The current Big Brother series has been a catalyst for a great deal of application development on Channel 4 & E4.

With a variety of iTV games across digital satellite, digital cable and now also on Freeview through the Free2Play portal, Channel 4 are starting to use promos to drive viewers to their iTV games by pressing their RED BUTTON.

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The iTV weather forecast channel is one of the most frequently consulted services in Stream's bouquet. The recent re-design of the whole service has added completely new features, improved the user interface and enriched all the available information adding, for example, the Real Feel Temperature, the UV factor, the sea conditions, the snow situation for skiers, pollution indexes, pollen survey and more.

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Espial’s Evo IPTV Service Platform Added to Auroras Entertainment’s IPTV Service Suite

November 6, 2006 - Espial IPTV , provider of IPTV middleware and applications, have announced that IPTV service provider Auroras Entertainment has added Espial's Evo® IPTV Service Platform as supported middleware for its IPTV service.

IP Datacasting – Bringing TV to the Mobile Phone  - WHITEPAPER

Bringing TV to Mobile Phones In the near future morning commuters will be able to pass the time on the train by selecting the market news channel on their Mobile phone TV and watching the latest news in real time before reaching the office. In the extra minutes before arriving at the station and walking to the office, consumers can switch over to the music channel and enjoy their favorite tunes and videos.

This guided overview from Turkish developer Mobilsoft
(http://www.mobilsoft.com.tr)shows the capability of Digiturk's email and messaging service.

Special features include the ability to send and receive TV "Greeting Cards" and view file attachments in BMP, JPEG and GIF formats.

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Dropping its original enhanced TV portal, Disney Channel UK has re-launched its interactivity with a new ETV service, this time created for Sky's WTVML browser, developed by Sky Interactive and supported by a comprehensive management and scheduling system from Tamblin.

According to Disney the new application is a major step forward from their previous solution and offers Disney a greater deal of flexibility and control of their interactivity in terms of design and dynamic update.

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In May 2002, Disney Channel embarked on a mammoth search for a group of talented youngsters who would form a pop group to record a single, shoot a video and finally perform to 10,000 fans at the London Arena as well as millions of TV viewers during the 2002 Disney Channel Kids Awards.

To have a chance of being in the group, 5,000 hopefulls attended 5 workshops around England, Scotland and Wales.

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Nickelodeon UK has taken a highly simple approach to interactivity running this voting application during the UK half term school holidays. Watch your own week allows the viewers to choose the next programme to air on the channel - and offers multiple methods including telephone, SMS and now interactive TV.

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Sky has achieved considerable success in upselling new services to its subscribers.

From 30th September 2002, there were 75,000 subscribers taking the "Extra Digibox" option - up 41% (Sky install a second decoder and dual LNB, on condition both decoders are connected to the same telephone line) whilst there were 38,000 subscribers to the Sky+ Personal Video Recorder, up 37% in the quarter.

Sky expect further growth in the takeup of these products due to the current on air and interactive campaigns (see video above) which are currently promoting Sky Plus across the network.

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This is one of the fastest loading and most comprehensive iTV weather services we have seen.

It doesn't have such a clean design as for instance the TPS Meteo service has. However the navigation of the service is very fluid. Interestingly, unlike a number of other OpenTV platforms, Digiturk doesn't have colour keys and so the user must navigate using up,down,left,right, OK and Back keys only!

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Swisscom Launches TV Over Broadband 

November 1, 2006 - Swisscom today announced the launch of it’s first IPTV offering in Switzerland, Bluewin TV.

Mobile TV - The Next Big "Killer App" in Wireless  - EXEC OVERVIEW

Historically, the wireless mobile industry has changed the way that we live, work and play by providing communications anytime, anywhere to anyone at an affordable price. A new technology application in the cellular industry will again change the way we live. In the near future, mobile television services – delivered over cellular networks to handheld wireless terminals – offer great promise as potential revenue generators for players across the value chain (e.g., network operators, broadcasters/content providers, equipment manufacturers).

This service, using broadly the same interface as the Canal Satellite France SMS service allows viewers to ask questions during the live daily transmission of C Dans L'air on France 5. This application is currently exclusively available to Canal Satellite subscribers. When the viewer opts to send a message - a virtual keyboard and text box appear. On choosing the validate option - the message is then sent via the STB modem.

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Pop Idol illustrates how easily the core programming of the UK's main commercial broadcaster, ITV, can lend itself to interactivity.

Despite supporting the Pop Idol programme with a simple and fast-loading application that enables viewers to gossip around the show and participate in the vote on Saturday nights, ITV’s execution of the application does seem to lack something in terms of its creativity and design.

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BBCi have taken a truly multi-platform approach with their new show Fame Academy.

The show is supported by round-the-clock news updates, highlights packages, profiles and pictures available across all three digital interactive TV platforms, the internet, broadband, SMS, WAP and PDA.

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In sharp contrast to the simple voting application of Nickelodeon (which has a limited lifespan of a couple of weeks) the Studio Disney application is an all singing, all dancing mix of voting, competitions and content presented as a full screen application - with the video resized to 1/4 screen. Perhaps rather worrying for parents -the cost of voting or entering a competition can range from 25 - 50 UK pence - and there are 3 opportunities to dial in using this application. A figure that could add up quite considerably on a daily basis.

