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- JumpTV Broadcast-TV-Via-Net News: Copyright Board of Canada grants intervenor status to both the National Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in JumpTV case (04MAY01) (Newsbytes)
You can here here for other recent JumpTV news items.- Left In The Digital Dark: Australian Consumer Association says the Australian government has no plans to close the digital TV divide when analog TV switch-off arrives in 2008 (04MAY01) (ZDNet.au)
ZDNet Australia cites Australian Consumer Association's IT policy officer Charles Britton as indicating "the public won't take kindly to being told to buy a new TV in 2008" and quotes Britton as stating, "Consumers may stay away from purchasing digital set-top boxes or TVs all together."- Non-Clickable Interactive TV Icons: ITC asking for comment whether premium TV channels should provide commercials stripped of interactive icons if promotions are to be broadcast on non-interactive independent commercial television systems in the UK (03MAY01) (ITC)
The news item is a news announcement from the ITC asking for comment about various cross-promotions on independent commercial television in the UK including promoting digital TV shows and stripping out interactive icons.- CEA Files Comments With FCC Regarding Cable Compatibility Of Consumer Electronics: Consumer Electronics Association tells the FCC to take action to create retail market for digital cable television devices in the US (03MAY01) (CEA)
- Digital TV Datacasting News: NBC, Granite Broadcasting, SkyStream Networks, and Telocity complete field tests with television stations KNSD in San Diego and KNTV in San Jose for delivering broadband and streaming video content to PCs using digital television broadcast airwaves (02MAY01) (Skystream)
The news announcement states, "The recently completed field trial has proven that content networks using SkyStream's datacasting solutions, which taps broadcasters' digital spectrum to deliver all content, including audio, video and text, can seamlessly transmit broadband media successfully over a combination of traditional satellite and digital terrestrial television networks. These tests illustrate significant opportunities for consumers to experience a new breed of TV-quality video and CD-audio content on their PCs."- HDTV For PC-TV: Ravisent Technologies Inc and Oren Semiconductor Inc to jointly develop complete HDTV reception and playback solutions for current PCs (03MAY01) (Ravisent) (alt.link) (alt.link)
The news announcement quotes Ravisent marketing vice president Sebastian Pistritto as stating, "This cooperative development effort enables PC DTV products to be more readily available in the market."- ConnecTV To Be Ported To Windows 2000: Stellar One's ConnecTV to be bundled with Fujitsu-Siemens Computers' ACTIVY home entertainment media set-top box (PDF) (04MAY01) (Stellar) (alt.link)
The ACTIVY set-top box includes a receiver and decoder for digital TV and digital radio, satellite receiver, digital video recorder with harddrive, DVD-CD player, and videogame player, as well as internet access, online banking, MP3, and email.- BSkyB UK Election News: Sky News to provide interactive coverage and on-demand coverage of UK elections via an Active Election Special application as well as through feedback with the "Election Your Call" television show (02MAY01) (Sky)
The news announcement describes the "Active Election Special" application as "unique to Sky digital" and which "will give Sky News viewers more choice than anywhere else over how and what they view as the night's events unfold. The four coloured buttons on the Sky digital remote control, will give access - on demand - to the results, highlights, and an opportunity to select to watch the fortunes of the Tories, Labour or Lib Dems throughout the night - as well as special behind-the-scenes live footage of Sky News newsroom and gallery!"- More BSkyB News: BSkyB to integrate Open interactive home shopping channel into Sky Interactive (04MAY01) (TheTimes) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
The Times reports, "Open is the brand name of British Interactive Broadcasting, a consortium set up by BSkyB, HSBC, Matsushita and BT. Its main function was to provide money to subsidise the distribution of Sky’s new digital set-top boxes.... However, sales through Open have been disappointing, relative to the costs of running the business."- Digital Interactive TV In Taiwan: STAR and Koos Group announce deal to upgrade and transform the Taiwanese cable television landscape into a world-class environment with full digital encryption and interactive functionalities (03MAY01) (STARTV) (related.link)
The news announcement quotes STAR chairman and CEO James Murdoch as stating, "In Asia where digital and addressable cable systems are so rare, this deal further sets STAR and our partners ahead of other players in the market. Partnering with Koos is a perfect match for us to rollout digital cable infrastructure in Taiwan, paving the way for the first large-scale market launch of digital set-top boxes in Asia and the introduction of interactive services in Taiwan, clearly setting the pace for the development of the pay TV business in the region." In the related link, the Taipei Times reports, "The upgraded cable system and set-top boxes will allow viewers to view programming on Star's pay television stations and offer a range of functions such as parental control, Chinese-language electronic program guide, access to interactive premium channels and e-commerces services."- Pace Micro Technology Group's subsidiary Xcom Multimedia Communications to demo Xsat digital set-top home gateway technology for satellite, cable and terrestrial free-to-air and payTV markets at Mediacast 2001 (03MAY01) (Pace)
Pace will also demo its low-cost Digital Television Adapter (DTVA) technology with multiple conditional access options intended as a switch-off solution for analog TV.- UK Facility Conversion From Production To R&D: Pace Micro Technology proposes to outsource manufacturing while continuing to expand Saltaire technology engineering and innovation facility in Yorkshire UK (04MAY01) (Pace) (alt.link) (related.link) (related.link)
- Interactive TV Horse Betting News: Go Racing Consortium of Arena Leisure, BSkyB, and Channel 4 signs deal for control of British horseracing television rights and also previously said to include interactive betting (04MAY01) (MediaGuardian) (related.link)
