I like to think of myself as being somewhat technically literate. I can program VCRs and can figure out most software without a manual.
I have a confession. I don’t like the menu systems I have used so far for digital TV. I think the set top box industry is trying to force a computer application into a TV remote form factor and it just isn’t working for me. My wife? Ha!
Scrolling through hundreds of channels? No thanks.
And when I want to search for a program, there has to be an easier way than selecting characters awkwardly with the arrow keys. Why isn’t it predictive? The system knows the names of all the shows – when I enter W, the search subsystem should offer a menu of shows that begin with ‘W’.
If I find difficult, then what about all the non-geeks out there who still haven’t changed the clocks in their cars to Daylight Savings time?
IP-TV service providers take note. As Apple proved with the iTunes/iPod combo, there are great returns for a company that provides an easy user interface.