General Information Hardware manufacturers Applications Developers Standards bodies and professional organizations ITV Systems manufacturer MSOs (cable companies) Satellite TV operators ITV on PC/Broadband EPG ITV authoring tools Video on Demand Misc General Information allNetDevices "News and features for developers and vendors of Net devices, content and applications." BroadBandBananas Includes lots of video examples of interactive applications from Europe. Broadband Daily "Broadband news from Broadband Intelligence Inc." Cable Datacom News A news site focusing on the technical aspects of the broadband industry. Useful to those interested in this kind of thing. Cahners An extremely useful searchable archive from publishers of Broadcasting and Cable, Cablevision, and Communications Engineering and Design. Digital media net Digital Media Online is a series of online communities for the digital media industry including streaming media, video, animation, special effects, desktop publishing, imaging and design, audio, CAD, workstations, broadcast, post production, and game development. Of particular interest is DTV Professional which covers ITV. Searchable database of Articles. The Digital Television Group The web site of a British digital television trade organization . Lots of useful info and an excellent (if euro-biased) links page. DTV Professional Digital media net's DTV site with a useful ITV section Interactive TV Today Widely read ITV journal with breaking iTV news. Well written and edited. ITV Dictionary An extremely comprehensive dictionary with terms directly and indirectly related to all aspects of television and interactive media. Lemurvision An open source platfrom for interactive television originally created on this site. Mark's Monday Memo Mark Schubin's weekly newsletter focusing on DTV, DVD and other emerging television technologies. Balanced and informed, with a healthy dose of skepticism. Media Visions Web Zine featuring Media commentary from Journalist Ken Freed. Some useful introductory and technical info, seems to be aimed at the sociology crowd. Primetime Dan Brown's interactive television viewing headlines. Ruel Excellent ITV news and developers site Top of page Hardware Manufacturer Acer, Inc. set top box Manufacturer of STB Apple Authoring Tools Makers of quicktime ATI Technologies Hardware Mfg Manufacturer of computer video cards Avid Technology, Inc. Authoring Tools An industry leader in NLE systems, working on integration of ITV functions into their products (?) Broadcom Inc Hardware manufacturer Manufacturer of STBs and Broadband communications equipment Cisco Hardware Mfg Major player in networking equipment. Getting into ITV and VOD with it's The Cisco IP/TV Product Family built on Microsoft's Windows Media Technologies. Concurrent Computer Corp Hardware mfg Defence contractor getting into broadband and VOD. Installed on Time Warners Tampa system EEG Enterprises, Inc. tools, encoders Closed Captioning, XDS (Vchip) and URL encoders, decoders and software Evertz Microsystems Ltd. tools encoders Closed Captioning, XDS (Vchip) and URL encoders, decoders and software General Instruments Set top box General Instruments - One of the big guys in set top boxes, recently merged with motorola GTC global Makers of a damn interesting set top box ! Harmonic, Inc. Hardware mfg Digital video infrastructure manufacturer ICTV Head end ITV systems Manufacturer of ITV and VOD cable Head end systems, supports a wide variety of middleware Libit Signal Processing Now Texas Instruments Cable Broadband Communications Group Media 100, Inc. Authoring Tools NLE manufacturer, some ITV functionality integrated into their applications. Microware Systems Corp. Set top OS Manufacturer of OS-9 and DAVID operating systems used in Motorola set top Boxes Motorola set top box Makers of STBs, Owns General Instruments nSTREAMS Turnkey streaming systems for the broadcast, hospitality, education, healthcare, and karaoke markets. Pace Micro Technologies Set top box UK based manufacturer of STBs making inroads to the US market. Has smart remote control technology, which may be just hype. Prasara Technologies back-end systems Providers of ITV Business Management Tools to MSO, including billing systems, VOD, e-commerce, merged with PowerTV 7/12/00 Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. STBs, servers and cable infrastructure Major manufacturer of STB's and ITV infrastructure SeaChange International ITV, VOD Sony Set top os, set top boxes Sony Aperios used by TCI, rolling out new "EOS" boxes with cablevision in long island (1/8/01), using Seachange VOD technology. Also important to watch PS 2 game console which has internet connection, NTSC output, PVR technologies under development, and could easily take a tuner card; "web appliance" which runs the multimedia optimized "BeOS" Sun Microsystems Set top os Big computer manufacturer, Developer of JavaTV, TeleCruz Technology, Inc. hardware Chip manufacturer for internet appliance type systems Texas Instruments Hardware Chip manufacturer, Real systems decoder technology is integrated in their multimedia chips. Thomson Multimedia set top box Manufacturer of broadcast equipment, Plans to integrate CanalPlus middleware into next generation of boxes (10/21/00) TiVo set top box Digital recorder, EPG and Authoring (?) environment. Customer Support hours: M-F 7am to 9pm PST, S-S 7am to 7pm PST Sony Set top os, set top boxes Sony Aperios used by TCI, rolling out new ³EOS² boxes with cablevision in long island (1/8/01), using Seachange VOD technology. Also important to watch PS 2 game console which has internet connection, NTSC output, PVR technologies under development, and could easily take a tuner card. ³web appliance² which runs the multimedia optimized ³BeOS² Top of page Applications Developers ACTV Applications developer Wide ranging applications developers with proprietary technology and tools for both STB and computers Arlen Communications Research and consulting firm specializing in interactive applications and services in telecommunications and media Extend Media Content provider Canadian ITV content developer. Recent deals with CBC and UPN, seem to be in trouble GoldPocket Interactive Provider of interactive television infrastructure and software solutions. Also owns the former Mixed Signals Technologies, which provided VBI data insertion hardware/software and was a content provider for "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune." Intellocity USA, Inc. Subsidiary of ACTV, interactive ITV applications and advertising Metatv content provider, system integrator Provider of ITV infrastructure products and applications. Particular focus on deployment over varied installed based of middleware and STBs. On2.com Inc Content provider Web design house with specialty in ITV and streaming application development Peach Networks Inc MSO Israel-based provider of technology for enhanced TV services for digital