When a TV screen is used for playing video, a smartphone or tablet touchscreen can be used as combination TV remote and program guide. Locating the user-interface in the user's hands rather than on a distant TV screen dramatically simplifies tasks such as typing of search queries, scrolling through long lists of video search results and making TV program selections.
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| With two screens, the user-interface is always on the touchscreen, never on the TV screen. |
The example (YouTube) app shown above allows the viewer to search for video by using the smartphone screen and to watch the selected video on the TV screen. The viewer simply (1) searches for a video by using the keyboard on the smartphone touchscreen; (2) chooses a video from the search results; and (3) the chosen video immediately plays on the TV screen.
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About the Author
- Peter Redford
- is located in San Jose, California.
- Mr. Redford is a futurist and a Silicon Valley technology pioneer. He started his technology career over 33 years ago as a researcher with the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Since 1981, he has served continuously as CEO of venture capital funded Silicon Valley technology companies and sold his first company to Yamaha in 1982. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of iLook Corporation (www.ilook.tv), Chairman and CEO of TV Interactive Corporation (www.tvi.com) and sits on the boards of several Silicon Valley technology companies. Redford was granted over 40 digital media technology patents including the original software patents for the graphical user interface (GUI), and for the AutoPlay technology used in Microsoft Windows and in Blu-ray disc players. Redford’s patents have been licensed to all of the major companies in the consumer electronics, video game, toy and personal computer industries (including Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Dell, HP, Sony, Panasonic, Sega, Samsung, LG, Philips, Hasbro, Mattel, and many others). Redford holds an M.S. in Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. You can contact him at redford@tvi.com.
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