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- Is HDTV a high-wire act? (1-19-99) (Seattle Times)
NBC VP of technology Peter Smith is cited as indicating NBC is considering simultaneous digital broadcasts where one show may be broadcast in high definition while another show may be broadcast in a "lower" digital resolution but including an Internet-type "data cast" allowing TV viewers to click over to an Internet site while watching the TV show. - Lines blurred at CES (1-19-99) (Union-Tribune)
Survey article of products intro'd at CES '99 also covers the Thomson debut of their RCA HDTV Converter DTC100 set-top box: "This digital set-top decoder/receiver from Thomson Consumer Electronics will enable existing analog TV sets to receive and display new digital TV broadcasts from land-based or satellite sources. The DTC100 serves double-duty by receiving more than 200 channels of subscription satellite programming from DirectTV, as well as standard broadcasts." This is not mentioned in the survey article, but you really have to see this coming down the line: set-top boxes with built-in digital TV converters will be HOT PRODUCTS since not everyone will want to spend the money to get new HDTV sets or new DTV sets to replace their old trusty analog TV sets. There are many people who have TV sets that are ten, twenty, even thirty years old (geez, I even have some old TVs at home). In the age of HDTV, set-top boxes with the built-in digital TV converters will allow people (and particularly those who do not have cable) to continue to say they are still watching television with old TV sets that are "umpteen" years old. The survey article also looks at the ReplayTV and the TiVo boxes (the more-than-a-VCR video storage boxes) and the TV Guardian box (which filters out profanity from closed-captioned videos, DVD, satellite, cable, and other TV broadcasts and programs.) -
Insight Communications to use General Instrument DCT-2000 and DCT-5000 set-top boxes (1-19-99) (PRNewswire)
- Strategy Analytics study says new set-top boxes to challenge PC dominance (1-19-99) (Telecomworldwire)
- Broadcasters to challenge ISPs for Interactive service dominance; Set-Top boxes ready to challenge PC (1-18-99) (PRNewswire)
- Set-Top boxes with fast high-capacity hard drives for better TV viewing (1-18-99) (InfoBeat Internet Daily)
InfoBeat reports on a Strategy Analytics' Interactive Home Services report that concludes advances in hard disk storage will give broadcasters a foundation upon which to build interactive services like "virtual VCR" services (such as provided by ReplayTV). InfoBeat quotes Strategy Analytics' IHS Director David Mercer as stating, "The broadcast industry now has the chance to leapfrog current Internet technology in delivering compelling interactive video-based applications to the mass market." The hard drives with the larger storage capacity will allow huge amounts of data such as for video to be stored on the set-top boxes. -
ReplayTV is "People's Choice" at David Coursey's Showcase '99 in San Diego (1-18-99) (PRNewswire)
- CES '99 Highlights; also reports WebTV-Echostar box to be $499 set-top box & dish combo (1-17-99) (Cincinnati Enquirer)
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Corp. for Public Broadcasting announces Enhanced TV projects (1-17-99) (PRNewswire)
- @Home & RealNetworks to provide high-speed TV video over Internet (1-15-99) (InternetNews)
- @Home & RealNetworks to speed up streaming TV video (1-15-99) (CNET)
This is for those who have been asking about getting good quality TV and video via the Internet. This new technology will require cable, DSL, or other high-speed Internet connection. - Canal+ to develop Java-based interactive TV apps (1-14-99) (BBC Monitoring Media)
- Ruel's Spotlight Website: CNET's WebTV Topic Center (1-14-99)
- Motorola "Blackbird" is now called the "Streamaster" (1-13-99) (Austin American-Statesman)
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Israel's Golden Channels cable TV operator selects MoreCom's Internet TV system for Golden Channel's 420,000 subscribers (1-13-99) (PRNewsire)
- Power Lunch Interview with Scientific-Atlanta CEO James McDonald (1-12-99) (CNBC)
Scientific-Atlanta CEO James McDonald sees the major changes for cable TV to occur in next 12 to 24 months with key digital TV system launches to be in 1999. - Pace Micro's GBP-200 set-top box to record and do video conferencing in two years (1-12-99) (Daily Mail)
- ESS Technology chipset to play MP3 music on set-top boxes (1-11-99) (WIRED)
- Digital set-top boxes contributing to global greenhouse effect? (1-11-99) (Scottsman)
- Cox Cable launch digital services in Phoenix, San Diego, and Oklahoma City (1-11-99) (PRNewswire)
- EchoStar & MediaX mix Interactive Multimedia with Interactive TV (1-11-99) (PRNewsire)
- Convergence gets a boost at CES (1-8-98) (Mercury Center)
- OpenTV to be standard in Motorola set-top boxes (1-8-99) (Business Wire)
- PowerTV operating system available for set-top boxes (1-8-99) (Business Wire)
- Games for Sega Dreamcast box (1-8-99) (MSNBC)
