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Bill's Bookshelf: 500 channels and nothing's on; L.J. Davis's negative book on cable and interactive TV (12-3-98) (SunWorld)
SunWorld columnist Bill Rosenblat reviews L.J. Davis's book The Billionaire Shell Game about the billionaires who run the cable industry. Rosenblat writes Davis makes the point "that interactive television is a joke, was a joke, and will continue to be a joke for the forseeable future." Needless to say, I think Davis is wrong. Let's continue....
Rosenblat goes on to further review the book: "Davis's attitude toward the several interactive TV trials he describes is one of naked contempt...." citing a "14 inches vs. 14 feet" dichotomy that a PC user typically sits 14 inches away from a PC monitor while a TV viewer typically sits 14 feet away from a TV set. Rosenblat writes Davis "claims there is no persuasive evidence that people even want to interact with their TVs."
Hmm. Davis is still wrong. Surfing TV channels is a good bit of interaction with the TV. Surfing the Internet on a TV is the same thing where TV viewers may passively view the information on the TV screen. Without an Internet-on-TV connection, calling an 800 number in response to a TV commercial is part of the interaction with the TV. In e-commerce, instead of calling an 800 number to order a product, the TV viewer can order a product via the Internet on the TV set. Instead of calling a telephone number to participate in a TV show's poll, the TV viewer can click on some links on the TV to instantaneously place her or his vote. Davis is wrong about interactive TV. Davis doesn't THINK TV. Davis is apparently thinking like a PC User and not more like a TV Viewer. A PC user leans toward the computer screen when using a computer while a TV viewer tends to lean back when watching the TV. Despite Davis's 14x14 dichotomy (some people do sit closer than 14 feet from their TV sets), TV-adjusted fonts and other screen adjustments, as well as web developers designing webpages for TV , will bring the TV screen's content "closer" to the viewer. The lean-back aspect of television will make interactive TV a success. You have to THINK TV when considering interactive TV. Interactive TV will simply be seen as a given. Interactive TV will be what is expected of TV. And that it is and will all be seen as "TV."
Rosenblat's review of Davis's book goes into the history of interactive TV in the 1970s with the successful-but-before-its-time Qube (that's old) and the more recent Full Service Network (FSN). Davis would point to those services to say that interactive TV will never ever work. However, those services may be considered isolated though expensive ventures that did not have it right or the time was not right for those services. (Just because you throw money at something does not mean it will work.) Also, I would say that with a focus on Internet-provided content and with email helping to push the popularity of the Internet, interactive TV will finally work with today's Internet-aware TV audience. And it helps that there are more cable, settop, internet, computer, and television companies playing in the game. Davis, the book writer, is wrong about the viability of interactive TV in today's world. "500 channels" will work and there will be something "on" whether they be regular TV channels or Internet "channels." And it will all be on the TV. - Can Cable Set-top Boxes live up to the Hype? (12-3-98) (CNET)
CNET reports that Jupiter Communications analyst Seamus McAteer is skeptical of cable set-tops. CNET quotes McAteer as stating, "There is a pent-up demand for broadband Internet access among PC owners, but TV viewers who don't have a PC are really not that interested. And do you really want to string a line from your PC to your set-top, which are usually in different rooms? Probably not."
However, I would say it's unfair to compare PC Users with Set-top TV Viewers. You can't compare apples and oranges. Don't confuse the two. Set-top TV viewers will want content and would be less concerned about the specifics of broadband high-speed access. PC Users, and analysts who may be thinking in computer terms, would be concerned about broadband high-speed access and whether the cable line has to be pulled from the living room, family room, or TV room to another room to hook up the PC. Set-top TV viewers will simply be concerned with content and whether the TV show, movie, or interactive service is coming through the cable line to her or his settop-connected TV set. THINK TV and not whether the typical TV viewer will be concerned with the specific capabilities of the cable line.
