sports

Verizon FiOS TV Launches NBA League Pass Interactive TV Widget

December 10, 2009
--FiOS TV Remote DVR App Now Available for 10 BlackBerry Models
--AT&T's U-verse TV IPTV Service Passes 2 Million Subscribers
Verizon announced Wednesday that it has launched an NBA League Pass interactive TV widget on its FiOS TV service . According to the company, the free widget allows viewers to order NBA League Pass, an NBA subscription package that provides up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games per week, via their remote control; and also provides them with instant access to headline news, player reports, game-time alerts and more. Once viewers have subscribed to NBA...

Microwave Oven Plays YouTube Videos While Heating Food

December 10, 2009
--Report: YouTube to Launch Sports Hub, Ramp Up Live Streaming Activities
In what may be one of the most unusual examples of convergence to date, two researchers from Japan's Keio University have developed a microwave oven that plays YouTube videos while the user waits for their food to cook. Dubbed the Castoven, the device incorporates a 10.4-inch LCD screen into its door and also integrates a speaker.

Designed to be connected to a home computer, and powered by an Adobe AIR app that...

Immersive Media Powers 360-Degree Interactive Video for CBC/Radio Canada and MTV Networks

December 08, 2009
Immersive Media --a company which has developed a patented technology, dubbed IM LIVE, that enables viewer-controlled, 360-degree, live, full-motion, interactive video experiences (note: the experience of watching video powered by the technology is akin to watching a video version of Google Street View), and which recently announced a deployment of the technology with Canada's MuchMusic ( see the article published on itvt.com, November 9th )--last week announced deployments with CBC/Radio-Canada and with MTV Networks ...

BBC Unveils its Red-Button Interactive TV Schedule for Next Two Weeks

November 30, 2009
--BBC Round-Up: Freesat iPlayer to Beta-Launch December 7th, Canvas Delays, No iPlayer on Xbox
The BBC has announced the line-up of content that will be available through its red-button interactive TV service for the next two weeks and beyond: From 9:55PM, December 11th through December 26th, digital viewers will be able to press red to access a weekly updated selection of videos designed to supplement the BBC Two three-part Christmas special, " Victorian Farm ." According to the corporation, the videos showcase, among other things, "the secrets of traditional...

Comcast Expands Programming Line-Up for Celtics On Demand

November 23, 2009
--Virgin Media Provides Info on its Winter VOD Line-Up
Comcast announced last week that it is expanding the content line-up of Celtics On Demand , the free VOD service it offers fans of Boston Celtics basketball on its systems in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. According to the MSO, the new season of the service--which is enabled by a collaboration with the MSO's Comcast SportsNet arm and the Boston Celtics team--will provide more behind-the-scenes coverage of the team, its players and its cheerleaders...

NBA Launches Two-Screen Interactive TV Application, "NBA TV Companion"

November 12, 2009
The National Basketball Association's (NBA) NBA Digital arm has launched a two-screen interactive TV application, called NBA TV Companion , that is available on NBA.com and on individual NBA team sites. According to NBA Digital, key features of the new application, which is designed to be used in conjunction with live game telecasts, include: "In-Arena Experience and Press Access": the app is designed to simulate the experience of being in an NBA arena press box,...

Sky Launches Mobile TV App for iPhone/iPod touch, CBS Launches Android Versions of its Apps

November 11, 2009
UK satellite TV operator, BSkyB , announced Tuesday that its Sky Mobile TV service is now available on the Apple iPhone and iPod touch . The company has developed a Sky Mobile TV app specifically for the iPhone/iPod touch: the app allows users to stream live TV via WiFi, and available channels include Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN, At The Races and all the Sky Sports channels. According to Sky, this means that users...

iN Demand Offering Array of Free Cable VOD, Broadband Video Content to Promote PPV Boxing Event

November 11, 2009
--HD NBC Programs Added to MyPrimetime, SeaChange Subsidiaries in VOD Deals with Kabel BW
Cable industry-owned VOD content-aggregator, iN Demand , contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it is offering several free VOD programs on cable systems around the US, as well as two exclusive online documentaries, in order to drive interest in this Saturday's pay-per-view championship boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.

The free cable VOD programs--available on Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Bright House Networks, Bresnan, RCN, LodgeNet and a...

BBC Unveils its Red-Button Interactive TV Schedule for Next Two Weeks

November 02, 2009
The BBC announced last week the line-up of content that will be available through its red-button interactive TV service for the next two weeks and beyond (note: this is the first time that the BBC has released its red-button schedule since announcing that it would be making significant cuts to Freeview red-button services in order to prepared for the launch of HD): On November 6th, immediately following the show, " Friday Night with Jonathan Ross...

News Round-Up

October 22, 2009
--BIAP Changes its Name to FourthWall Media
--Canoe Ventures Looking to Staff Up
--Disney's Keychest Tech Would Enable New Content Ownership Model for Multiplatform World
--MySpace Launches vCommerce-Enabled Music Videos Hub
--NBA to Launch Interactive TV Show on NBA.com
--NBA Also Considering Letting Fans Interact with One Another via Interactive TV Widgets
--Rogers to Launch TV Everywhere-Type Service Next Month, Cox in Wait-and-See Mode
--Yahoo! in Branded Programming Partnership with GroupM
Here is a round-up of some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue: As [itvt] was going to press, we learned that Plano, Texas-based interactive TV software provider, BIAP (note: last year, the company--whose name is an acronym for Broadband Interactive Applications--secured a five-year license agreement for its ETV User Agent with Time Warner Cable--see [itvt] Issue 8.23 Part 2B), has changed its name to FourthWall Media . We plan...

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