Applications in media entertainment

Multimedia combines text, audio, images, video and interactivity, which makes it central to modern entertainment media.

Interactive TV (ITV)

Interactive television lets viewers act on what they watch instead of only receiving a one-way broadcast. A return channel (cable, internet or mobile) carries the viewer's choices.

• Voting and polls in shows, quizzes, and choosing camera angles in sport.
• On-screen programme guides (EPG), shopping and ordering from adverts, and extra information about a programme.
• Examples: smart TV apps, set-top boxes with a remote, IPTV.

Video on demand (VoD)

VoD lets users choose a video and watch it at any time, with VCR-like functions (play, pause, rewind, fast forward).

• Needs a video server that stores compressed (MPEG) video, a high-bandwidth network and a set-top box or app at the user's end.
• Types: true VoD (any time, immediate), near VoD (starts at fixed intervals), pay-per-view.
• Examples: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and IPTV and streaming apps offered by Nepali providers.
• Issues: server capacity, bandwidth, quality of service, digital rights management and billing.

Interactive video and audio

The user controls the content flow rather than simply watching or listening.

• Interactive video: branching storylines, clickable hotspots, training videos with quizzes, 360-degree videos.
• Interactive audio: music players with playlists, interactive music mixing, audio books with chapters, voice response systems, games with dynamic sound.
• Used in e-learning, advertisements, museums and games.

 Video server --> Network --> Set-top box/app --> TV
        ^                          |
        +------ user request ------+

Benefits: personalised, on-demand and engaging entertainment. Requirements: compression, high bandwidth and low delay.