CNET also reports that "[Cable interactive settop service] with all the bells and whistles could be very patchy for a few years yet." Since it is the cable operators who will have to initially buy the boxes for lease to customers and who will have to pay for local cable infrastructure upgrades, the cable operators will dictate the type and level of service to be provided. (U.S. retail sales of cable settop boxes begin in July 2000, while U.S. cable companies will still be leasing boxes until 2005.) For fans of telephone-based settop boxes, the patchy introduction of cable interactive TV services is one of the reasons why telephone-based settop boxes will still be around. You can see that various settop companies are designing their telephone-based settop boxes to not only have the telephone modem but also announced options for telephone DSL, ethernet, cable modems, etc. - Cable has to keep prices down despite need to pay for cable operators' upgrades for
interactive services (12-2-98) (CNET)
- WebTV coming to cable TV (12-2-98) (CNET)
- Scientific-Atlanta to incorporate Microsoft's WebTV television software services in digital set-top boxes (12-2-98) (Microsoft)
- Scientific-Atlanta & Microsoft to provide WebTV service on Explorer 2000 Set-Top Box and digital interactive network (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- Microsoft unveils TV Platform & service offerings for Cable MSOs (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- WebTV cable-ready for Scientific-Atlanta (12-2-98) (InfoBeat Internet Daily)
InfoBeat reports that Scientific-Atlanta will provide cable systems with WebTV Network service for use on set-top boxes through a cable digital interactive network for Internet access and cable video program. InfoBeat also reports that Microsoft and S-A will design a next-generation set-top box running WinCE and based on the WebTV software. -
WorldGate announces commercial Internet TV deployment on Scientific-Atlanta advanced analog set-top box (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- General Instrument & Scientific-Atlanta
announce they are each developing devices to be hubs to connect digital home devices (12-2-98) (CNET)
G-I is working with Sony on home networking. S-A is working with Avio Digital on their home networking setup. - VNet's VWeb set-top telephone-based box to bring Super VCD movie discs and Internet to TV (12-1-98) (South China Morning Post)
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ESS Technology announces key design wins for internet set-top solution with VNet Information in Hong Kong (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- Microsoft, NEC, Hughes Electronics, and Alcatel to pay
$318 million for third of Thomson Multimedia (12-2-98) (CNET)
France-based Thomson Multimedia is the biggest U.S. TV maker with the RCA and GE brandname TV sets. - Captain Kirk says, "Beam Me Up, WebTV" (12-1-98) (National Post)
- Cable Set-Tops: The Longest Promise as cable standards continue to be sorted through (12-2-98) (WIRED)
- Interactive TV programming momentum continues with key industry players' support (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- Interactive TV deals in the works as Western Cable Show opens (12-1-98) (ZDNN)
- Interactive TV deals in the works (11-30-98) (MSNBC)
- Insiders at Western Cable Show looking at how to take interactive digital services to the masses (11-30-98) (CNET)
- $500 JavaStations for business; but AOL interested in Sun's work on SAP station (12-2-98) (MSNBC)
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- ATI, Newbridge, & PixStream demo head-end to set-top box cable solution at Western Cable Show (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
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QED & partner Rachis's PlusTV gains support for set-top market (12-1-98) (PRNewswire)
- General Instrument & Sony team up for home networking (12-1-98) (CNET)
General Instrument will license Sony's Home Networking Module middleware and Sony's Aperios operating system for use in General Instrument's DCT-5000 advanced digital set-top box. -
General Instrument and Sony confirm alliance to develop advanced set-top capabilities for home networking (12-1-98) (PRNewswire)
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From the Ether: Bob Metcalfe is looking for a "WebTop" service for transition from PC desktop to
settops, NC, and internet appliances (11-30-98) (InfoWorld)
Metcalfe wants a "Web desktop and e-mail database workflow service" that he and his assistant can access from any internet-capable device whether that be a computer, a settop, a NC, or some sort of internet appliance. Metcalfe should look at StoragePoint. - QED & IGST announce MIPS-based multimedia platform for set-tops (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- MAP1000 "Software TV" engine for digital TV debuts at Western Cable Show (11-30-98) (TechWeb)
TechWeb reports Equator is debuting its reprogrammable MAP1000 media processor at the Western Cable Show in Anaheim, California. TechWeb also reports the processor formats digital video and graphics for high-resolution monitors as well as provides NTSC image enhancement and MPEG4 decoding with future options for video conferencing and interactive gaming. TechWeb cites Equator CTO John O'Donnell as indicating the MAP1000 will replace hardwired MPEG and 3D graphics engines in advanced TVs and will also support settop-box add-on services for digital TV. TechWeb quotes O'Donnell as stating, The TV guys are terrified of the six-month product cycles the PC guys live with." So, instead of having to buy a new box, the processor is merely reprogrammed with upgraded software. - Netscape's Marc Andreessen may change the Face of TV; Andreessen makes significant investment in Replay Networks Inc. and will sit on Replay's board of directors (12-2-98) (NYT-Boston Globe)
- MoreCom demos integration of TV & internet content (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- Scientific-Atlanta announces deal with Intertainer (12-2-98) (CNET)
- Scientific-Atlanta & Intertainer to provide 'Entertainment-On-Demand' via Explorer set-top box (12-1-98) (PRNewswire)
- Interactive TV services look at personalization (11-28-98) (TechWeb)
TechWeb reports, "Content used to be king, but integrating content with related e-commerce is the profit-maker interactive TV vendors are now seeking." TiVo to rollout next-generation VCR technology and to position TiVo as a TV portal search engine for TV content-on-demand through a $500 set-top box that can hold 12 hours of video using MPEG2 (a larger unit can hold 20 hours). TiVo and others to use Internet to transparently package entertainment and online shopping.- But also see @Home limits broadcast-quality video to only Ten minutes (11-30-98) (CNET)
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Other Interactive Entertainment: Box Music Network & ACTV explore Enhanced Programming (11-25-98) (PRNewswire)
Box Music Network and ACTV will research viewer satisfaction with giving the viewer control over interactive concert programming. "We're talking about a demographic that grew up with video games, with CDROMs" said Sharon H. Brown, Executive VicePresident of Programming and Marketing for TCI Music. "These are kids who expect to control their entertainment environment. With ACTV's Plus system, they can focus on a particular band member, get artist bios, read song lyrics -- they can create their own personalized music-video experience."
- General Instrument shows off DCT-2000 at Western Cable Show (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
- Scientific-Atlanta announces launch of Explorer 2000 advanced digital set-top boxes (12-2-98) (PRNewswire)
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Scientific-Atlanta to present commercial launch of Explorer 2000 set-top and digital
interactive network at December 98 Western Cable Show (11-25-98) (PRNewswire)
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