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Well we got excited about ATVEF, then MHEG, then MHP, somewhere in there OpenTV developed their own proprietary system, as did Liberate. And that's not even including the TV over ADSL guys...

iMagicTV, one of those TV over ADSL middleware providers uses HTML with 'tv in the browser' as does others like Minerva and Orca...

Don't forget about hardware vendors who are already shipping and this includes the big boys like Thomson/RCA

So why yet another dtv standard.. I'm getting dizzy...

Wrong. Microsoft and others (AOL) are already well on their way to putting together this device minus DVD ripping (cough. MPAA. cough.). Check out The Microsoft TV Platform for more info. WebTV never "had" anything, since it's still in more than a million households, and is the most successful "convergence" platform ever. How do I know this? Because I helped build enhanced content for NBC. Part of the Enhanced Broadcast Group's responsibilities included HDTV and convergence. With the 9Mbs data channel of the HDTV feed, users have their downstream net connection built into the signal. They can use a modem for upstream if necessary. See the ATVEF site for news on what is probably the coolest thing in computing ever.

If I were designing it, I'd use a $99 WebTV+ box (or interface card) to allow an HTML interface to be laid over TV content. WebTV even has a CLI that can run basic hardware and serial port functionality in script. Also, WebTV's serial port could be used to communicate with and control a rack of devices, each of which could be used to implement any of the functionality described in the article when it is developed. Except for, of course, DVD ripping, which will arrive on a cold day in Hell. Why not just get a 500 CD/DVD changer/burner and screw the magnetic storage altogether?

The basic idea of 'interactive TV' is the ability to provide a web type experience while watching TV . Yes, it may not be what everyone thinks is the killer application, but it is feasible and it can work today. Both Microsoft, Intel, and Liberate (formally NCI, formally Network Computer, spun off by Oracle) are using the ATVEF standards as a basis for their work. Companies like PowerTV, OpenTV, and Wink are attempting to use proprietary formats and software to achieve the the same goal.

The ATVEF group have developed a set of extension s to HTML that allow an ATVEF enabled device to display TV and web type images simultaneously. You can see a real example of this by watching Jeopardy on a WebTV box. You can play along with the show.

Part of the ATVEF standard calls for the inclusion of triggers and javascript type information to be actually sent with the video in the VBI (vertical blanking interval). This type of triggering allows synchonized events without worrying about the latency of the TV path.

A company called Mixed Signals does this type of TV enhancement for other comapnies.

Another type of enhanced TV is the 'two screen' type. Two screen means haivng your computer and TV in the same room. ABC has been doing this with Monday Night Football and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. If you watch a MNF or SNF game and see a play dispute instant replay, you will see the internet users actually voting on wether the play should stand or not. The count is updated in realtime on television. You can try it ABC's enhanced TV the next time one of their shows is on.

I's suggest reading the ATEVF site a bit. It's the standard supported by most of the content providers. They are the ones going to pay the big bill to enhance TV.

Let me know if you need to know more. I have the connections to find out pretty much any answer about this stuff.
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The basic idea of 'interactive TV' is the ability to provide a web type experience while watching TV . Yes, it may not be what everyone thinks is the killer application, but it is feasible and it can work today. Both Microsoft, Intel, and Liberate (formally NCI, formally Network Computer, spun off by Oracle) are using the ATVEF standards as a basis for their work. Companies like PowerTV, OpenTV, and Wink are attempting to use proprietary formats and software to achieve the the same goal.

The ATVEF group have developed a set of extension s to HTML that allow an ATVEF enabled device to display TV and web type images simultaneously. You can see a real example of this by watching Jeopardy on a WebTV box. You can play along with the show.

Part of the ATVEF standard calls for the inclusion of triggers and javascript type information to be actually sent with the video in the VBI (vertical blanking interval). This type of triggering allows synchonized events without worrying about the latency of the TV path.

A company called Mixed Signals does this type of TV enhancement for other comapnies.

Another type of enhanced TV is the 'two screen' type. Two screen means haivng your computer and TV in the same room. ABC has been doing this with Monday Night Football and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. If you watch a MNF or SNF game and see a play dispute instant replay, you will see the internet users actually voting on wether the play should stand or not. The count is updated in realtime on television. You can try it ABC's enhanced TV the next time one of their shows is on.

I's suggest reading the ATEVF site a bit. It's the standard supported by most of the content providers. They are the ones going to pay the big bill to enhance TV.

Let me know if you need to know more. I have the connections to find out pretty much any answer about this stuff.
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The ATVEF spec for enhanced TV already uses this model. Companies who "adopt" the spec get a free license to the patents from Intel and others who spearheaded it. License agreement here.

-Merlyn42

The ATVEF spec for enhanced TV already uses this model. Companies who "adopt" the spec get a free license to the patents from Intel and others who spearheaded it. License agreement here.

-Merlyn42