eTV: a mixed reality interface onto Inhabited TV

This paper describes eTV, a novel form of Inhabited TV in which video streams from broadcast TV are combined with a 3D collaborative virtual environment (CVE). Inhabited TV makes the television more than just a device to consume content through, it also becomes one to communicate through. eTV allows distributed inhabitants to view content from within a virtual community and provides an extension to the existing experience of viewing TV as it is today. For example, groups or individuals could connect to an eTV community to view a live sporting event, a debate, a game show, or any other context in which a feeling of membership in the virtual audience would add to the enjoyment. Inhabitants can communicate with each other via a combination of profiling, text chat, audio conferencing and video conferencing. We present our current developments through a description of Inhabited TV, what the mixed reality interface consists of and cover the design of eTV