There's a world outside your TV

Abstract

We explore interactions in the space surrounding the TV set, and use this space as a canvas to display additional TV content in the form of projected screens and customized controls and widgets. We present implementation details for a prototype that creates a hybrid, physical-projected, augmented TV space with off-the-shelf, low-cost technical equipment. The results of a participatory design study are reported to inform development of interaction techniques for multimedia content that spans the physical-projected TV space. We report a set of commands for twelve frequently-used TV tasks and compile guidelines for designing interactions for augmented TV spaces. With this work, we plan to make TV interface designers aware of the many opportunities offered by the space around the physical TV screen once turned interactive. It is our hope that this very first investigation of the interactive potential of the area surrounding the TV set will encourage new explorations of augmented TV spaces, and will foster the design of new applications and new entertainment experiences for our interactive, smart TV spaces of the future.