Online high-definition video adoption among college students

Department Head: Greg Luft.2010 Summer.Includes bibliographical references (pages 82-85).As more online video products are available in high-definition format, online high-definition video (online HD video), as a specific application of HD IPTV, has become more appealing to consumers. This study applied Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovation theory to analyze the decision-making processes used in the adoption of the new technology. College students (n=242) completed a survey that examined the effects of technology use, media consumption, demographics (gender and family income), personality traits (innovativeness-venturesomeness and social integration), awarenessknowledge, perceptions about characteristics of online HD video, and perceptions about the benefits and risks of adoption. Dependent variables included attitudes among all respondents, satisfaction among adopters, and behavioral intent among non-adopters. Favorable attitudes were positively related to being male, more knowledge, more time spent with the broadband Internet, more innovative and venturesome in personality, more perceptions about benefits and fewer perceptions about risks, more perceptions about the five characteristics of online HD video. Satisfaction among adopters (n=187) was positively related to being male, innovativeness-venturesomeness and social integration personality, knowledge, perceived characteristics of online HD video, and perceptions about more benefits and less risks. Findings related to behavioral intent among nonadopters were difficult to analyze due to the small number of respondents (n=55), who were predominantly female. Behavioral intent was positively related to Rogers' notions about relative advantage, compatibility and observability, and perceptions about benefits and risks, but negatively related to a focus on social integration. No differences based on family income were found for attitude, behavioral intent or satisfaction

Semi-automated mobile television interactive application generation based on XHTML and Java ME

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 11/02/2011.Mobile Digital TV (MDTV), the hybrid of Digital Television (DTV) and mobile devices (such as mobile phones), has introduced a new way for people to watch DTV and has brought new opportunities for development in the DTV industry. Nowadays, the development of the next generation MDTV service has progressed in terms of both hardware layers and software, with interactive services/applications becoming one of the future MDTV service trends. However, current MDTV interactive services still lack in terms of attracting the consumers and the service creation and implementation process relies too much on commercial solutions, resulting in most parts of the process being proprietary. In addition, this has increased the technical demands for developers as well as has increased substantially the cost of producing and maintaining MDTV services. In light of the aforementioned situation, the Thesis has contributed to this field, by proposing an innovative MDTV service creation and consumption system based on XHTML and Java ME. On the head-end it introduces a semi-automatic creation mechanism to facilitate a less technical and more efficient interactive service creation process. This enables designers and creative individuals to be actively involved in the MDTV service creation process and to develop interactive-rich MDTV service. On the client-end it employs an open-source software environment as the interactive service MDTV consumption platform, rendering the MDTV service implementation process as less proprietary as possible. Furthermore, the Thesis offers a discussion on the different MDTV interactive application models currently used and based on the proposed software, a novel MDTV service presentation method is further introduced and adopted instead of the Rich Media and ECMAScript based methods. Finally, a series of qualitative testing procedures have been implemented with regards to conducting an essential evaluation on the operability of the proposed software system

The introduction of digital television in the UK: a study of its early audience

This thesis examines the diffusion and adoption of digital television (DTV) in the UK by its first generation audience. It reveals how the spread of this innovation took place, and what were its early users and uses. The main objective is to investigate the processes through which a new medium and its new audience are shaped. The study focuses on Sky digital and its subscribers, covering the first four years of the life of DTV from its launch in October 1998. My analysis draws on empirical data derived from a UK-wide postal survey of Sky digital subscribers, a series of in-depth interviews with Sky digital users, and an analysis of advertising and marketing materials. By revealing a slice of time in British media and audience history, I argue that a number of forces influence the shaping and meaning construction of a new medium. I exemplify these by analysing early DTV in terms of the circuit of culture, showing how these forces contributed to its social and cultural shaping. DTV is a hybrid medium encompassing both old and new services. In discussing how it was promoted, taken up, used and made meaningful in the lives of early users, I address wider issues of how people understand and accept novelties and whether/why they are receptive to change, or resistant to it, staying attached to old habits. In demonstrating that early users focused on the offer of more channels/bigger choice/better picture and did not rush to embrace the new interactive internet-like features of DTV, I discuss how despite the hype presenting DTV as transformative, and despite fast take-up, access to it did not necessarily equate to use of all its services. For early users, DTV was a relatively conservative enhancement of traditional TV. I argue that the introduction of a new medium entails continuity not only in technological development, but also in consumption processes, resulting in the co-existence of 'old' and 'new'. Several theoretical perspectives and methodologies are integrated in the emergent history of this now old medium when it was new. The thesis recounts DTV's biography as manifested in the moments of production and design, representation and, particularly, consumption. The thesis is informed by and adds to theories of diffusion of innovations and of domestication. Its core theoretical contribution is that, in empirically addressing the relationship between new media diffusion and social change by drawing on domestication theory, it advances the theory of diffusion of innovations, expanding its theoretical and methodological scope by examining social and cultural processes within the household and people‟s lives

