Hong Kong NowTV Shop Short Review

Channel 501 on Hong Kong NowTV now allows users to buy DVDs, books and much more Agenda of presentation Channel Concept Products & Services Cool Stuff Some Usability Issues Conclusion All screenshots available on Flickr http://flickr.com/photos/12752322@N00/ NowTV Shop

Channel 501 on Hong Kong NowTV now allows users to buy DVDs, books and much more

Agenda of presentation

Channel Concept

Products & Services

Cool Stuff

Some Usability Issues

Conclusion

All screenshots available on Flickr

http://flickr.com/photos/12752322@N00/

Channel Concept

Channel Concept Offer a new channel for users to purchase products Benefit for PCCW as users can only purchase through their channel But … This is broadband TV. Users not only have the TV, but mostly Internet as well. It seems that purchasing over the TV offers less advantages than the Web More importantly, Hong Kong people are known to purchase very little online … what is the incentive for them to purchase on the TV?

Offer a new channel for users to purchase products

Benefit for PCCW as users can only purchase through their channel

But …

This is broadband TV. Users not only have the TV, but mostly Internet as well. It seems that purchasing over the TV offers less advantages than the Web

More importantly, Hong Kong people are known to purchase very little online … what is the incentive for them to purchase on the TV?

Products & Services

Products & Services On NowTV Shop you can Buy DVDs, books, toys, electronics, fashion accessories, movie tickets and plenty of “PCCW products” Get food delivered to your home Trade on the stock market and get quotes

On NowTV Shop you can

Buy DVDs, books, toys, electronics, fashion accessories, movie tickets and plenty of “PCCW products”

Get food delivered to your home

Trade on the stock market and get quotes

COOL STUFF!

Cool Stuff When we think about it, it would be great to be able to seamlessly use a TV or a computer to do a wide range of tasks, e.g. Checking stock quotes Ordering food Although we use the computer more and more there are times it is not turned off … At first, some services looked really cool

When we think about it, it would be great to be able to seamlessly use a TV or a computer to do a wide range of tasks, e.g.

Checking stock quotes

Ordering food

Although we use the computer more and more there are times it is not turned off …

Cool Stuff: Services Live Quotes Watching the financial news, the anchorman omits a stock you are following-up. You can now check it live … but too bad that you need to pay a subscription for the service (that is free online for the most part)

Live Quotes

Watching the financial news, the anchorman omits a stock you are following-up. You can now check it live

… but too bad that you need to pay a subscription for the service (that is free online for the most part)

Cool Stuff: Services Ordering Food You have friends coming to watch a movie. You can order food on the spot! And it can become a group task with everybody being able to watch the TV to choose food … but the process can be lengthy and calling may be a better option to make the final order

Ordering Food

You have friends coming to watch a movie. You can order food on the spot!

And it can become a group task with everybody being able to watch the TV to choose food

… but the process can be lengthy and calling may be a better option to make the final order

Cool Stuff: Interface Design Zooming on products When browsing products, the one “moused-over” is zoomed on The function is pretty well implemented, adding clarity without hiding other pieces of information on the screen See also as the price is displayed directly on the main page. Nice!

Zooming on products

When browsing products, the one “moused-over” is zoomed on

The function is pretty well implemented, adding clarity without hiding other pieces of information on the screen

See also as the price is displayed directly on the main page. Nice!

Some Usability Issues

Sign in / Register Among the three options available it is not clear how to register for new users… Are the three options for both login and register or the first two are for logging in and the third one for registering To new customers, naming like “NOW TV PIN” and “NOW SHOP PIN” may not be clear

Among the three options available it is not clear how to register for new users…

Are the three options for both login and register or the first two are for logging in and the third one for registering

To new customers, naming like “NOW TV PIN” and “NOW SHOP PIN” may not be clear

Welcome Page: Grouping “ Money Management” and “Terms and Conditions” are visually grouped, making it hard to guess that money management is A service (and not settings or account maintenance) About trading stocks The label of “Money Management” is not clear as well

“ Money Management” and “Terms and Conditions” are visually grouped, making it hard to guess that money management is

A service (and not settings or account maintenance)

About trading stocks

The label of “Money Management” is not clear as well

Products Page: Page Layout Below screenshot may look like no product is available, as the area normally used for sub-categories is empty Actually the sub-category or link is displayed in “what’s new” (which should be used for temporary items) The copy saying “Coming Soon” is also misleading

Below screenshot may look like no product is available, as the area normally used for sub-categories is empty

Actually the sub-category or link is displayed in “what’s new” (which should be used for temporary items)

The copy saying “Coming Soon” is also misleading

Location in Navigation On the first screenshot I am in “ Lifestyle ” > “ Electronics ” On the second… where am I? Actually in “ Tickets/Food ” Location should be shown for both 1 st and 2 nd level categories It is also better to leave the cursor on the selected category for more clarity 1 2

On the first screenshot I am in

“ Lifestyle ” > “ Electronics ”

On the second… where am I?

