| LOS GATOS, Calif. and HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 2006 - ICTV®,
creator of on-demand solutions that seamlessly blend the choice and control
of broadband video with the quality and responsiveness of television, and
PCCW Limited, the leading communications provider in Hong Kong, today
announced that the ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network (AVDN) has
been selected to enable interactive channels via television to subscribers
of PCCW'snow TV service.
The first ActiveVideo channel offered by now TV is the completely
interactive "Movie Trailer Channel" that PCCW has launched in partnership
with United Artists, one of the leading cinema groups in Hong Kong. The
Movie Trailer Channel allows subscribers to preview movies, choose cinema
locations, check program times, request seat locations, and buy tickets
using just their standard remote controls. The channel is the first in a
series of ActiveVideo channels and applications that will deliver more
interactive services to now TV's 654,000 subscribers.
The ActiveVideo Distribution Network is a usage-based content
distribution service that enables operators, programmers and advertisers to
bring video programming and advertising models from the Internet to the
television, including high-CPM ads that are targeted, auditable,
interactive and actionable. AVDN delivers Web-driven programming and live
and VOD streams - all with superior TV quality - over the existing two-way
network infrastructure to any digital set-top box.
"ICTV has provided the quality and scalability that have enabled us to
offer the most powerful interactive television platform in the world," said
Dominic Leung, Managing Director, Television & Content of PCCW. "The Movie
Trailer Channel is the first example of how ActiveVideo Distribution
Network will enable our subscribers to find and control an entirely new
series of television channels of high-quality video with interactivity and
information that specifically meets their individual preferences."
"Over the past two years, PCCW has established now TV as a world leader
in the deployment of IPTV," said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of ICTV.
"We believe that the ability of ActiveVideo to bring standards-based,
Web-driven programming and Internet-style advertising to the television
will be a significant factor in helping operators like PCCW to dynamically
expand the scope of their offerings and capture new subscriber and
advertising revenue."
One of the world's largest and most advanced IPTV deployments, now TV
enables subscribers to choose their preferred programs from more than 110
channels. The service provides 15 channels at no charge, and allows
subscribers to select others using an "a la carte" pricing system.
Capitalizing on the ability to deliver Web programming as MPEG video to
any digital set-top box, the ICTV ActiveVideo platform is entirely
standards-based, requiring no custom integration or proprietary
development. Live and VOD programming can be blended seamlessly with
content that is created and modified quickly using standard Web tools and
talent, and distributed via standard Web infrastructure. The ActiveVideo
platform utilizes existing on-demand infrastructure, delivering all
programming from the headend as MPEG video while using the on-demand return
path to receive user input to control the programming and provide
interactivity. This unique approach requires little set top resources and
integrates with and extends existing set-top based interactive approaches.
With ActiveVideo Channels, network operators and programmers can
enhance the value of existing channels by allowing viewers to take active
control of what they see and when they see it. As an example, through
simple clicks on their remote controls, television viewers can select an
ActiveVideo Channel from the standard program guide and enter a broadband
experience that includes multiple video windows, navigational elements,
channel branding, banner advertisements, and links to different video
segments and images. Screens can be manipulated to reflect personal viewing
interests and purchasing preferences. Clicking on advertisements within the
ActiveVideo experience enables interaction with sponsor messages, including
"telescoping" to let consumers request more information, watch a
demonstration or make a purchase. |
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