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need for a personal computer, by using interactive services. While there
are numerous potential advantages, there are also some challenges. Al-
though more than half the population has already switched over voluntarily
(OFCOM 2005) a significant proportion of the population has not, and
many cannot see why they should - they are not interested in the additional
content and facilities that it would deliver. The new services require new
equipment both to receive the broadcast signal and to access the new func-
tions and features (precisely what depends on what you already have). The
hardware involved is far more complicated to operate.
Fig. 2.2. A and B The difference in complexity of TV remote controls.
Figure 2.2A and 2.2B illustrate one of the consequences that the explosive
growth in functionality and choice of features has for the user. Fig. 2.2A is
an early remote control (circa 1980) for an analogue television set. This
remote control enabled the TV viewer to remotely change the major pa-
rameters of their TV viewing with just three buttons. A simple toggle
switch allowed the viewer to move between the four terrestrial TV chan-
nels that were available at that time or switch the TV off, and two buttons
controlled the sound volume - one to increase it and the other to decrease it.
In sharp contrast, Fig. 2.2B shows the remote control for interactive
digital television received via satellite. This has more than 40 buttons which
greatly increases the complexity of the task facing the user to change
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