EASYTV · Project

Accessible TV Platform That Adapts Media Content for Viewers with Disabilities

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Imagine you're visually impaired and every TV interface feels like it was designed for someone else — tiny menus, no audio descriptions, no way to control it without a standard remote. EASYTV built a complete system that lets the TV adapt to each viewer: it can be controlled by voice, eye movement, or head gestures, automatically adjusts subtitles and audio, and even translates content into sign language animations. Think of it as a smart layer that sits on top of existing TV services and reshapes everything — picture, sound, menus — to match what each person actually needs.

By the numbers

EUR 3,253,250

EU funding received

consortium partners

countries represented (EL, ES, IT)

demo deliverables produced

total deliverables

44%

industry partner ratio in consortium

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Millions of Europeans with visual or hearing impairments cannot fully use TV and streaming services because accessibility features are fragmented, hard to configure, and rarely personalized. Broadcasters and device manufacturers face growing regulatory pressure to make their services accessible, but building these capabilities from scratch is expensive and technically complex. There is a clear market gap for an integrated accessibility toolkit that works across devices and content types.

The solution

What was built

EASYTV delivered a full accessibility technology stack: speech recognition and gesture/gaze-based remote controls (final versions), a sign language capturing and animation system, a self-learning personalization engine that adapts to individual user preferences, a DASH-based content adaptation system for streaming, a UI adaptation engine, and a complete Service Development Kit for third-party integration — 16 working prototypes and 44 total deliverables in all.

Audience

Who needs this

TV broadcasters and OTT streaming platforms needing accessibility complianceSmart TV and set-top box manufacturers adding accessibility featuresAssistive technology companies building media access solutionsPublic service broadcasters with mandatory accessibility obligationsTelecom operators offering IPTV services across European markets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Broadcasting & Media

enterprise

Target: TV broadcasters and streaming platforms

If you are a broadcaster or streaming service dealing with accessibility compliance mandates across European markets — this project developed a complete Service Development Kit with DASH streaming adaptation, audio description engines, and sign language animation that can be integrated into your existing delivery pipeline. The toolkit was built with 9 partners across 3 countries and tested with real users with disabilities.

Consumer Electronics

enterprise

Target: Smart TV and set-top box manufacturers

If you are a smart TV or set-top box manufacturer struggling to differentiate on accessibility features — this project built final-version prototypes of speech recognition remote controls and gesture/gaze-based controllers that let users operate a TV set through eye movement or head movement. These were developed iteratively through 16 demo deliverables with real user validation.

Assistive Technology

SME

Target: Assistive technology providers and accessibility consultancies

If you are an assistive technology company looking for ready-to-integrate accessibility modules — this project delivered a self-learning personalization system that adapts interfaces automatically to user preferences, plus sign language capturing and animation technology. The system covers the full chain from content adaptation to UI customization across multiple terminals.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate EASYTV technology?

Based on available project data, no specific licensing terms or pricing are published. The project received EUR 3,253,250 in EU funding and was classified as an Innovation Action, meaning the results were intended for near-market deployment. Contact the coordinator at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid to discuss licensing of the Service Development Kit and individual components.

Can this scale to millions of viewers on a commercial platform?

The project built content adaptation using DASH streaming services, which is the industry standard for scalable video delivery. The Service Development Kit went through two release cycles (first and final), suggesting it was designed for integration into production systems. However, large-scale commercial deployment evidence is not documented in the project outputs.

Who owns the IP and can I use these tools commercially?

The project consortium of 9 partners includes 4 industry partners and 2 SMEs, so IP is likely shared among them under the EU grant agreement. As an Innovation Action, commercial exploitation was an explicit goal. Specific IP arrangements would need to be negotiated with the consortium coordinator.

Does this comply with the European Accessibility Act requirements?

EASYTV was specifically designed to address media accessibility for people with visual and hearing impairments in the European context. The system covers audio descriptions, sign language, adaptive subtitles, and alternative control methods — all areas addressed by accessibility regulations. The project ran from 2017-2020, before the European Accessibility Act deadline, positioning it as an early compliance solution.

How mature are the individual technology components?

The project produced 16 demo deliverables and 44 total deliverables across all work packages. Key components including the speech recognition remote, gesture/gaze controls, sign language animation, and the personalization system all reached 'final version' status with user testing. The Service Development Kit had both a first and final release.

Can this integrate with existing broadcast infrastructure?

The content adaptation component was built on DASH streaming services, which is widely used in existing broadcast and OTT infrastructure. The Service Development Kit was designed as an integration layer for existing platforms. The multi-terminal approach suggests compatibility with various device types.

What user testing evidence exists?

The project objective explicitly describes testing with users to establish close cooperation among partners and user groups for evaluation and validation. Deliverables show iterative development cycles — preliminary, revised, and final versions — indicating user feedback was incorporated at each stage. The consortium included partners from 3 countries for diverse user testing.

Consortium

Who built it

The EASYTV consortium of 9 partners across Spain, Greece, and Italy has a strong industry orientation with 44% industry partners (4 out of 9), complemented by 2 universities and 1 research organization. The 2 SMEs in the consortium suggest some startup-level agility alongside the larger players. The coordinator, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, is a major Spanish technical university with strong media technology credentials. The Southern European focus (all 3 countries are Mediterranean) means the technology was likely tested with audiences in those markets. For a business buyer, the mix of academic depth and industry execution capability is solid — though the geographic concentration to 3 countries may mean additional localization work for broader European deployment.

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRIDCoordinator · ES
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES
ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPAparticipant · IT
CORPORACIO CATALANA DE MITJANS AUDIOVISUALS SAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain — reach out to the ICT/media accessibility research group

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the EASYTV team to discuss licensing the Service Development Kit or specific components like speech recognition controls or sign language animation? SciTransfer can arrange a focused meeting with the right technical contact.

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