A graphics software architecture for high-end interactive TV terminals

This thesis proposes a graphics architecture for next-generation digital television receivers. The starting assumption is that in the future, a number of multimedia terminals will have access through a number of networks to a variety of content and services. One example of such a device is a media station capable of integrating different kinds of multimedia objects such as 2D/3D graphics and video, reacting to user interaction, and supporting the temporal dimension of applications. Some of the services intended for these devices include, for example, games and enhanced information over broadcasted video. First, this thesis provides an overview of the digital television environment, focusing on the limitations of current receivers and hints at future directions. In addition, this thesis compares different solutions from regional standardisation bodies such as DVB, CableLabs, and ARIB. It proposes the adoption of the most relevant initiative, GEM by DVB. Unfortunately, GEM software middleware only considers Java language as an authoring format, meaning that the declarative environment and advanced functionalities (e.g., 3D graphics support) remain to be standardised. Because in the future different user groups will have different demands with regard to television, this thesis identifies two major extensions to the GEM standard. First, it proposes a declarative environment for GEM that takes into account W3C standardisation efforts. This environment is divided into two configurations: one capable of rendering limited interactive applications such as information services, and another intended for more demanding applications, for example a distance learning portal that synchronises videos of lecturers and slides. Second, this thesis proposes to extend the procedural environment of GEM with 3D graphics support. The potential services of this new profile, High-End Interactive, include games and commercials. Then, based on the requirements the proposed profiles should meet, this thesis defines a graphics architecture model composed of five layers. The hardware abstraction layer is in charge of rendering the final graphics output. The graphical context is a cross-platform abstraction of the rendering region and provides graphics primitives (e.g., rectangles and images). The graphical environment provides the means to control different graphical contexts. The GUI toolkit is a set of ready-made user interface widgets and layout schemes. Finally, high-level languages are easy-to-use tools for developing simple services. The thesis concludes with a report of my experience implementing a digital television receiver based on the proposals described. In addition to testing the application of the proposed graphics architecture to the design and implementation of a next-generation digital television receiver, the implementation permits the analysis of the requirements of such receivers and of the services they can provide.reviewe

The Impact of Ownership, Regulation Issues and Technology Adoption on the Introduction of Digital Terrestrial Television: A Comparison of the United States and Mainland China

This study compares the impact of media ownership, regulation and policy, and technology adoption on the introduction of digital terrestrial television in the United States and Mainland China. Through the use of a case study approach, a qualitative and quantitative examination is given. The results indicate that private group ownership throughout the U.S. digital terrestrial television industry and state ownership in China's television industry lead to the different paths to digital transition. Both governments, however, are deeply involved in respective digital initiatives and play an important role in the implementation from analog to digital. The technical standard adoption in the two countries places the underpinning for the future development of digital television (DTV), which also results in China lagging behind the United States by almost ten years. The differences of technological environments in households and income among consumers in the two countries further predict the intention to DTV adoption

High definition systems in Japan

The successful implementation of a strategy to produce high-definition systems within the Japanese economy will favorably affect the fundamental competitiveness of Japan relative to the rest of the world. The development of an infrastructure necessary to support high-definition products and systems in that country involves major commitments of engineering resources, plants and equipment, educational programs and funding. The results of these efforts appear to affect virtually every aspect of the Japanese industrial complex. The results of assessments of the current progress of Japan toward the development of high-definition products and systems are presented. The assessments are based on the findings of a panel of U.S. experts made up of individuals from U.S. academia and industry, and derived from a study of the Japanese literature combined with visits to the primary relevant industrial laboratories and development agencies in Japan. Specific coverage includes an evaluation of progress in R&D for high-definition television (HDTV) displays that are evolving in Japan; high-definition standards and equipment development; Japanese intentions for the use of HDTV; economic evaluation of Japan's public policy initiatives in support of high-definition systems; management analysis of Japan's strategy of leverage with respect to high-definition products and systems

Semi-automated mobile television interactive application generation based on XHTML and Java ME

Mobile Digital TV (MDTV), the hybrid of Digital Television (DTV) and mobile devices (such as mobile phones), has introduced a new way for people to watch DTV and has brought new opportunities for development in the DTV industry. Nowadays, the development of the next generation MDTV service has progressed in terms of both hardware layers and software, with interactive services/applications becoming one of the future MDTV service trends. However, current MDTV interactive services still lack in terms of attracting the consumers and the service creation and implementation process relies too much on commercial solutions, resulting in most parts of the process being proprietary. In addition, this has increased the technical demands for developers as well as has increased substantially the cost of producing and maintaining MDTV services. In light of the aforementioned situation, the Thesis has contributed to this field, by proposing an innovative MDTV service creation and consumption system based on XHTML and Java ME. On the head-end it introduces a semi-automatic creation mechanism to facilitate a less technical and more efficient interactive service creation process. This enables designers and creative individuals to be actively involved in the MDTV service creation process and to develop interactive-rich MDTV service. On the client-end it employs an open-source software environment as the interactive service MDTV consumption platform, rendering the MDTV service implementation process as less proprietary as possible. Furthermore, the Thesis offers a discussion on the different MDTV interactive application models currently used and based on the proposed software, a novel MDTV service presentation method is further introduced and adopted instead of the Rich Media and ECMAScript based methods. Finally, a series of qualitative testing procedures have been implemented with regards to conducting an essential evaluation on the operability of the proposed software system.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo