Creating effectively designed software-for any platform-is a complicated and time-consuming business. Creating software for digital settops has encountered challenges unique to the cable industry: scarce applicable design precedence, a thankfully temporary mania of inflated expectations for "interactive television," and a paucity of basic technical knowledge about how applications are created and deployed. While the first two issues have largely faded, the last continues to hamper effective application deployment. Without a general understanding of the issues involved in settop software design, cable operators will inevitably experience frustration and disap pointment with their deployments. This paper addresses five topics in software design applicable to digital settops, providing a brief technical background of each issue followed by their individual effects on software performance-and ultimately viewer comprehension and acceptance. While illustrated by real-world examples, this discussion does not focus on a particular settop box manufacturer or set of features; rather, the principles discussed here apply to all platforms. The topics cover the following: 1. Middleware Usage 2. Memory Allocation 3. Settop Performance 4. Viewer Interface Details 5. TV Display Technology While not comprehensive, this list nevertheless covers a range of technical issues collectively having a large impact on successful software deployment. Armed with this knowledge, cable operators and other gatekeepers can ask the right questions and thereby create-or procure-better applications to meet their ever-expanding needs.
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