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What’s a Widget?
Widget – A Definition
Wondering what the term widget really means and how it applies to the television viewing experience? L4 Media has the answer.
• Widget (def):
– A mini-application that performs some simple function, e.g. providing a weather report or stock quote
– Can be accessed from a computer desktop, webpage, mobile phone…and now TV
Haven’t I seen this idea before? Wasn’t it called Web TV?
Web TV is different than a widget.
Web TV was a product launched in the 1990s which attempted to deliver the entire Internet onto the television. It allowed people to browse the Internet using their TV. Although popular in concept, the product did have challenges with execution mostly because it:
– Made people switch between Internet vs. TV viewing
– Forced a PC experience within a TV form factor
Widgets, on the other hand, don’t try to recreate the Internet on your television. Each widget provides a small piece of content, e.g. sports scores or stock market numbers, for consumption.
A television widget is usually designed from the ground up for use on the television, overcoming the medium’s weaknesses and highlighting its strengths. Widgets work simultaneously with TV programming so consumers can view them while watching TV. Widgets are also controlled by the consumer who can personalize them and choose when to turn them on or off.
What’s the consumer widget experience like on a TV?
Widget experiences vary from deployment to deployment. However, below is an example of the steps a consumer would perform to start using widgets on their television screens.
Want to launch your own widgets? Visit the L4 Media Panorama platform page or contact us for more information.
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