Post by dkennedy on May 18, 2005 7:17:35 GMT -5
DIRECTV Rolls Out Interactive TV
The satcaster adds ITV in one market with plans to expand it to all cities within a month.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (May 18) -- DIRECTV last week launched its highly anticipated Interactive TV service in one test market. The satcaster says it plans to expand the service to all cities within the next month.
Called DIRECTV Active, it will provide viewers access to local weather information, daily horoscopes, stock summaries and lottery results. DIRECTV subscribers who have late-model receivers (purchased after 2004) will be able to access the information on-screen with their TV remotes.
Jade Ekstedt, a DIRECTV spokeswoman, said she did not know the name of the market where the company is testing the new ITV features. TVPredictions.com asked Ekstedt for the market location several times over the last week but she said she could not obtain the information.
Ekstedt said DIRECTV is waiting to see the results of the trial before it rolls out the service to more cities.
DIRECTV has delayed the Interactive TV launch for nearly two months.
When DIRECTV was purchased last year by News Corp., chaired by ITV enthusiast Rupert Murdoch, many industry experts predicted that the satellite TV service would soon launch several ITV innovations, including on-screen polls for popular shows such as American Idol and Survivor. Interactive TV proponents expressed hope that a Murdoch-led DIRECTV would revive the two-way technology which has failed to find an audience in the United States despite more than a decade of investment and hype.
However, at this time, DIRECTV's ITV offering pales compared to the one offered by satellite rival EchoStar, which has a ITV karaoke channel, an ITV shopping channel and a interactive feature which permits subscribers in 12 states to bet on the horses. In addition, Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, now has an interactive dating service and is testing ITV games in selected cities.
DIRECTV is expected to offer more advanced ITV features later in the year.
The main features of the current version of DIRECTV ACTIVE, which will be free to subscribers, are:
Main Screen
DIRECTV Active's main screen, which will have its own channel, will display stock market summaries and local weather information. In addition, a video loop will provide customer care and Pay Per View highlights.
Weather
The interactive weather feature will provide current and five-day local weather forecasts for thousands of U.S. cities. Viewers will be able to add up to five additional U.S. cities from a list of more than 2,000 cities.
Mix Channels
The Mix Channels, which are currently available on DIRECTV, enable subscribers to view up to six live channels from different networks on one screen. However, with the launch of DIRECTV Active, viewers will be able to tune to one Mix channel by pressing the "Select" key on their remotes. The first three DIRECTV Mix channels are for sports, news and children.
Horoscope
DIRECTV viewers will be able to check their daily horoscope by clicking on an on-screen astrological sign.
Lottery
DIRECTV will offer up-to-the-minute results from the 38 state lotteries in the United States. Current jackpot amounts will also be listed
© TVPredictions.com
The satcaster adds ITV in one market with plans to expand it to all cities within a month.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (May 18) -- DIRECTV last week launched its highly anticipated Interactive TV service in one test market. The satcaster says it plans to expand the service to all cities within the next month.
Called DIRECTV Active, it will provide viewers access to local weather information, daily horoscopes, stock summaries and lottery results. DIRECTV subscribers who have late-model receivers (purchased after 2004) will be able to access the information on-screen with their TV remotes.
Jade Ekstedt, a DIRECTV spokeswoman, said she did not know the name of the market where the company is testing the new ITV features. TVPredictions.com asked Ekstedt for the market location several times over the last week but she said she could not obtain the information.
Ekstedt said DIRECTV is waiting to see the results of the trial before it rolls out the service to more cities.
DIRECTV has delayed the Interactive TV launch for nearly two months.
When DIRECTV was purchased last year by News Corp., chaired by ITV enthusiast Rupert Murdoch, many industry experts predicted that the satellite TV service would soon launch several ITV innovations, including on-screen polls for popular shows such as American Idol and Survivor. Interactive TV proponents expressed hope that a Murdoch-led DIRECTV would revive the two-way technology which has failed to find an audience in the United States despite more than a decade of investment and hype.
However, at this time, DIRECTV's ITV offering pales compared to the one offered by satellite rival EchoStar, which has a ITV karaoke channel, an ITV shopping channel and a interactive feature which permits subscribers in 12 states to bet on the horses. In addition, Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, now has an interactive dating service and is testing ITV games in selected cities.
DIRECTV is expected to offer more advanced ITV features later in the year.
The main features of the current version of DIRECTV ACTIVE, which will be free to subscribers, are:
Main Screen
DIRECTV Active's main screen, which will have its own channel, will display stock market summaries and local weather information. In addition, a video loop will provide customer care and Pay Per View highlights.
Weather
The interactive weather feature will provide current and five-day local weather forecasts for thousands of U.S. cities. Viewers will be able to add up to five additional U.S. cities from a list of more than 2,000 cities.
Mix Channels
The Mix Channels, which are currently available on DIRECTV, enable subscribers to view up to six live channels from different networks on one screen. However, with the launch of DIRECTV Active, viewers will be able to tune to one Mix channel by pressing the "Select" key on their remotes. The first three DIRECTV Mix channels are for sports, news and children.
Horoscope
DIRECTV viewers will be able to check their daily horoscope by clicking on an on-screen astrological sign.
Lottery
DIRECTV will offer up-to-the-minute results from the 38 state lotteries in the United States. Current jackpot amounts will also be listed
© TVPredictions.com