Millions of homes in the United Kingdom and Western Europe already enjoy interactive TV over satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcast services. Commercial "iTV" operations in the U.S. finally launched in 2000 with mass consumer rollouts of video-on-demand services and other enhanced slated through 2006 and beyond. Now the U.S. is transitioning to digital broadcast television.

Visualize eventually in America and the world an ubiquitious broadband media device in every home and workplace, taking many shapes with screens in all sizes. Each unit will be able to receive and send live and recorded full-motion pictures, with enriched sound, plus text, images and resource files. Imagine the World Wide Web married to DVD, and you start to see the iTV vision. Imagine a camera, microphone and computer in every hand. Will media "consumers" enjoy marketplace rights as media content producers?

Already the television, computer and telephone are converging for video, data and voice services on a global public Internet that's everywhere. What will happen as media hype meets marketplace realities? How well will we balance our excitement for iTV with due wariness of vaporware? Where the facts hit the info superhighway, is there traction?

Deep literacy invites understanding interactive and digital television trends and issues, so each of us can help shape the future we are creating together. Hope you find these reports helpful.

Thanks for reading and thinking.
-- Ken Judah Freed .

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2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

Archive

Resources

1. Filling Secondary DTV Channels.
   The .2 Network is rolling out a 24/7 multicast service with revenue sharing for local stations.

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1. Wireless HDTV .
   IBM and MediaTek join forces for Wireless HDTV chipset as standards initiatives move forward.
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2. BAS Manufacturers Ready for Gear Upgrades .
   What if a station wants equipment above and beyond what Sprint Nextel has approved for replacement in the 2 GHz transition?.

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1. Learning Curve Steep for Test & Measurement of IP Video.
   The video and telco industries are converging to develop technologies and methods that ensure video quality for transmissions over IP networks. Major hurdles still must be overcome.
2. SIGGRAPH 2006 Fuses Art and Technology.
   A fusion of art and technology along with ethical and legal issues in digital imaging highlight the 33rd annual SIGGRAPH conference and exhibition at the Boston Convention Center.
3. Industry Grappling with Cross-Platform Standards Conversion.
   Consumers now can see video on diverse platforms, from HDTV to computers to cellphones to iPods. For producers, the challenge is converting content to play on each platform.
4. Localization is Next Big Step in Digital Ad Insertion.
   Local digital ad insertion, once the sole province of cable, increasingly is winning favor among broadcasters. The trend reflects changes in both the marketplace and the technology.
5. Online Video Download Services Raise Issues of Copyright Protection .
   As video download services like Movielink and peer-to-peer services like YouTube or Tribler alter the video business model, concerns about copyright protection continue to arise.
6. BGAN Offering Affordable Live Video Streaming from the Field.
   Inmarsat's new Broadband Global Area Network uses lightweight, portable satellite transmission gear, ideal where you cannot take a satellite truck or lack other connectivity.
7. Cable Ready for National Show in Atlanta.
   The convergence of technology and programming takes center stage at the 55th annual meeting of the National Cable Television Association, relocated from devastated New Orleans.
8. Denver Tower Fight Entering Final Rounds.
   The long fight over whether to build a proposed digital TV "supertower" to serve metro Denver may be entering its final phase, yet the outcome remains as uncertain as ever.
9. Goalie Cams, Rail Cams and HD Enhance NHL Hockey Coverage.
   The National Hockey League introduces changes in game coverage to regain and expand the fan base after the ten-month lockout of the NHL Players' Association.
10. ABC Sports Prepared for HD Super Bowl XL.
    When ABC Sports cameras zoom-in for the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XL, a billion viewers worldwide will see the most technologically advanced Super Bowl ever.
11. Denver Stations Preparing for National 2GHz Transition?.
    As U.S. television stations prepare for 2 GHz spectrum relocation, broadcasters in Denver represent the choices and challenges facing their colleagues across the country.

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1. I was on freelance hiatus for most of 2005, teaching and working on Global Sense.
   Please see 2006 stories, instead.

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1. KUSA Flying High with HDTV Upgrade.
   Denver NBC affiliate is Sony beta site for digital rollout by Gannett.
2. A Tour of the Denver Comcast Media Center.
   National digital cable television operations center backing HDTV.
3. County Reaffirms Denver Tower Vote.
   Court-ordered hearings do not sway Jefferson County commissioners as opponents weigh their next move.
4. Hearings Ordered for Colorado DTV Tower.
   Stations looking to consolidate Lookout Mountain transmission sites meet resistance from City of Golden.
5. The U Network Enters College Media Market .
   Upstart startup offers student content with low overhead and lofty vision.
6. March Madness at EchoStar .
   Littleton-based Dish Network in March faced disputes with Gemstar-TV Guide, Viacom and the SEC.
7. Globeville Studios Making Video Look Like Film .
   Denver production house gaining favor with independent producers though John Sayles' latest feature, Silver City.
8. Americans Embracing Digital Video Recorders .
   U.S. television viewers increasingly adopting the digital video recorder (DVR) as a replacement for the tape-based VCR.
9. Is America Ready for Digital Terrestrial Pay TV?.
   USDTV is doing a "stealth launch" to prove the business case before a national rollout of the service to 30 cities by the end of 2004.