- Lean-Back TV Watching Wins Over Lean-Forward Interactivity: Jonathan Jackson says convergence observers are watching to see if television and the internet will mate, kill each other, or both (03MAY01) (eMarketer)
eMarketer's Jonathan Jackson writes, "It all boils down to where consumers are spending their quality time. Television, as the ultimate 'lean-back' medium simply allows viewers to put their brains into neutral and allow the 'info-tainment' to wash over them. The internet, by contrast, is a 'lean-forward' medium that requires some sort of active participation on the part of the surfer." Jackson cites data from the Myers Group as indicating "entertainment and relaxation are the primary reasons why television is still America's most popular pastime." So perhaps the tendency of an activity to be more brain-neutral, that is don't ask the TV couch potato to do too much thinking, then maybe the better success you may have for the interactivity on TV. This would go to how well does an interactive function help the TV viewer to watch TV and to enjoy the TV watching activity. -ruel- Consumers Unclear On Interactive TV Benefits: Still vague limited general interest in interactive television in the US but younger 18-to-34-year-old TV viewers are more tuned into wanting interactive functions on TV including video-on-demand, personal video recording, internet on TV, shopping on TV, and email on TV (03MAY01) (Cyberatlas)
Cyberatlas cites Digital Mogul as indicating "the lack of interoperability and standards will push the rollout of a full suite of iTV services to 2006, and the coalescing of a singular nationwide or global iTV market to 2008, if [the lack of interoperability and standards] does not scuttle the market altogether. Also contributing to this later-than-expected service maturation is the industry's lack of a significant understanding of what consumers really want from iTV." Cyberatlas also cites Taylor Nelson Sofres Intersearch's Interactive Products and Services Group as finding there was interest among younger people ages 18-34 who were interested in video-on-demand, personal video recording, surfing the internet on TV, shopping on TV, and sending email on TV.- Digital Mogul says there will be no widespread full-featured interactive television market until 2008 due to non-interoperable systems and unknown consumer demand (01MAY01) (DigitalMogul)
- 1.2 Million Club For Internet TV In The US: TR Online Census finds flat growth rate for Internet TV population at 1,204,000 subscribers for 1Q Y2001 in the US (01MAY01) (CCH) (alt.link)
The news announcement, in a section with the topic heading "Internet TV Still Struggles While Satellite Arrives on the Scene," states, "The Internet TV market saw no growth during the quarter and could decline as the major players shift their focus. Microsoft's WebTV, long the leader in the small Internet TV sector, is being phased out in favor of UltimateTV. America Online also is looking at new access alternatives beyond AOL-TV to attract subscribers, including the AOL Plus venture in connection with Hughes Network Systems' [DirecTV] satellite service."- Smashing Interactive TV: Digital Mogul research firm says interactive television is in peril of being smashed by market gorillas who impose non-interoperable systems in wham-bam rollouts (03MAY01) (allNetDevices)
- One Million DTV Club: Consumer Electronics Association announces sale of the one-millionth digital television product (02MAY01) (CEA)
The news announcement quotes Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro as stating, "This one-millionth DTV product sales milestone coupled with strong first quarter 2001 figures illustrates that consumers have overwhelmingly embraced the digital experience, which brings spectacular high-quality video and audio as well as enhanced services to the consumer. CEA is committed to working with broadcasters, cable providers and all other interested parties to ensure continued success in the transition to DTV and we look forward to celebrating the next millionth DTV product sale."- WMTV-TV Goes Digital: 188 television stations in the US are broadcasting in digital (02MAY01) (NAB)
- Netgem 1Q highlights include deployment of 38,500 Netbox units, launch of Netgem 4.0, Netgem.cable, and Netgem.web, and licensing deal with Grundig (03MAY01) (Netgem)
- Business Of iTV: Elaine Morris Palmer goes to iMIX 3.0 and finds the value proposition of interactive television is personalized targeted advertising if delivered deliberately, honestly, and openly (03MAY01) (Digitrends)
- Deploying Interactive TV: WorldGate's Hal Krisbergh says the cable industry can now more aggressively deploy interactive television services (03MAY01) (WorldGate) (alt.link)
The news announcement is about WorldGate's first quarter. The news announcement quotes WorldGate chairman and CEO Hal Krisbergh as stating, "Now that the cable industry has resolved the platform issue, with the 2000 class set-top box clearly dominanting the marketplace, and uncertainty surrounding the interactive program guide being removed with recent deals establishing TVGuide and TVGateway as the two major players, the industry is now able to more aggressively deploy interactive services. We are continuing to work with our partners and customers, including AT&T Broadband, Charter, Cox, Comcast, and Adelphia, to develop a game plan for deployment of iTV services beyond the initial deployments that we have already announced."- WorldGate In Argentina: GigaRed SA and WorldGate to deploy interactive television services in Argentina providing "walled garden" content, internet access, email, chat, and TV Channel HyperLinking from TV shows and commercials to related websites using Motorola SURFview cable set-top box (01MAY01) (WorldGate) (alt.link)
- Internet-On-TV In Brazil: Telemar gives an initial thumbs down to TV-based internet access (03MAY01) (Standard)
The news item is about non-PC alternate internet access in Brazil including Telemar Orelhao.net telephone booths equipped with computer screens and PopBanco internet terminals in bakeries.
- *** CLICK FOR MORE NEWS ***
- JumpTV Broadcast-TV-Via-Net News: Copyright Board of Canada grants intervenor status to both the National Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in JumpTV case (04MAY01) (Newsbytes)
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