Newsclip Service
September 2002
These news-clips have been collated from various news sources because they are considered possibly relevant to Interactive TV learning developments.
September 2002
Report – Digital terrestrial TV won’t bear fruit
This report warns that Europe's digital terrestrial TV isn't dead yet but it's barely surviving due to inherent limitations that make it unprofitable. It urges Governments to give up their plans of forcing DTT rollouts and let market forces determine the analog switch-off date. (Source: Forrester Research) (see press release)
(USA) Report - Three Home-Network Business Models
This report discusses three distinct strategies for developing the business of home networking. Each strategy relies on an existing market advantage and an existing platform i.e. PC, video-game console, and set-top box. This report focuses on applications, technologies, and business-development issues related to PC-centric networking, video-game console networks, and home-networking initiatives of pay-TV companies. (Source: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence) (see press release)
(USA) PVR viewers choose more learning channels.
According to Business 2.0, PVR owners are watching more educational channels including Discovery, History, and The Learning Channel. In addition, 43% usually watch shows recorded on their PVRs rather than live broadcasts and nearly a quarter of PVR owners do not watch live TV at all. (Source: Business 2.0) (see article)
(UK) Funding for Interactive Health Channel
Channel Health will receive 1 million Euros from The European Space Agency, to launch a pilot ITV service targeted exclusively at general practitioners and other healthcare professionals. The "Healthcare Professional Service" will be available on SkyDigital with either conditional access or password protection and will offer industry news, and info on the latest drugs and medical research. Content may eventually include education and training. (Source: InteractiveTV Today Issue 4.66)
30 September
(USA) US hits 10m Broadband Milestone
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has announced that there are now more than 10m cable broadband users in the US. NCTA claim that some 75m households in the US have access to cable broadband services and around two thirds of these own a computer. (Source: National Cable & Telecommunications Association) (see press release)
4 September 2002
(USA) Sony Launch TiVo-Like devices
Sony Corporation has launched a series of home devices
that will centre audiovisual entertainment on home television and the broadband
possibilities. This series of home AV gateway devices, called "CoCoon"
(COnnected COmmunity On Network), have a large capacity hard disk that enables
consecutive recording and playback, as well as always-on multi-network
functions. They
have been designed as an "evolving product" that offers
personalization, a ubiquitous network and upgrading ability. (Source: Sony) (see
press release)
3 September 2002
(USA) Cable model sales grow in Europe.
According to research from Dataquest,
there has been a high growth in the cable modem shipment market last year in
Belgium, Portugal, the Nordic Countries, Switzerland and the UK. Although the
growth rate in cable modem shipments has slowed overall compared to 2000.
Dataquest forecasts that shipments in the EMEA (European, Middle East and
Africa) cable modem market will almost triple to almost four million units by
the end of 2006 compared to 2001. (Source: Dataquest) (see
article)
(The Netherlands) New Series of Dutch ITV-Enabled Quiz Show
NCRV, The Dutch TV network plans to broadcast a new series of its single-screen interactive quiz show, " Nationale Nieuwsquiz "(National Newsquiz) on 1 October 2002. The ITV elements invite viewers to answer questions, which test their knowledge of current and historical events. These services can be accessed by subscribers of the digital cable networks Casema, TV Home, and UPC. (Source: Tracy Swedlow's InteractiveTV Today Issue 4.68)