This electronic program guide is presented as a tutorial for designing apps for the television viewer. It is written in HTML5 and specifically tailored to broadcaster app interfaces that utilize the interactive functionality available through ATSC 3.0 standards. Television viewer interfaces have evolved over the years with increased functionality and information available to viewers. Today, the technology allows for virtually any design to be rendered. However, the one constant is viewers turn on their TV to watch content. There are many options for navigating and helping viewers find content, and the basic viewer desire must always be considered.
The guide presents the various options available and presents “tips” for some of the best practices in Interactive TV Design. It is not intended as a standard. It is merely a collection of suggestions a designer may consider when creating the viewer experience. This guide is in no way attempting to elaborate or provide details on the actual standards. Some topics, such as Emergency Alert Systems or other mandated standards have specific guideline and are not considered within this guide. Some designs, navigation or interactions may have patents and should be carefully reviewed.
Limited user-experience tests of this EPG were designed and conducted by students as part of the class, “MEJO 581: User Experience Design and Usability,” in the Spring 2019 semester at the University of North Carolina’s School of Media and Journalism.