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InteractiveTv posts

The Weather Channel's HD feed gets interactive on DirecTV

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 6th 2009 at 10:51PM

A year after launching on The Weather Channel SD and receiving "nearly a billion impressions" there, DirecTV has added interactive Local on Demand and Local on the 8s widgets to The Weather Channel HD. Same as always, this lets viewers dial up weather alerts, the most recent updates for their area, or other weather info while still watching the main channel. While some may prefer the tried and true method of "looking out the window" to find out what the current weather conditions are, we're always glad to have options.

Disney / ABC totally, maybe, kind of, considering supporting Intel Widget platform

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 9th 2009 at 7:57PM

In a move that in some circles counts as "throwing its weight behind" Intel's CE3100 Widget platform, the president of Disney-ABC Television Group mentioned that shows like Good Morning America and Lost could benefit from interactive TV apps. Without commiting to any action, citing unspecified legal issues that could throw a wrench in any such move, they envision real time voting or commenting onscreen or additional clues for the more-than-convoluted-enough-already-thank you Lost mysteries. From here at least it's hard to see Intel's chips making enough headway to justify such support this season, but based on recent Grey's Anatomy plot twists or the Geico Cavemen TV show we can easily see a desperate ABC desperately seeking some kind of partnership in lieu of improving the quality of its content.

Microsoft unveils all new time shifting, interactive features for Mediaroom IPTV

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 8th 2009 at 11:34PM

Throwing some more features towards your local IPTV provider (U-verse this means you), Microsoft's upgraded the Mediaroom platform with Restart Anytime, Live Anytime and Download Anytime network DVR features, making sure silly things like "when something comes on TV" or "whether or not you remembered to schedule the DVR recording" get in between you and your content. Restart shamelessly copies StartOver, restarting a show at any point in its progress, even if you just turned the box on, while Live lets you scroll backwards through the program guide and pull down previously aired TV from the provider's VOD server. Finally Download Anytime pulls in shows or movies ahead of time satellite VOD-style so they can be watched later, despite potentially limited bandwidth. Beyond that, various interactive TV apps will be on demo in the booth this week including Visual Voicemail and TopGear.com but really, we've seen what we need to see.

OpenTV brings movie portal application to Canada's Bell TV

by Darren Murph posted Dec 25th 2008 at 7:21AM

For Bell TV subscribers looking for hints of anything new, we've finally something to share with you. OpenTV, an interactive TV middleware provider, has just launched a "movie portal application" that will deliver content from programming partner Super Channel. As expected, it provides viewers with a "themed search option, as well as a scheduling option that lets viewers set up recordings and reminders several weeks in advance of a movie's broadcast." Underneath, this seems to be just another attempt to highlight certain programs and get non-subscribers to subscribe, but when new material is this hard to come by, it's tough to complain.

BigBand Networks heads up first ever international SDV deployment

by Darren Murph posted Nov 27th 2008 at 8:52AM


BigBand Networks knows a thing or two about making the transition to switched digital video, and now it can say that it helped flipped the first ever SDV switch overseas. The company, in conjunction with interactive TV middleware provider Alticast, has "added functionality to its switched digital video solution in preparation for deployments by Korean cable operators." Obviously, the opportunities for SDV outside of North America is significant, with many markets gasping for bandwidth just to get a handful of high-def channels out to the people. Research firm In-Stat actually asserts that "Asian deployments of SDV will grow at an average rate of 85% for the next four years, reaching $212M by 2012," and we can only hope that this is one method for greatly boosting the amount of HD content available outside of the US.

DirecTV & The Weather Channel team up on new interactive TV apps

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 16th 2008 at 4:58PM

The Weather Channel's the latest to get a taste of DirecTV's interactive treatment, adding new severe weather alerts, Local on the 8's weather reports, Local On Demand weather and a featured spot on the DirecTV Active application. The Weather Channel HD feed doesn't feature the local on the 8's app yet, but it is on the way, while the Local On Demand feature lets customers click through a bevy of information while still watching TWC live. A ticker at the bottom of the screen plus the red button on your remote should shed more light on the subject for the interested.

Verizon promises increased interactivity for FiOS TV customers

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 19th 2008 at 8:33PM


With all this talk of interactive TV from the likes of Sony, Yahoo! and Intel these days, it's starting to seem like the early 90s all over again -- only this time it looks like things are actually panning out. Now Verizon seems to be upping its interactive game as well, with it boasting about a whole host of improvements that FiOS TV customers can look forward to this fall. The new features were apparently demoed during an "informal party" held by Verizon Communications CIO Shaygan Kheradpir, and include various applications that are tied to live programming, some Facebook and YouTube integration, and the ability to control the DVR from your cellphone, to name a few things. FiOS customers can apparently expect some improvements to the program guide as well, including the ability to browse by what's popular in their area, or by what was most popular in the same time slot last week. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any pictures made their way out of the party, but Yahoo! and company have certainly raised the bar pretty high with their own widgets, and we can only hope that Verizon at least meets it.

DISH offers Interactive TV mosaic for Olympics overload

by Steven Kim posted Aug 8th 2008 at 5:28PM

Olympic rings bike
One look over our 2008 Beijing Olympics guide will tell you that there's just too much content to absorb; even just the NBC coverage is enough to induce HD OD. But DISH customers might be able to drink more comfortably from the fire hose thanks to Ensequence, which is bringing the Interactive TV mosaic to the games. As seen at the U.S. Open, this will montage feeds from six NBCU channels into a single screen. Viewers can then soak all six channels in at once or zoom in on a single channel. Even this six-fold reduction might not be enough, so various news and digest services will also be made available on DISH channel 100 -- especially appealing is the compiled highlights of the day's events. DirecTV has shown that it can play the multi-screen game, too, so don't be surprised to see it there as well.

[Image courtesy ChinaDaily]

DISH presenting ESPN's coverage of U.S. Open through Interactive TV mosaic

by Darren Murph posted Jun 10th 2008 at 8:33PM


Earlier this year, DirecTV showed up everyone else with its interactive, multi-screen coverage of the Masters. Now, however, DISH Network is stepping up to the tee by planning to offer ESPN's coverage of the U.S. Open in a similar fashion. From June 12 through 13, DISH subscribers will be able to view a multiple-screen showcase (dubbed Interactive TV) that will create a mosaic with ESPN's primary feed, a feed focusing on Tiger and Phil, an "Up Close" channel and a number of other specific feeds that hardcore golf lovers will surely be fascinated with. Your turn, DirecTV.

[Image courtesy of ESPN]

Update: Ah, so DirecTV is doing the same! Thanks m.e.

Digital Hollywood Fall starts today

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 19th 2005 at 2:33PM


Digital Hollywood Conference  is the place where the various companies that bring us much of the content we'll be experiencing on our HDTVs, cell phones, game consoles, and iPods get together and talk about the best ways to do it. 


Your next home server-mediacenter-xbox720-ps4-RSS parser-cell phone-breadmaker?  Yeah they've got that.  You can watch for updates here, as well as via a live blog of the event if you're interested (and we know you are) and a podcast; although several companies have already made notable announcements, and we'll keep you updated as it progresses.

I'll be keeping a definite eye out for information from today's "Transforming Television" seminar, because HDTV, PVR, OnDemand and Interactive TV all touch me in my special place.  Also at the conference will be our own Shawn Gold, speaking on Alternative Media & Advertising: Personalized Consumer Broadband, RSS Feeds, Blogging and Podcasting





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