Using speech and dialogue for interactive TV navigation

Interaction techniques for interactive television (iTV) are currently complex and difficult to use for a wide-range of viewers. Few previous studies have dealt with the potential benefits of multimodal dialogue interaction in the context of iTV for the purpose of flexibility, usability, efficiency, and accessibility. This paper investigates the benefits of introducing speech and connected dialogue for iTV interaction, and presents a case study in which a prototype system was built allowing users to navigate the information space and control the operation of the TV by a speech-based natural language interface. The system was evaluated by analysing the user experience in five categories capturing essential aspects of iTV interaction: interaction style, information load, data access, effectiveness and initiative. Design considerations relevant for speech and dialogue information systems for TV interfaces also emerged from the analysis. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]