Recline was a project to investigate sharing media experiences via smart set-top box.

• Conversation during shared online/media activities:
  • Shared surfing and viewing of web, TV, music
  • Immersive and hands-free telephony
  • Phones that scale: 2 and more users and locations
• Talk to buddies at same online location:
  • Web portal, TV channel, music source, game lobby, online shop
• Meet and talk to new peers at same online location
  • Discount purchases with online peers

• Lean-back hands-free telephone
  • TV and home theater speakers
  • Proprietary microphone hardware and software
  • Simple remote control to surf, call, answer, share
• Traditional private cordless handset
• Stereo headset
  • Hands free and private
  • Ideal for music, games, teens, youths
  • Easily connect to set-top box with 2-way broadband

• Screen and remote simplify call and message functions
• On-screen caller ID, message info, skip, keep, return call
• Voice and/or video replies to text e-mail
• Messages can include video

• Talk and socialize while listening to music with buddies
• Teens browsing and choosing music become de-facto DJs
• Music rights management enables live sharing or purchase for collection
• Opportunities to recommend music and to share costs
• At the same time discuss homework, surf the web, hang out
• Teens can surf together or independently as they listen and talk

• Players and spectators can easily kibitz, bet, play winners
• Enabling voice widens audience for online versions of traditional games
• Among buddies or strangers, find a fourth for bridge online
• Hands free phones enable multi-player action videogames
• Markets range from children to seniors

• Choose and watch movies with buddies from multiple locations
• Viewers may talk while choosing, during intermissions/ads, after movie
• Premiere or Fan screenings may discourage or enable talk during movie
• Discover other online users who want to see the same movie
• Group buys enable cheaper video on demand, for provider and for consumer