What is EBIF?
Simple interactivity on television using an existing digital cable set-top and remote.

How it Works
“User agent” software is downloaded to a digital cable set-top to serve as a player of interactive content. Once installed, cable providers, television networks, and content creators can use authoring tools to create interactive applications and features that run on those boxes. Various software components, known as carousels, generators, and streamers, manage the delivery of an application to a set-top box and trigger it once a consumer points and clicks with their remote.   

Cable operators also use EBIF to synchronize a set-top and an app on other viewing devices, such as a tablet, that performs TV remote functions and includes links to interactive features or social media related to what you’re watching.