YouView Response to the BBC Trust November 2013 Executive summary YouView welcomes the opportunity to respond to the BBC Trust review of YouView. YouView exists to enable the evolution of free to air television in the UK. It is an open platform for content providers, and consumers can connect a YouView device via any UK Internet service provider. Devices are available from retailers for a one off cost or from ISPs as part of a phone, broadband and TV package. YouView is different from most other TV platforms because it does not own or retail content, produce devices or enter into contracts with the end consumer. Instead, it enables these relationships on behalf of its partners, which include content owners, ISPs, device manufacturers and retailers. YouView is currently the UK’s fastest growing TV platform, largely as result of the range of content it offers, the fact that it is free at the point of use (unless a consumer decides to pay for additional services), its ease of use and set up and the fact that the two ISP shareholders are subsidising the cost of equipment. Retail sales, though currently small, are an important element of the YouView story and already less than 18 months after launch boxes are readily available for £229 and in some cases less. YouView intends to develop its retail presence further by encouraging manufacturers to bring a range of devices to the market. We believe that YouView has had a major beneficial impact on the UK digital TV market providing the core free to air DTT audience with an easy upgrade path from Freeview. We have preserved the principles of PSB prominence in linear television and extended them into on demand services meaning that PSB content is readily and easily discoverable for consumers. This has been achieved by considerable investment in the design of the interface and also by investment in common metadata standards which allow for aggregated search and browse across the full catalogue of content available on YouView. Taken together these will help ensure universality of delivery for the PSB services as they push into new forms of delivery. We also believe that we have achieved market leading parental controls meaning that YouView is a safe environment for families and are well on the way to achieving market leading accessibility provisions. We believe that a purely commercial player in this market would not invest to the same extent that YouView has, and continues to invest, in these areas. In this Response we make specific comments concerning areas in which YouView has direct control (access and sign posting) as well as control provisions relating to syndication in the YouView Shareholders’ Agreement which were proposed at the time of BBC Trust approval. We also address the issue of BBC cross promotion as requested by the Trust. On accessibility, YouView is delighted to have the opportunity to work closely with a range of organisations (including the BBC Trust) to develop the requirements of the platform which extend beyond those proposed at the time of the original proposal. We believe that the relationships we have fostered with these organisations, and the principle of “accessibility first” we have engendered in all aspects of the YouView product development, have enshrined a culture of accessibility awareness which will extend beyond the specific terms of approval. In our Response we summarise the nature of our engagement with third parties our specific accessibility functions, the future development plans for our roadmap and some of the issues we have encountered en route. 2 We acknowledge that the timetable for implementation of accessibility features extends beyond that initially agreed with the Trust, but we believe all parties recognise the additional work undertaken by YouView, particularly to explore the most appropriate features and then consequently the need to work with third party manufacturers to drive software into devices. YouView does not directly contract for content but enables any content provider to run services across the YouView platform using any business model. We currently provide the full range of PSB on demand players as well as a range of services from commercial providers. As YouView does not control access to programme rights we believe we have increased the distribution of shareholder content and have had an overall positive impact on the distribution of content to consumers. We believe our signposting of content is market leading in linear television and at least as good as other devices for on demand content. This is an area we are constantly reviewing to ensure we provide the best viewing experience possible. In terms of the application of the BBC’s cross promotion code, we think the BBC should go considerably further in promoting YouView to licence payers and this could happen within the rules of the current code. We are happy to elaborate on any points contained within this submission. 3 1. YouView Accessibility Features Overview Further to the BBC Trust requirements, YouView scoped its post-launch delivery through expert advice on user need. YouView has reviewed the BBC Trusts' accessibility requirements for YouView in light of the advances in technology since 2009 and the capability of the YouView UI and device (which was unknown in 2009). To understand user needs and to validate our approach, product requirements and design YouView has engaged with key industry organisations, including RNIB, British Dyslexia Association, British Telecommunications plc (BT), BBC and Scope. Engagement with these organisations included: • reviewing requirements and interaction designs with the RNIB, both via email and face-to-face meetings; • access to expert consultants from the RNIB to conduct reviews and advise on design changes and improvements; • demonstrations of products the RNIB endorse, with discussion (e.g. Goodmans set top box); • in-depth sessions with experts at the BBC across all areas of the proposed delivery; • reviews of requirements and products (e.g. Text to Speech capability) with experts at BBC, BT and RNIB; • workshop with Scope regarding how keyboards, games controllers and on-screen remote could most usefully work for a user with motor dysfunction; • trialling of YouView’s keyboard and on-screen remote with users and expert technologists at Scope’s Beaumont College, the learning centre for people with a broad range of physical and learning disabilities; and • identification of third parties that might be interested in using YouView APIs to develop applications for accessibility use. This engagement resulted in YouView proposing a revised list of deliverables, which delivered the desired end results for the BBC Trust through bringing real benefits to users with accessibility needs. This approach was reviewed with both the BBC and BBC Trust. 4 Deliverables User Benefit Deliverable Delivered by Dec 2013 Improve zoom to allow a visually impaired Additional functionality to P users to browse the UI whilst still in a zoomed enable interaction with UI state when in zoom Ability to change the colour scheme of the Setting for alternative high P YouView UI for users with colour perception visibility colour scheme issues or who are visually impaired Ability to remove moving images when the UI is Setting to turn off moving P invoked to allow users with ADHD to more images (keep audio) when easily navigate YouView UI invoked Audio feedback to confirm key presses on RCU Audio Feedback – to Help P for key accessibility buttons e.g. AD button for Scheme specification blind or visually impaired users An accessible YouView companion application Accessible YouView App: for smartphones for blind and visually impaired Delivering ‘discover-to- users: play’ audible user journeys • High visibility interface P • Enable user to complete high-value end-to- (Planned for 2014) end journeys without need for standard remote control • Text-to-speech enabled via app integrating P with mobile platform screen-reader functionality e.g. VoiceOver for iOS Support ability for an intermediate device Enable third party device displaying an ‘onscreen keyboard or RCU’ to to emulate YouView RCU work with Switch devices to control YouView key presses, supporting box: an onscreen keyboard / RCU for use with Switch • This is likely to be through the publication of device P an API or specification to emulate RCU key presses Support for the most commonly used USB- Enable a USB keyboard to devices that are able to navigate the YouView work with YouView device UI e.g. keyboards, for users with moderate motor skills impairment: • RCU controls can be mapped onto keyboard P to remove need for RCU A plan and proposed toolkit for third parties Define relevant and wanting to create accessible services for the appropriate ‘toolkit’ for YouView platform, based on demand and ability third parties wanting to for YouView to deliver without breaching create accessible commercial requirements (e.g. access to MAS): YouView services • The APIs required to be defined through P further interaction with wider industry 5 Design principles YouView has adopted the following design principles to deliver these requirements: • provide solutions for a wide range of accessibility needs: - address the accessibility needs of different groups from the visually and audibly impaired through to those with cognitive and motor skills impairment; • design these solutions through on-going collaboration with experts at the relevant organisations: - blind and visually impaired (RNIB); - deaf and hearing impaired (RNID); - physically disabled (Scope); - motor skills impaired (and cognitive disability) (Scope); and - learning, cognitive and developmental disorders (e.g. the British Dyslexic Association); • adopt a companion screen focused approach, delivering access for a wider group of accessibility needs in a shorter timeframe: - most cost and time efficient approach; - utilise existing development on mobile platforms to deliver better accessibility for blind, partially sighted and users with motor skills impairment; - develop around devices, or software, that users may already be using in home e.g.