interactive television

TV with input

Interactive television refers to TV systems that allow viewers to participate rather than passively watch.

This includes selecting camera angles during sports broadcasts, voting in real-time polls, choosing narrative paths in programs, or accessing supplementary content through a remote or app.

The term covers both broadcast features and streaming platforms with built-in interactivity: The show let viewers vote on which contestant to eliminate via interactive television.

technology

smart TV

Internet-enabled viewing screen

remote control · HDMI · voice control · gesture recognition · touchscreen interface · middleware · return path · video on demand · DVR · TiVo

engagement

polls

Opinion surveys or voting sites

second screen · choose your own adventure · Big Brother · live chat

streaming

Netflix

Subscription streaming service

on-demand · binge-watching · Roku · Apple TV · Chromecast · OTT · buffering · subscription · catch-up TV

Opposites
viewer engagement mode

interactive televisionbroadcast television

Free over-the-air programming

technological capability

interactive televisionanalog television

Wave-pattern video transmission

basic cable · dumb TV · old media

Family

interactive, television, interact, interaction, interacting, interactively, interactivity, televise, televised

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G