Challenges and opportunities of iDTV for audience measurement systems: a set-top box-based approach

Advanced innovations such as digital transmission technologies and personal video-recorders (PVRs) have changed TV viewing behaviour. In order to maintain their position as the world's largest advertising channel, television broadcasters are increasingly dependent on accurate and in-depth audience data. Unfortunately, the traditional measurement techniques fail to keep up with innovations of interactive digital TV (iDTV) such as video-on-demand (VOD), time shifted viewing, an electronic programme guide (EPG), ad avoidance using the PVR, etc. This article reflects on the current state of audience measurement in Europe and describes our search to tackle some of the challenges. Contrary to traditional systems that use dedicated and expensive hardware, this article presents a set-top box-only approach.