Understanding and supporting cross-platform usage in the living room

Nowadays users can choose TV and video content from diverse broadcast and online sources. The Internet many functionalities, such as communication, sharing and other information services, enrich the TV experience. The convergence of media is not only visible in the broader functions of one device, e.g. broadcast and online access through a media center system, but is also reflected in the interconnectedness of different devices. In order to understand the design dimensions for further Social TV applications, we conducted different empirical studies, including a diary study, interviews and creative workshops. The results indicate that several forms of parallel and convergent media use have already been established. We identified flexible switching of devices and services related to television and video content. While the empirical results also confirmed limitations of isolated applications and services, we will present a technological infrastructure that supports Social TV in a more integrated and flexible manner. Furthermore, we will describe two use-cases that show the potential of interconnected design concepts. (C) 2012 International Federation for Information Processing Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.