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Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV) produced an interactive version of its popular Outdoor Wisconsin video program. Designed for a digital multicast presentation, Outdoor Wisconsin Interactive synchronized four tracks of 16x9 standard definition video for broadcast to an audience equipped with digital receivers. The concept tested explored the minimal viewing technologies needed for a truly enhanced television experience. |
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Outdoor Wisconsin Interactive
Producers: Jack Abrams and John Grozik
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The original program was about a winter kite festival in Madison, Wisconsin. Additional video segments about kite-based photography, precision formation kite flying and aerial images were used to augment the original master track.
Video Storyboard
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The following Excel spreadsheet helped organize the editing process for the four video tracks used in the Outdoor Wisconsin Interactive. Tracks 1,3 and 4 were created by modifying the master video track (Track 2).
Each track began with identical video content, but as the chart indicates, additional video segments were inserted into the program stream at various times to give viewers related content options. The "Germans" (Track 1) sequence provided additional details about synchronized kite flying that linked to a brief comment about the technique on Track 2. The "Craig Wilson" sequence on Track 3 amplified a Track 2 reference to aerial kite photography. The "Stills over music" sequence on Track 4 lingers on the dramatic aerial kite photography by Craig Wilson, the festival organizer and kite photographer. The up and down arrows on the chart indicate that there was content related to the current track's video on one or more of the upper or lower tracks. These related video tracks were revealed to the viewer through the use of synchronized on-screen logos.
Introduction
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A short video introduction about the interactive
navigation options preceded the main program content. In the still
frame below Dan Small, host of Outdoor Wisconsin, points to the
on-screen icon that signals track options available to viewers.
Arrows turn green when related video tracks are available. A simple
up or down click on the viewer's remote control changes the view to
a related video stream.
Track 2
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Viewers are instructed to begin with program Track 2. The screen icon on the following screen capture indicates that the viewer may continue on this track (green right arrow) or move up or down a track to seek related video information (green up and down arrows).
Track 1
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This screen capture from Track 1 indicates (with a down green arrow) that additional video material is available to the viewer by clicking the "down channel" option on the remote control.
Track 2
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Another screen capture from Track 2 indicates that the viewer may continue viewing Track 2 (right green arrow) or move down a track to view content related to this section of the program.
Track 3
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Screen capture from Track 3 indicates that the "up channel" button links to related video on either Track 2 or Track 1.
Track 4
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The final segment on Track 4 indicates that additional related video content is available to the viewer on one of the first three video tracks, or the viewer may continue viewing Track 4.
Summary
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Enhanced TV can be produced with a minimum of production or viewer technologies. Each program segment was edited on a non-linear editor from existing video programming. Total editing time was about 6 hours for the four 10 minute segments. Playback requires four synchronized tape machines or digital video sources broadcasting through a four channel datacasting system. The more difficult aspects of the production process was scene selection and timing to ensure that in/out points on each of the four video tracks matched related segments on one or more of the four tracks.
Future enhancements could include embedded interactive data. ATVEF Transport A (ATVEF-A) could be used to deliver content triggers via the Line 21 closed caption channel and deliver related content via the Internet.
A more interactive option, ATVEF Transport B, could be used to deliver enhanced content along with the video and audio, within a digital broadcast signal.
A DVD simulation of the broadcast is planned to demonstrate the Interactive Outdoor Wisconsin viewer experience.
Revised Wednesday, 22-Oct-2003 11:23:57 CDT
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© 2000 - 2003 Local Enhancement Collaborative &  .
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