Time Warner Cable Brings Web Video
to TV
Time Warner Cable and
ActiveVideo Networks have decided to offer Web content and interactivity
to the TVs of cable subscribers in Hawaii. The new service, which is being
launched in Oceanic Time Warner Cable, will stream traditional and
Web-based content to any digital set-top box. Initial channels include
interactive games from TAG Networks; home shopping from HSN; and news,
sports, and children's versions of P:Mosaic.
In addition, the ActiveVideo
service enables Oceanic Time Warner Cable to create Web-based channels
that are specific to the Hawaii market.
The launch follows a
system-wide trial of ActiveVideo during the 2008 Summer Olympics, in which
Oceanic subscribers could get single-screen mosaic coverage of multiple
channels of broadcast and cable Olympics programming, as well as Olympics
news, photo albums, schedules, and other content acquired from Web RSS
feeds.
"One of cable television's
greatest strengths is its ability to serve customers with content that is
important to them locally, and even personally," said Nate Smith,
president of Oceanic Time Warner Cable. "Our launch of ActiveVideo expands
our ability to deliver to our customers diversity, personalization, and
targeting, through a wide range of video choices.”
"With studies continuing to
show that the television remains the device of choice for viewing video
content, we're seeing dramatically increased interest in ActiveVideo
solutions that bring the Web experience to television through existing
STBs and CE devices." said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo
Networks.
The deployment of ActiveVideo
will allow subscribers access to and control over television content,
including the ability to:
-
Play Tetris, Sudoku, and a
wide variety of other popular games from TAG Networks, along with
specially created kids games featuring Barney and Thomas & Friends;
-
Use Web-based search and
navigation to locate merchandise of interest from HSN's online
inventory, and to make purchases using their remote controls; and
-
Simultaneously monitor and
choose among multiple news, sports, or children's channels.
ActiveVideo will combine Web
video, Web 2.0 functionality, and traditional television. Viewers can
navigate an interactive environment of both linear and broadband
programming including interfaces and graphics optimized for TV and remote
control navigation; social networking; personal media; niche content; and
targeted, actionable advertising.
ActiveVideo uses MPEG
streaming to deliver the Web 2.0 experience to any digital cable set-top
box or broadband-connected CE device.
Related Articles:
Airtel Entering Your Living Room with Digital TV
Starz Movies will Stream on Netflix
Netflix Partners CBS, Disney to Stream TV Shows
Intel, Yahoo will Bring Net to TV
Your
Comments:
