Interactive data services for television: display and user interface issues

The widespread commercial success of interactive services on next-generation digital satellite, cable, and terrestrial TV set-top boxes, hinges on many factors, including the need for a method that can display both text and graphics-rich content in a satisfactory manner on existing television sets. In order to spur consumer interest about data services on television, there must be superior on-screen graphics capabilities, graceful composition of graphics and video, and engaging user interfaces. There are numerous technical challenges to overcome for these features to become a reality. In addition, the TV viewing experience with which consumers have become familiar must be preserved. We discuss the digital signal processing required to overcome the mentioned technical challenges as realized in a well-designed graphics/display processor in a set-top-box system.