At the moment of writing we are conducting user evaluations with children and their parents. At the CHI '97 demos we would be able to show recordings of end users in action and present some data. Subjects related well to the style of presentation, had little difficulty in working out how to use the system, and felt that the system behaved in a way which they expected. When introducing the concepts as described into interactive TV services user engagement rises, navigation can be simplified and spending time in the service browser can be a pleasant activity itself. The use of real humans, however, proved to be critical.
End users expect high acting abilities and responsive characters in the prototype.