Sega Dreamcast box is to have WebTV capability when it comes to the U.S. - Telecruz announces licensing agreement with Gemstar (1-7-99) (Telecruz)
- Telecruz releases embedded single-chip for Interactive Television (1-7-99) (Telecruz)
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Philips offers free "DTV for Dummies" booklet (1-7-99) (NewsAlert)
- WebTV & EchoStar intros internet-satellite service (1-7-99) (InternetNews)
- WebTV adds satellite video service (1-7-99) (Industry Standard)
- WebTV Networks & EchoStar Communications intros Internet TV Satellite product and service (1-7-99) (PRNewswire) (alternate NewsPage link)
- Dish Network on new WebTV set-top boxes (1-6-99) (InfoBeat Internet Daily)
InfoBeat reports that Dish TV Network parent EchoStar Communications and Microsoft's WebTV will announce during CES in Las Vegas that they will offer subscribers set-top boxes that provide Internet access and satellite TV reception. InfoBeat reports, "Net access would be a competitive advantage for Dish TV, while WebTV - currently serving 700,000 subscribers - would see that number rise." - AnchorDesk take on deal: WebTV gets boost (1-7-99) (AnchorDesk)
- Microsoft WebTV & EchoStar in net satellite deal (1-6-99) (CNET)
- WebTV & EchoStar deal to make satellite set-top box (1-5-99) (MSNBC)
(alternate ZDNet 1-6-99 link)
MSNBC reports WebTV and EchoStar are expected to unveil a set-top box combining satellite reception, Internet browsing, and eventually VCR-like recording. MSNBC also reports the new boxes are likely to be offered to EchoStar subscribers as a premium product. (Or to get the new WebTV box, you have to use EchoStar satellite services such as the Dish Network.) - Gateway also partners with EchoStar for Gateway Destination XTV (1-7-99) (CNET)
- Gateway Destination XTV to have satellite receiver (1-8-99) (PC World)
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DirecTV & Wink to deliver enhanced broadcasting to U.S. consumers via national interactive TV service (1-7-99) (PRNewswire)
- WebTV to possibly have Live Video Email in 1999 (1-99) (TV Online)
In an article entitled "Microsoft's Window," TV Online interviews Steve Guggenheimer who is Microsoft's group product manager of digital TV products. Guggenheimer talked a little bit about the future of WebTV in 1999. TV Online reports Guggenheimer as saying, "... America already subscribes to Interactive TV in that they click on that remote every day.... Some people will want to do more with the remote and some won't. But [Interactive TV] gives you that choice....." TV Online also reports Guggenheimer as indicating the current "rich email" freeze-frame pictures are a success and hints at possible live video email in 1999 for digital cable set-top boxes using the WebTV Network (but not for the telephone-based WebTV boxes). Also, expect more interactive TV links in 1999. - Ruel's Spotlight Website: TV Online magazine (1-7-99)
WebTV viewers, did you get your free copy of the new TV Online magazine? There's a lot more in the actual magazine than the short blurb above about the Guggenheimer interview. The TV Online website gives a sample of what's available in the magazine. -
Thomson Multimedia stakes out digital future and is 'Ready for the New Century' (1-7-99) (PRNewswire)
Thomson Multimedia Chairman Thierry Breton states, "The consumer electronics industry is going to face a series of transformations in the coming years. By anticipating those changes, Thomson Multimedia is positioning itself to play a key role in the future of television." - Hitachi & Cisco to debut sub-$500 set-top box at CES (1-7-99) (CNET)
- 'Fast Forward to the Future' with Sony at CES (1-6-99) (PRNewswire)
- Sony says you want your DTV (1-7-99) (WIRED)
- Sony intros largest consumer TV at CES (1-7-99) (PRNewswire)
- Glitzy Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas (1-6-99) (WIRED)
- ZDNNews: CES Special Reports (1-6-99) (ZDNN)
- What to expect at CES (1-6-99) (Industry Standard)
- Portals talking convergence at CES (1-7-99) (Industry Standard) also see another CES-related story about
"Destination Sites" (1-8-99) (CNET)
- Ruel's Spotlight Website: BCM93714 OpenCable Interactive Set-Top Box Platform
Also see the Broadcom 12-2-98 press release - MoreCom demos integration of TV & Internet content (1-6-99) (PRNewswire)
- MoreCom joins ATVEF to help drive standards for digital TV & Internet convergence (1-6-98) (PRNewswire)
- UniView & Mary Kay open new year with "Blackbird" box (1-6-99) (Businesswire)
- CNET on setting up a home theater (1-5-99) (CNET)
- Int'l Data Corp. predicts information appliances will threaten position of PC dominance in 1999 (1-5-99) (Telecomworldwire)
IDC predicts 8 million info appliances consisting of handheld devices and set-top boxes will be sold in 1999 compared to 3 million in 1998. - BSkyB to launch review for expanding digital TV service into Britain's pubs and clubs market (1-5-99) (Evening Mail)
- NetGame offers new internet service for laptops and set-tops at hotels (1-5-99) (Telecomworldwire)
- VSLI intros ViSTA '99 solutions for interactive digital set-top boxes (1-5-99) (Telecomworldwire)
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