A
system and method of adding hyperlinked information to a television broadcast in which an
interactive content icon is used. The broadcast material is analyzed and one or more regions within a frame are identified. Additional information can be associated with a region, and can be transmitted in encoded form, using timing information to identify the frame with which the information is associated. The
system comprising a video source and an
encoder that produces a transport
stream in communication with the video source, an
annotation source, a data packet
stream generator that produces encoded
annotation data packets in communication with the
annotation source and the
encoder, and a
multiplexer system in communication with the
encoder and the data packet
stream generator. The encoder provides
timestamp information to the data packet stream generator and the data packet stream generator synchronizes annotation data from the annotation source with a video
signal from the video source in response to the
timestamp information. The
multiplexer generates a digital broadcast
signal that includes an augmented transport stream from the transport stream and the encoded data packets. A
receiver displays the annotation information associated with the video
signal in response to a viewer request on a frame by frame basis. A viewer can respond interactively to the material, including performing commercial transactions, by using a
backchannel that is provided for interactive communication. The
interactive content icon can be used to inform a viewer of the presence of hyperlinked information, for teaching the viewer how to use the system, and for informing the viewer about the hyperlinked information.