Double Degree in International Computer Engineering and Management of Business and Technology

Interactive television

Description
The interactive television subject is developed entirely around a project, where students in groups acquire knowledge as they progress in each phase. For each phase, the student is provided with a set of documentation that must be read and understood in order to progress week by week. The project involves the creation of a SmartTV application that serves as a catalog of more than a hundred streaming TV channels that are freely distributed over the Internet. During the early stages, the same challenges are posed to the entire class group. These first challenges include making contact with the base project, customizing the application, building the catalog, real-time control via a Smartphone, and voice control. At this point, each individual group will have sufficient autonomy to develop two characteristics that differentiate their application from all others. Finally, a user test will be carried out to validate the work done and to be able to verify whether the interactive television application that has been carried out meets the requirements of potential end customers. To conclude the course and the project, there will be a final presentation detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the project, the modifications made according to user tests and any other details that the group deems important to defend the work done.
Type Subject
Optativa
Semester
First
Credits
3.00
Previous Knowledge

Object-oriented design and programming.
Digital Television: Recommended, but not essential.
Databases: Recommended, but not essential.

Objectives

Students that study this subject acquire the following knowledge and develop the following abilities:
1.- Basic general knowledge on the subject.
2.- Capacity for analysis and synthesis of the concepts related to the interactive TV world.
3.- Knowledge of professional environments that develop applications for interactive television.
4.- To identify, formulate and apply the knowledge to practice in television problems, in a laboratory environment and working with a team.
5.- To have the ability to manage the information received from different sources, to apply it to the proposed problems and to the practices designed.
6.- To communicate oral and written efficiently when generating the laboratory reports for each analyzed problem.

Contents

The subject will be linked as the project develops. The complete execution of the project is proposed in a set of eight phases, during which the student, guided by the teacher, will advance by acquiring the concepts that each phase of the project requires.
Phase 1. Development environment and making contact.
The first installment aims for the student to understand the structuring of the base project provided. How it is organized and what sections each type of information contains. It will be required to begin customizing by modifying the different text strings and logos that appear, so that the project acquires the personality of the group.

Phase 2. Setting up the video player.
In the second installment, the project must be enabled to play real-time video. The base project only allows progressive dowload. Depending on the type of source provided, the correct player must be enabled, in order to be able to view the required contents.

Phase 3. Customization of the catalog.
Once the application already allows playback of different video formats, the catalog is created with the streams provided. It will be necessary to find out how the data is acquired and stored in order to be able to modify its content.

Phase 4. Establishing remote connections.
At this point in the project, a real-time database is incorporated, in order to be able to create the interaction between the mobile and the TV application.

Phase 5. Automating voice commands.
Using the application loaded on the mobile and the already implemented part of voice commands, the project must be enabled to be able to change channels via voice.

Phase 6 and 7. Implementation of the differential features.
The student will have to define two own characteristics to develop of his application. During the presentation of this installment, some ideas will be provided.

Phase 8. Testing the usability of the prototype.
Once all previous deliveries have been passed, the applications will have to be tested with multiple users, catching shortcomings and redefining them to finally get an application that meets the required requirements.

Final Phase. Latest details and presentation.
For the final delivery, apart from uploading the project to the corresponding well, the application will be presented denoting the changes made after the user tests and explaining in detail the characteristics that have been implemented.

Methodology

During the classes, tests will be performed to verify that the concepts explained in the previous class have been consolidated. The project part will be presented for the next delivery and the resources and documentation offered to carry it out. The remaining time will be devoted to advancing the delivery by solving any doubts that may arise in class.
For the development of the subject will be groups of two / three people. Code submissions must be made through a Git repository. In parallel, it must also be delivered via eStudy. For real-time database storage and different tools, each group will need to create a project on Firebase.
Each group will need to allow the subject teacher access to the Bitbucket and Firebase repository to correct the different submissions.
It is a prerequisite to maintain the style and usability standards required by a television application. All information can be found in the documentation provided. Without these requirements, the project will not be passed.

Evaluation

The subject has no exams at either Control Point or January. The grade is calculated as follows:
Ordinary Call:
Final Note = 60% Final Project Delivery + 40% Continuous evaluation
Continuous evaluation = 10% Attendance + 60% Delivery + 30% Tests
If: Continuous evaluation≥8 && Delivery≥5
Delayed deliveries can be delivered with a maximum mark of 5.
To be able to present to the ordinary delivery must attend Attendance≥8 && Delivery≥5 && Tests≥5.
Extraordinary call:
Final Note (maximum 7) = 100% Final Project
Detecting copy in any of the evaluated activities is considered highly significant. The corresponding sanction will be applied according to the university regulations.

Evaluation Criteria

- Correct use of Office automation tools.
- Correct use of programming APIs, both of high and low level.
- Use of agile methods for project management.
- they have been acquire the minimum knowledge about interactive television concepts and technologies studied during the theoretical classes.
- The student knows how to work in group.
- The student knows how to make presentations in public.
- The student knows how to apply theoretical concepts in the practical development of an interactive television app.

Basic Bibliography

TOOLS AND MATERIALS
GITHUB. androidtv-leanback.
GOOGLE. Firebase Console
ATLASSIAN. Bitbucket

Additional Material

GENERAL RESOURCES:
http://www.dvb.org
http://www.hbbtv.org/
http://www.oipf.tv/
http://www.smarttv-alliance.org/

DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND STYLE GUIDES:
www.mhp.org/docs/a-guide-for-digital-tv-service-producers.pdf
www.mhp.org/docs/itv-design_v1.pdf
www.telenetmedia.be/content.php?ID=11
http://code.google.com/intl/ca/tv/web/

NEWS:
http://informitv.com/
http://www.itvt.com/
http://www.itvalliance.org/
http://www.appmarket.tv/
http://www.v-net.tv/
http://www.panoramaaudiovisual.com
http://gizmologia.com
http://www.engadget.com
http://www.xataka.com
http://latesttechnologynewsonline.com
http://www.aedeti.es

BOOKS:
Interactive TV Standards: A Guide to MHP, OCAP, and JavaTV
Autors: Steven Morris, Anthony Smith-Chaigneau
Editorial: Focal Press
ISBN 0240806662

Screen Future: The Future of Entertainment, Computing, and the Devices We Love
Autor: Brian David Johnson
Editorial: Intel Press
ISBN 978-1-934053-26-3