Interactive video is a digital multimedia presentation that can take user input to perform some action. Interactive videos play like regular video files, but include clickable areas, or hotspots, that perform an action when you click on them. For example, clicking a hotspot might display information about the object you clicked on, jump to a different part of the video, or open another video file.
Interactive video has many possible applications. For education, a students could select among multiple choices for further videos or other information at points throughout a presentation. After a lecture segment, a quiz might be included to evaluate student responses and provide immediate feedback. Games may be based on interactive video. This allows the player to select among various options that determine subsequent story lines in the game. Each choice leads to a different scenario, so potential story lines can vary significantly.
YouTube, a popular video sharing website, uses interactive videos. Clickable areas can be added at any point in a video. For example, at the end of a video it may ask which character the viewer liked best. When the viewer makes a choice, a new video may open and provide more information about that character. Other examples of interactive videos include card tricks, choose your own adventure videos, and interactive tutorials.
Interactive video can be connected to other services such as e-mail, teleconference, etc.