veikkaus) (+)possibility to bet while watching the event (+)live betting service is potential killer application (+)extra information easy to get (-)TV is not personal device (-)difficulty to offer private betting (-)how to choose which betting services are offered (-)need personal Internet connection +user can participate, use is not only passive watching -games must be really simple -need personal return channel -high price -playing using sms messages is not pleasant Mobile no services available in Finland (+)device always with user (-)no rights to sports content (-)small display limits the use of multi camera (-)devices don't support efficient implementation no services available in Finland no services available in Finland +mobile devices are personal +can be used anywhere +make possible also private chat -costs more than sms message -Internet chats can be free +can be requested beforehand +mobile devices are personal +opportunity to have the latest news automaticall -don't need exact costs beforehand -don't now what information is going to get -same information is available (for free) in the Internet +possibility to use everywhere (also in sport events) +bets are easy to save to mobile phone +mobile devices are personal +personal service information is easy to carry with -mobile's small display limits the use -it isn't possible to watch the event in the same time -it is not easy to get details about bet's targets +games can be played anywhere +mobile device can be used as game computer -games have to design to limited environment +/-games are paid in one go -playing costs if it needs data connection 10
9 APPENDIX 2 Predefined structure of semi-structured interview (not questionary) Background information Age Gender TV How much did you watch TV last week? Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 6-11 11-14 14-18 18-24 24-6 What sports programs/services did you use? Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 6-11 11-14 14-18 18-24 24-6 What kind of sports program do you prefer Do you watch TV alone or together with your family? Do you open often TV to background? Is your watching active or passive? Why? What kind of problem you find watching sports/sports program or using sports services? Mobile What kind of mobile services you have used? 11
(speech service, SMS, MMS, radio, photo, video, gps, news, ringing tone) Which ones are related to sports? Live betting? Mobile TV What kind of sports services there could be? o multi camera services o multi language speech subtitles o score and data information services chat info about players (news) o betting o games about sports o game played same time as sport event What kind of sports services or programs your friend would need or like to use? o multi camera services o multi language speech subtitles o score and data information services chat info about players (news) o betting o games about sports 12
o game played same time as sport event 13