Integration Of Web And TV

19 Pages 4864 Words

rts. The following sections look at the current status of iTV and obstacles to providing iTV in Australia.
Current Integration Status
Interactive television has been available in Australia on regional pay television network Austar for more than a year and Optus as of writing, is running its commercial iTV trial. Sun and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in February this year made a successful launch of first local iTV application. SBS has successfully developed an iTV application named “Dateline” which offers return-path functionality or back-channelling, using the industry-standard MHP. This back-end system not only makes additional information available for SBS news bulletins but acts as an interface that allows viewers to send feedback.

Even with this advances, MHP however is still not available to consumers. This is due to the lack of MHP compliant boxes which is the reason both Austar and Optus uses proprietary middleware instead of MHP on their trials, with Austar using OpenTV and Optus, Liberate middleware. Currently, only Finland deploys MHP for end-users despite the fact that most European countries adopted the MHP platform.

Quite a number of iTV applications have been built. ICE for example, in December 2000 had broadcasted an interactive news and travel program “Destinations” which enables users to click through and explore additional information about a holiday destination and book online during the program. Besides this, ICE is also building an interactive news application for WIN Television that enables viewers to vote on topical questions and see the results of polling within news bulletins. ICE has also joined with nCuBE to promise integrated iTV and video on demand. Since January last year, ICE has been trailing its technology in Orange, Sydney. Local residents were provided interactive news, business, weather, sports channels and general Internet access via their TVs. Commercial application has also ...