Service discovery
A guide to how smart televisions can discover services and present them consistently and coherently while still allowing for innovation in user interfaces.
How television services can be discovered across different sources
Despite vastly increased viewing options, finding something to watch on television can be a challenge.
Television used to be simple. You could turn on the television, browse through a list of channels, and choose what to watch.
Today, that experience is less consistent. Smart televisions can offer broadcast channels, streaming services, and apps, but how these are presented depends on the platform and the services available.
Some televisions show channel lists. Others prioritise apps. Many combine both, often in different ways.
So how does a television know what channels, services, and programmes are available?
How did televisions traditionally find channels?
In the case of broadcast channels, a television can scan the airwaves to find services.
The digital broadcast signal carries not only audio and video but also the service information needed to organise the channels into a list. This is used to create a channel lineup, with names, numbers, and programme information.
This process was consistent and predictable. Viewers could expect the same channels to appear in roughly the same way, regardless of the television being used.
How do smart televisions find services today?
A television connected to the internet can access services from many different sources.
Broadcast channels may still be available, but they sit alongside online services and apps. Each of these may offer a different way of presenting programmes.
Some smart televisions also include lists of additional channels available on their platform. Others rely on apps provided by broadcasters or global streaming services. In many cases, both approaches are combined.
This means that the way services are discovered depends on the television platform, the apps that are installed, and the agreements between different providers.
Why is it difficult to access some services on different televisions?
Unlike broadcast television, there has been no single, shared method for finding and organising television and video services online.
Each television manufacturer or operating system provider defines its own approach. It may decide which services to include, how they are presented, and how easy they are to find.
Viewers may therefore see very different sets of services on different makes of television.
Some services may be easy to access through a channel list. Others may only be available through an app. Some may be promoted more prominently than others.
This variation arises because service discovery is no longer built into the delivery system itself, but is instead handled separately by different platforms.
How could the television viewing experience be simplified?
To simplify the viewing experience, televisions need a more consistent way to find and organise available services.
Services need to be announced, described, and made available more consistently to create a more coherent experience.
Consumer electronics manufacturers still need to be able to differentiate their products. They are also looking for ways to gain revenue beyond the sale of the set.
This means that:
- Services should be easy to find, regardless of how they are delivered
- Information about services should be structured in a consistent way
- Interfaces should be able to innovate the presentation of services
In this way, broadcast channels, online channels, and online video services can all be brought together into a single, coherent experience.
How does service discovery work on smart televisions?
Service discovery is the process that allows smart televisions to find compatible services that are relevant to the location and language of the user.
It provides a uniform way to locate information about services, rather than relying on each platform or app to define its own isolated view.
By making services discoverable in a consistent way, it becomes possible to present them as part of a unified experience, rather than a collection of separate options.
Conclusion
As television continues to evolve, the way services are discovered becomes increasingly important. Viewers still expect a simple and intuitive way to find what to watch, even as the number of available services grows.
The Service List Registry provides a foundation for this, enabling smart televisions to discover service lists and present them in a consistent way. This supports the future of television and the move to online delivery, while helping to ensure that viewers can easily find and choose what to watch.