Using WebGL to create TV-centric user interfaces

Abstract: In recent years the user interfaces of the TV platform have been powered by HTML, but since the platform is starting to support new techniques it might be time to change the focus. HTML is a good choice for interface development because of its high level and platform independence; however, when performance is critical and the requirements are high HTML can impose serious restrictions. WebGL is a technology released in 2011 that brings a low-level graphics API to the web. The API allows for development of advanced 3D graphics and visual effects that were impossible or impractical in the HTML world. The problem is that the hassle of using pure WebGL is in most cases too big to overcome. In this thesis a proof-of-concept was developed to investigate the issues and limitations of WebGL. A conclusion was made that even though the performance was not as good as expected it might still be viable for use in some settings.