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This promo which is stripped across the BBC channels shows the additional interactive services available during Wimbledon 2002 to all digital homes, not just the ones receiving Sky Digital.

Well, when I say all, all except NTL who seem to be dragging their heals when it comes to any kind of interactivity linked to a TV programme, regardless of whether it is full enhanced TV or not!

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These services follow an almost similar content and design approach as Lagardere's services in the French market. (see below) and indeed some such as Elle Cocina are virtually identical in terms of design, content and navigation.

All services are accessed via a portal on the DirecTV LA STB.

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Alcatel and Samsung Partner to Develop Mobile TV Handsets in the S-Band

October 30, 2006 – Alcatel and Samsung Electronics have announced that they have signed an agreement to develop mobile handsets compatible with the DVB-H standard in the S-Band. This is part of Alcatel's Unlimited Mobile TV solution.

Television on a handheld receiver - broadcasting with DVB-H

Over the last ten years digital technology has encouraged a rapid growth in the personal consumption of media. The advent of personal video recorders (PVRs), video-on-demand and the multiplication of programme offerings have enabled viewers to personalise the content that they want to watch. And with interactivity, viewers can directly express their preferences to broadcasters.

As part of this trend, and alongside the growth of mobile telephony, new technologies have been developed that enable viewers to watch streamed television-like services on their mobile telephone. The place of viewing is no longer limited to the television receiver at home, or in a vehicle, but is widened to allow personalised viewing of television by individuals wherever they are located.

This is one of the WML or WapTV "Microbrowser" based services on the Sky Platform.

Choosing the Ringtones & Logos service takes the viewer away from the video for a few short moments to retreive the data (from another transponder!) and then returns to the video so the viewer can continue to watch their favourite programming.

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Magician and performance artist David Blaine's latest challenge 'David Blaine: Above the Below' is being featured on Sky digital as a 24/7 interactive service.

The stunt involves Blaine spending more than 6 weeks in solitary confinement in a clear-plexi glass box supsended above the River Thames surviving on just water alone.
The glass box is just seven feet deep, seven feet long and three feet wide, where he aims to remain for 44 days. He will have no food, no communication and no distractions of any kind. He will have to exist with a tube feeding him water and a waste tube to urinate.

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BBC's IQ show "Test The Nation" was broadcast live on Saturday May 11th, 2002.

On the night of the test, 9.1 million viewers watched Anne Robinson and Phillip Schofield put six studio groups through their paces. Viewers could also interact with the show and obtain their own score via digital satellite, digital cable or via the web.

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Formats, formats, formats!

Its Loft Story, Popstars & Big Brother all rolled into one! Canal Satellite viewers in France can follow the lives of a group of prospective stars who are living their lives 24 hours a day in front of the camera all for just 70 French Francs (approx $10) which covers the 3 months the transmissions will run on channel 89.

The voting application is provided using IDP's RegieLine.

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Several months down the line, Sky's Lil' Red Button Man is still being stripped across Sky's channels during the advertising breaks in a bid to get viewers to use the interactive services on the Sky platform.

It would be interesting to see what, if any increase in uptake of these services has been since the campaign launched and if any peaks can be seen in modem connections following the promos airing.

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Wednesday 17th April 2002 saw the launch of the UK Government's UK Online service over Sky Digital with its own dedicated space on the interactive menu.

Currently UK iTV agency Channelbay are responsible for the hosting of the service, Editorial is managed directly by UK online through Channelbay's "Loadingbay" product.

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World Leaders Gather at Latin America IPTV World Forum

Telecom Argentina, Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, Novis, Telefonica Peru and Telemar – are just some of the leading Latin America and US telcos that are set to speak as part of a world-class gathering of industry specialists at the IPTV World Forum Latin America (www.iptv-latinamerica.com) in Rio de Janeiro early next year.

The program will feature over 15 Telcos & ISPs discussing IPTV service deployment issues facing the region’s telecoms industry.

 IPTV World Forum Latin America 2007 Programme

Mobile TV Broadcasting - Nokia Brochure

Mobile phones, mp3 players, PDAs... today these are standard equipment for busy people. And they’re about to be joined by a new ‘must-have’ device that will change the way people think about entertainment, communication and information: Mobile TV.

In France, Canal Satellite & Vizzavi's SMS service uses a virtual keyboard which appears on screen.

With its RegieLine software, IDP has integrated the application and developed the back-office tools that ensures the transfer of the message to the Vizzavi platform. This in turn automatically forwards the message to the receiver’s mobile telephone. IDP's virtual keyboard, which will now be the standard keyboard for all Canal Satellite applications created using RegieLine.

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After many years of planning and several months of development, Bloomberg has finally launched an interactive service on digital satellite in the UK. Whilst other European digital operators such as Stream in Italy and CSD Spain already offer interactive financial services, this is one of the first to be part of an enhanced broadcast.

This is not Bloomberg's first foray into interactive TV. A UK cable service, developed for the Liberate platform has been available for a number of years, however this service was heavily influenced by Bloomberg's web development teams in the US and certainly has a TV-Internet feel about it. This new OpenTV application, developed by NDS goes much further than the Liberate service and it would seem that the wait for the application has been worthwhile.

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