 The phrase ‘couch potato’, a popular image of the television viewer, came from a time when watching TV meant staring blankly at the screen for hours on end. Nowadays, with multiple interactive screen guides and sophisticated recording devices, we expect more from our television. This summer, during the Beijing Olympic Games, a research project called LIVE changed the viewers’ experience of watching live sports events. The research project is being conducted by partner groups across Europe, including the University of Bradford which will be led by Jianmin Jiang, Professor of Digital Media in the University’s School of Informatics.
The project brings the possibilities of TV up-to-date with other screen-based activities. ‘While computer gaming allows users to experience, interact, and participate, TV is still essentially limited to the provision of viewing experiences,’ explains Professor Jiang. ‘In many cases, however, especially in live broadcasting, viewers could be interested in other relevant information to enhance their viewing experiences.’ An example may be an athlete who has just won the gold medal unexpectedly ‘who may not be well known at the time, and therefore the audience would like to know how he or she performed before, where he or she was educated or trained, and any other relevant information.’
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