for the pilot operation
TR and the keypartners in this project did not want to carry out the Graz pilot test as a mere „technical test operation“ but to integrate viewers into the process and thus receive their feedback on digital television and the accompanying interactive possibilities.
Therefore, the !TV4GRAZ television channel was created as the core of DVB-T test operations in Graz – a mixed interactive channel providing content from ORF and the private television stations ATVplus, gotv, ProSieben Austria, Sat.1 Österreich, Steiermark 1 and Atv Aichfeld.
One of the main objectives for all of the parties involved was to develop and offer interactive, MHP-based digital content to accompany each show.
1,260 hours of interactive programming
!TV4GRAZ was on the air 24 hours a day for three months. During the channel‘s core broadcasting time, from 10:00 am to 12:00 midnight, 1,260 hours of interactive programming were offered. This included approximately 40 different shows in the genres of information, culture, science, sports, music, series, films, services and documentaries – in short, the content a viewer would expect from a full television channel today. However, this content was also extended to include MHP-based services which enabled viewers to take part in surveys on the show currently on the air, to order merchandise or to retrieve a wide variety of information on current shows, world news and many other topics. These functions can be accessed easily and at any time using the television remote control.
!TV4GRAZ‘s schedule consisted of shows selected by the television stations participating in the pilot project. In this context, the main challenge for !TV4GRAZ was to create an attractive schedule with due attention to various age groups, times of day and viewing habits.
!TV4GRAZ – Project name and broadcasting brand
Through this project, !TV4GRAZ also became known as a broadcasting brand for this interactive television station. The brand was easy to communicate to the test households by displaying the !TV4GRAZ logo on screen at all times. The attractive and familiar television content helped to allay any reservations viewers may have had regarding the new technologies, enabling viewers to familiarize themselves with state-of-the-art MHP-based additional services on the basis of popular programming content.
During breaks between shows, short films placed the !TV4GRAZ project in the context of television history or provided information on the province of Styria as a business location. Students in the Information Design program at the Joanneum specialized college also created artistic videos dealing with concepts from the world of communication.
In the !TV4GRAZ schedule shown below, additional incentives were offered in the form of special shows (e.g. live football broadcasts) during the three-month broadcasting period. Shows from the core time (10:00 am to 12:00 midnight) were repeated in the period from midnight to 10:00 am.