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1. Is Interactive TV a Business at Last?
   With a boost from cable, the pieces finally are falling into place.
2. America's First New All-Digital Station Offers Hope for DTV.
   Rocky Mountain PBS to convert KRMU-TV into the first all-digital TV station constructed in the United States.
3. Usability's New Mantra: Keep it Simple.
   To keep everyone happy, cable must help subscribers get cozy with new technologies.
4. Going to e-School on Employee Training.
   There's a ways to go, but operators are beginning to see the value in online learning.
5. America's First New All-Digital Station Offers Hope for DTV.
   Rocky Mountain PBS to convert KRMU-TV into the first all-digital TV station constructed in the United States.
6. Microsoft Pursues TV Strategy As Cable Resistance Endures.
   Does Microsoft's leadership fathom the depth of the cable industry resistance to the company?
7. U.S. Broadcasters Adopting Some Elements of DVB.
   American broadcasters are moving toward adopting European broadcasting standards, but the efforts remain limited at best.
8. Denver DTV Tower Approved, Lawsuit Likely.
   Broadcasters wins county nod, but mountain area residents vow to fight on.
9. Thriller Diller Drops the Dreaded 'O' Word.
   Media visionary Barry Diller startled the annual meeting of the National Association of Broadcasters by decrying media "oligarchy" in America.
10. Three Market Forces in U.S. Cable Competition..
    Cable's two-way interactive services must confront interactive satellite services, telephony DSL services, and cable's own market practices..

1. U.S. Cable debating EPG-Middleware Integration ..
   Deal between Gemstar-TV Guide and Worldgate sparks discussion about integrating middleware into the electronic program guide as a threat to open standards.
2. Denver TV Stations in Digital Stymie ..
   Broadcasters will leave four towers standing on Lookout Mountain if county commissioners again refuse combined tower proposal.
3. CBS Affiliate Sends Wake-Up Call to Airport Security ..
   Investigative reporting team earns KCNC-TV recognition as the 'Station of the Year' for 2002 by Electronic Media magazine. Here's the story of the story.
4. OpenTV Cracks Cable Market While Awaiting DBS Launch
   Interactive TV middeleware popular in UK reports US cable deals with HITS & TVN; still expecting promised ExhoStar Dish push in the States.
5. American Cable Adopts European iTV Standard .
   After investigation for compatability with OpenCable systems, MHP adoption means American producers of interactive TVconent may create once for whole world
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1. 2001 Pace Report on Digital TV Trends
   Gallup surveys in the UK and US reveal public demand for quality and choice in DTV.
2. OpenCable TV Sets About 2 Years Away.
   With OpenCable's standard done, R&D cycles delays launch of cable-ready DTV sets.
3. 'Provisioning' Redefined for Automation.
   Cable operators learning the business of providing cable modem services automatically.
4. OpenTV Signs Predictive for Targeted iTV Advertising.
   Deal provides middlewarefor 16 million digital set-top boxes in more than 50 countries.
5. Cable Eyeing Bluetooth for Home Networks .
   Cable operators are considering wireless links, but issues confront deployment.
6. France Telecom Unveils MHP Test Platform .
   New iTV content system extends European plans for worldwide iTV standard.
7. Moderating the US DTV Modulation War .
   8VSB beats COFDM in reception tests, but US. DTV signal needs 'urgent' upgrade
8. Hospitality Industry Leading in iTV .
   Hotels don't wager a dime to offer interactive TV services, but players rake in the cash.
9. Replay Sale Signals Shift in PVR Biz Case .
   Digital video recorder pioneer, shed of retail, sells to SONICblue with plans for growth.
10. (More stories written in 2001 will be posed as my time allows) .
    

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1. Interactive Television for Newbies .
   A primer on the bundle of digital services together called interactive TV.
2. Wily Fox and the Hollywood Hounds .
   Tale of William Fox and his motion picture sound patents offers lessons for iTV today.
3. Early Broadcasters Tried Interactive Television .
   Interactive TV isn't new, like Winky Dink or PayTV, but bright ideas don't always survive.
4. When Cable Went Cubist .
   Qube network in the 1970s set the mark for iTV, but the business case was a bust.
5. Questions of Power . .
   Access, privacy, security, profits, and manifest destiny on the new media frontier.
6. The Evolution of Interactive Teletext .
   While America missed the boat, the world enjoyed smooth sailing on plain old teletext.
7. UHF Broadcasters Going Digital .
   The pulsing tube atop a high tower is being replaced by powerful digital technologies.
8. Cable Prepares to Carry HDTV.
   The difference is VSB or QAM, and the fact cable must carry digital ATSC broadcasts.
9. A Tale of Two Trade Shows .
   Views on digital TV differ between broadcasters and cablecasters at 1998 meetings.
10. Is V-Chip Ready for Prime Time? .
    Canadian V-chip inventor says his 'parental control' tool will work better in digital.
11. Denver DTV 'Supertower'Faces Local Resistance.
    County Fears Instability and Falling Ice, but Residents Fear Greater RF Radiation.
12. Let There Be Light! .
    Understanding how T1, DS3, ISDN and DSL copper wire-line telecommunication services can support digital video transmission.
13. A Primer on Video Compression .
    The fabled '500 channels' is possible because of video compression. Here's an early overview that's still valid for those who want to understand the technology.
14. NATV Challenging Media Frontiers . .
    A look into the past, present and future of TV on Native American lands.
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Please read Global Sense by Judah Freed An update of Common Sense for these times that try our souls. New in the VisionWare Bookshop: CASTING THE NET OVER GLOBAL LEARNING by Dr. Bernard Luskin An comprehensive overview of critical advances in k-12 and higher education along with corporate training and lifelong learning. THE AUTHOR is a world pioneer in distance learning and interactive media, a media psychologist, and director of the media studies program at Fielding Graduate Institute. CLICK TO ORDER

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