Actually in “ Tickets/Food ”

Location should be shown for both 1 st and 2 nd level categories

It is also better to leave the cursor on the selected category for more clarity

Virtual Keyboard Input is a real problem in TV interaction The remote is very limiting, especially for text entry The use of the virtual keyboard is not intuitive First select a line Then type a number from 0 to 9 to select a letter in that line … but can really better be done? Maybe a sequence from “1 to 0” instead of “0 to 9” would be better, as pressing 1 in that case would select the 1 st letter in the line I selected the third line with the down arrow on the remote I then press “3” to select the letter “N” for example (Note that selecting “N” requires pressing “3” and not “4”)

Input is a real problem in TV interaction

The remote is very limiting, especially for text entry

The use of the virtual keyboard is not intuitive

First select a line

Then type a number from 0 to 9 to select a letter in that line

… but can really better be done?

Maybe a sequence from “1 to 0” instead of “0 to 9” would be better, as pressing 1 in that case would select the 1 st letter in the line

I selected the third line with the down arrow on the remote

I then press “3” to select the letter “N” for example

Restaurant Categories Categories have to be clearly different “ Pizza & Pasta ” vs. “ Italian ”? Categories have to represent what they contain “ Egyptian ” here is actually North African food Categories have to be specific What is “ International ” here?

Categories have to be clearly different

“ Pizza & Pasta ” vs. “ Italian ”?

Categories have to represent what they contain

“ Egyptian ” here is actually North African food

Categories have to be specific

What is “ International ” here?

Integration of third-parties Browsing through services leads to jumping to other third party websites with no visual consistency Food, Tickets, PCCW Products, Investment Especially the “PCCW Products” section is very misleading New product architecture within that sub-section New interface with no apparent cart anymore Maybe those different “suppliers” should be top levels on the channel…

Browsing through services leads to jumping to other third party websites with no visual consistency

Food, Tickets, PCCW Products, Investment

Especially the “PCCW Products” section is very misleading

New product architecture within that sub-section

New interface with no apparent cart anymore

Maybe those different “suppliers” should be top levels on the channel…

Conclusion

Conclusion First! This presentation has been done really quickly! Maybe 2 or 3 hours… It is VERY far from exhaustive Just to give a quick look at the issue as the service is new

First!

This presentation has been done really quickly! Maybe 2 or 3 hours…

It is VERY far from exhaustive

Just to give a quick look at the issue as the service is new

Conclusion Short term I personally do not think buying through broadband TV can take off in Hong Kong As Hong Kong people already buy very little online As interacting with a TV is still far from easy It would still be interesting if some of these products and services could be successful I would focus on stock related information If ordering can be simplified, ordering food could be interesting Interaction methods and “low-resolution” TV displays are really big problems

Short term

I personally do not think buying through broadband TV can take off in Hong Kong

As Hong Kong people already buy very little online

As interacting with a TV is still far from easy

It would still be interesting if some of these products and services could be successful

I would focus on stock related information

If ordering can be simplified, ordering food could be interesting

Interaction methods and “low-resolution” TV displays are really big problems

Conclusion Long-term In the long run, it could be interesting to see if cross-selling could work Scenario: You are watching Harry Potter A link appears at the end of the movie saying you can buy Harry Potter DVDs, books or maybe watch a special feature about the movie The link leads you to the “shopping” channel Also other business models could be considered What is best for users Order all the food they want on the TV Or just be able to check a menu and make a call to confirm the order? I would opt for the second option personally… and Now TV could still profit from that by charging a small fee to restaurant chains for being listed

Long-term

In the long run, it could be interesting to see if cross-selling could work

Scenario:

You are watching Harry Potter

A link appears at the end of the movie saying you can buy Harry Potter DVDs, books or maybe watch a special feature about the movie

The link leads you to the “shopping” channel

Also other business models could be considered

What is best for users

Order all the food they want on the TV

Or just be able to check a menu and make a call to confirm the order?

I would opt for the second option personally… and Now TV could still profit from that by charging a small fee to restaurant chains for being listed

Conclusion Long-term It also feels strange to buy a DVDs on broadband TV… It seems quite out-dated The service could be integrated with the computer or a hard drive integrated to the set-top box to download or stream movies and songs for example

Long-term

It also feels strange to buy a DVDs on broadband TV… It seems quite out-dated

The service could be integrated with the computer or a hard drive integrated to the set-top box to download or stream movies and songs for example