Interactive TV (1 Viewer)

[vwright]

So....how do we make tv interactive--this seems to be the new fab, or attempt of it. any ideas on how to make a tv series interactive to the public?

 

[zingerburger]

Smellevision.

But I always thought the idea of interactive storylines would be cool. For example, you watch a show, and at specific points in the show (say before an ad break or something) you can choose what action the character(s) will take - kind of like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.

Of course, that would be highly impractical and expensive to produce. But wouldn't it be cool.

And Smellevision is always on the agenda.

 

[em_516]

So....how do we make tv interactive--this seems to be the new fab, or attempt of it. any ideas on how to make a tv series interactive to the public?

Fad.

 

[vwright]

Smellevision.

But I always thought the idea of interactive storylines would be cool. For example, you watch a show, and at specific points in the show (say before an ad break or something) you can choose what action the character(s) will take - kind of like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.

Of course, that would be highly impractical and expensive to produce. But wouldn't it be cool.

And Smellevision is always on the agenda.

thanks a really cool idea...i wonder how they would make that possible, i feel like the actors would have to be robots...or maybe not, it just couldnt be live viewing...and what audience watcher would get to decide what the actors did next? maybe through a contest of some sort.

now smellevision...wouldnt that be interesting (smells coming out of the speakers, if you had surround sound that could get weird)

 

[zingerburger]

I was thinking you could have a whole bunch of branching storylines pre-filmed. Then as the show airs on TV, the individual person watching the show on their TV at home could type in a code before an ad break with their remote that coincides with whatever action the characters will take. Of course, as far as I know this kind of technology doesn't exist yet. Regardless, depending on the choices the viewer chooses, you'll get a different outcome/ending for the episode or series.

I thought this could also be applied to movies where viewers can watch a movie through individual headsets and can interact with the movie on-the-fly so that it doesn't break immersion. You could choose to do nothing throughout the whole movie and watch it as it was intended, or you can engage in what is known as a "quicktime event" and press a button at the right time to avoid a car crash, for example. This would ultimately change the outcome of the story, but I'm not sure how practical it would be in a 2 hour movie - the time span is a bit short.

But that's just me and my imagination. What do you think, vwright? Any ideas?

 

[The_highwayman]

"Choose ur own adventure - the TV series!"

 

[em_516]

I was thinking you could have a whole bunch of branching storylines pre-filmed. Then as the show airs on TV, the individual person watching the show on their TV at home could type in a code before an ad break with their remote that coincides with whatever action the characters will take. Of course, as far as I know this kind of technology doesn't exist yet. Regardless, depending on the choices the viewer chooses, you'll get a different outcome/ending for the episode or series.

I thought this could also be applied to movies where viewers can watch a movie through individual headsets and can interact with the movie on-the-fly so that it doesn't break immersion. You could choose to do nothing throughout the whole movie and watch it as it was intended, or you can engage in what is known as a "quicktime event" and press a button at the right time to avoid a car crash, for example. This would ultimately change the outcome of the story, but I'm not sure how practical it would be in a 2 hour movie - the time span is a bit short.

But that's just me and my imagination. What do you think, vwright? Any ideas?

That movie idea would only work for specially made movies though. I'm not sure there'd really be a big enough market for that though. Eg. Two roads: Lovers die in car crash; or lovers stay together forever. Like..who cares? (Bad example maybe, but blergh). Film writers would choose things for a reason, I think they should stay as is.

Edit: Also, re: TV, if you do Choose-Your-Own, it probably can't really be a series.

 

[vwright]

I was thinking you could have a whole bunch of branching storylines pre-filmed. Then as the show airs on TV, the individual person watching the show on their TV at home could type in a code before an ad break with their remote that coincides with whatever action the characters will take. Of course, as far as I know this kind of technology doesn't exist yet. Regardless, depending on the choices the viewer chooses, you'll get a different outcome/ending for the episode or series.

I thought this could also be applied to movies where viewers can watch a movie through individual headsets and can interact with the movie on-the-fly so that it doesn't break immersion. You could choose to do nothing throughout the whole movie and watch it as it was intended, or you can engage in what is known as a "quicktime event" and press a button at the right time to avoid a car crash, for example. This would ultimately change the outcome of the story, but I'm not sure how practical it would be in a 2 hour movie - the time span is a bit short.

But that's just me and my imagination. What do you think, vwright? Any ideas?

i love your ideas i think they are great...lets start working on it! I still think though that every viewer wouldn't be able to do this, it just doesnt seem technologically possible. I feel like we would have to have some sort of contest, someone from each city, or a winner from the north, south, midwest, and west to have the opportunity to do this.....and by choosing this winner we would have a contest and this contest would be aired and people all over the country could vote...still making it interactive to everyone.

what do you think?

 

[zingerburger]

Well, as far as interactivity goes for now, all you can really do is get people to vote via SMS, phone or online. This is pretty limited but I suppose it still gives the audience a feeling that they can change the outcome in shows like Big Brother (which got axed - yay - I'm all for the good old days of Seinfeld reruns).

But out of those three mediums, I'd say online has huge potential but the speed and bandwith (not to mention cost) of internet, particiularly in this country, limits what you could achieve via that platform.

But what you say could prove to be an effective way to engage audiences. I'm glad you like my ideas, but you don't happen to work for a production company do you? Secretly R&Ding new ways to brainwash the masses? I'm all for subliminal *cough*KFC*cough* messaging.

 

[vwright]

Well, as far as interactivity goes for now, all you can really do is get people to vote via SMS, phone or online. This is pretty limited but I suppose it still gives the audience a feeling that they can change the outcome in shows like Big Brother (which got axed - yay - I'm all for the good old days of Seinfeld reruns).

But out of those three mediums, I'd say online has huge potential but the speed and bandwith (not to mention cost) of internet, particiularly in this country, limits what you could achieve via that platform.

But what you say could prove to be an effective way to engage audiences. I'm glad you like my ideas, but you don't happen to work for a production company do you? Secretly R&Ding new ways to brainwash the masses? I'm all for subliminal *cough*KFC*cough* messaging.

yeah technoloically speaking i geuss our ideas wont work right now...maybe if we flew into a different millenium it would work.

also the internet is the way to go...so many people spend useless and productive time on the internet its ridiculas. I mean i grew up playing outside never wanting to be inside, even to watch tv...younger kids these days are grouwing up with fast internet (we had dial up and i sure as hell wasn't patient enough for it) crazy "reality tv" i just think its kind of sad what "free-time" for children is turning into.

Anyway you asked if i worked for a production company...maybe i do! jk...! I am just really interested in these types of things and how the world is changing etc etc, and hey maybe one day i can improve tv and you can be my sidekick

 

[Serius]

It sounds kind of boring... isnt the whole point of tv to just sit there and not have to interact? also a lot of tv you arent really required to be thinking for, we wouldnt want to upset the drones would we?

If you want "interactive tv" buy a game and start playing it, the gaming industry is miles ahead in this field.

 

[zingerburger]

That's what I was thinking. Maybe you could minutely converge the two mediums of TV and video games. Video games already have things like "interactive cutscenes", so why not extend that further into TV if it were possible?

Then again, normal TV might not be the best way to go about it. That's where the internet comes in. People might be more comfortable "interacting" with their internet TV on a computer. In any case, we're still a fair way off from what I'm proposing. But we can still dream.

On that note, wouldn't it be cool if we could somehow harness our dreams and play them back when we wake up? I'm no neurologist, but maybe there could be a way to gather the electrical signals in our brain when we sleep and dream, and convert that into some sort of video (and hopefullay sound) so we can watch it later. Crazy, I know.