Interactive TV in U.S., Finally

WSJ has a very good overview of some new efforts in the iTV space in U.S…in Sept, satellite operator DirecTV will get a new feature: a channel on which they’ll be able to watch eight games on one screen. It’s a sign that satellite and cable systems are beginning to embrace interactive TV after years of hype about the concept.

Comcast this fall is planning to launch a similar mosaic feature on a new “portal” screen that subscribers to its cable systems will see when they first turn on their TVs.

Among other things, the players are hoping that by making TV appear more like the Internet, they’ll reverse the trend among some segments of the population, particularly younger people, of spending more time on their computers and less time watching TV.

“Viewers can interact with advertisements on TV as much as they can with advertisements on the Internet,” says Peter Stern, executive VP of Time Warner Cable. Lame analogy, but you get the drift..

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