David Broberg wrote:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *LG Electronics and Funai Electric * *Sign Tru2way**^™ **MOU* * *Louisville, Colorado, July 28, 2008 – CableLabs® announced today that LG Electronics and Funai Electric have signed the multi-industry tru2way™ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).The MOU signators now include major consumer electronics manufactures – Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG Electronics, Funai (which trades products in the United States under the brand names Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania, and Emerson); Digeo, and ADB; chip maker Intel; and, the nation’s top six cable providers – Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Cablevision, Charter and Bright House Networks.Tru2way technology allows consumers to receive interactive cable services, including video-on-demand, voting and polling, games, and e-commerce in integrated retail DTVs without the need for a separate set-top box.
hi, this is my first post in this mailing list.i'd like to present myself. my name is Andrea Venturi and i work in Italy, since 2004, doing interactive digital television solutions (more on it on google..)
as you know, interactive tv in italy started in 2003, was based on MHP (the ancestor of GEM/Ocap/tru2way) and it has been heavily promoted by the Government with not that big splash.. :-|
there are many reasons about the failure, and it could worth another post another day.
anyway, i was beginning to believe that the tv service was to stay a couch potatoes business forever when i heard about this OCAP commitment in US; many deal between hardware producers and cable companies, this marketing rebrand to bump up the cool factor. (albeit i really don't get the pun behind tru2play.. if you want to tell me)
so it joined this mailin list and i spent some time listening. now that i think i catched the mood, i'd like to ask your opinion about interactive tv.
what are you expecting from it? which contents, whih killer apps (gaming, infotainment, transaction) ?
do you think it could work out for the masses or it will just stay in a niche (as it doesn't cost a dime over the standard DTV service anyway)?
do you forecast a standalone business model based on it (t-commerce?) or is it going to be just eye candy..
is there an audience still stuck in front of the tv set (ready to buy this new service), or they are all already run away to the nearest blockbuster?
i'd like to understand.. i'd like to think that, in Italy/Europe, we could get back from the US a new succesfull technology/business model that we could have been running five years ago, but it was just not the right time (or the right people..)
thank you for your attention bye andrea venturi
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