television who turn up a lot. Acquired by Microsoft, 2/29/00: Razorfish Content provider Big players in New Media, some initiatives in ITV mostly out of the London office. Source Media, Inc. Content developer, content provider Large producer of streaming and ITV applications Spiderdance Synched TV/computer ITV. Two Way TV Ltd. A London-based full-service provider of ITV software and services and has provided enhancements for many UK programmes. Their authoring software, Ark, supports multiple platforms and provides interactivity to UK networks NTL and Telewest's digital cable as well as the BBC, Channel 4, Flextech and Sky Sports. Two Way TV also has its own branded games channel. WatchPoint Information Services Authoring Tools ITV applications developer with proprietary edge detection allowing for moving highlight able areas. Big investment from Motorola 3/01 Top of page Standards Bodies and Professional Organizations Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) The Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) is a cross-industry group formed to specify a single public standard for delivering interactive television experiences that can be authored once using a variety of tools and deployed to a variety of television, set-top, and PC-based receivers. ATSC The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is an organization that is establishing voluntary technical standards for advanced television systems. ATSC Digital TV Standards include digital high definition television (HDTV), standard definition television (SDTV), data broadcasting, multichannel surround-sound audio, and Satellite direct-to-home broadcasting. American Film Institute The American Film Institute sponsors the AFI ETV Workshop which is an R&D environment that prepares the television creative community for digital, interactive broadcast storytelling through a hands-on prototype production process. Cable labs Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., also known as CableLabs®, is a non-profit research and development consortium of cable television system operators. The organization also acts as a clearinghouse to provide information on current and prospective technological developments that are of interest to the cable industry. Digital Audio Visual Council (DAVIC) The home page of the european standards body behind the DAVIC spec. Digital Terrestrial TV Action Group (DigiTAG) A European trade organiaztion focusing on deployment of terrestrial DTV standards particularly DVB. Digital TV Applications Software Environment (DASE) The home page of the joint effort between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) T3/S17 industry consortium for the proposed Digital TV Applications Software Environment (DASE) standard. DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) European Digital Video Standards body, publishers of the DVB and MHP standards. Excellent White Papers section. Recently they have widened the scope of the project to include an interactive enviornment. European Broadcasting Union (EBU) The home page of The European Broadcasting Union (EBU). European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) The home page of ETSI, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, a non-profit organization whichis involved in producing European the telecommunications standards. IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) For the hardcore user this is a repository of documents from The Internet Engineering Task Force defining the communications standards for the internet. Main IETF site is located at http://www.ietf.org. Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) The home page of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) a working group of ISO/IEC in charge of the development of standards for coded representation of digital audio and video. Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) DVB project offices MHP website. National Cable television Assoc. Industry organization, good links page to everyone in the cable programming world Society of Cable Television Engineers Professional organization and standards body for cable television engineers. Working on the open cable spec. World Wide Web Consortium The World Wide Web Consortium is a standards body that develops common internet protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. Tons of useful information on things HTML. Internet/TV page @ http://www.w3.org/TV/#Television Top of page ITV Systems Manufacturer Alticast (Formerly 4DL) Authoring Tools, server, middleware JAVA and XML based authoring tool, Compliance with ATSC DASE, DVB MHP (supports Java TV API and HAVI UI API). Canal+ Technologies Middleware, server side solutions, authoring tools, security system End to end solution including authoring suite, MEDIAHIGHWAY middleware, MEDIAGUARD conditional access system. Supports digital cable, satellite and terrestrial environments. Liberate Technologies Middleware, Authoring Tools, Servers End to end ITV solutions, Thin and Fat Client rendering, AOLTV is based on this system, Liberate ³trial pack² middleware integrated with PowerTV OS and SA explorer 2010 on Cox system, On going relationship with Motorola, developing SA apps with Cox Microsoft Middleware, set top OS, Authoring Tools Fat Client rendering, deployed web TV system on rogers10/1/00, 5 billion to AT&T for ITVwho have yet to deploy due to problems running WEBTV in a thin client environment. Open TV corp Middleware, Authoring tools, content developer Proprietary Java and XML based ITV system. Bought Spyglass and now owns the Spyglass Mosaic Browser. Recently announced entry into the authoring/content business with new division ³Opentv interactive² PowerTV Operating Systems, Middleware, Applications PowerTV's products include an operating system for the digital interactive cable broadband network, middleware functionality supporting HTTP, HTML content creation, and PersonalJava development. Very pricy developer program $5500 for entry level to $20,000 for full blown support. Sony ITV Developers program Web site for developers of Sony set top boxes. Triveni Digital back-end Broadcast equipment manufacturer, beta testing digital terrestrial ATVEF-B system Wink Communications Development, middleware, backend Allied with MS, May be a subsidiary of someone else, has a platform, many large alliances, thin client rendering. Developer for PowerTV Enhanced broadcast Worldgate Communications Middleware Has cableware 2000 open software authoring environment for thin clients Channel Hyperlinking, URL Triggers, Currently proprietary, originally, Head end rendering moving to set top box rendering. Claim to be able to enable low end set top boxes to handle animation flash etc. Top of page MSOs (Cable Companies) Adelphia Communications MSO Using SA and Motorola digital set top boxes, trials with DIVA AT&T AT&T has the largest installed base of digital subscribers, but limited opportunity for interactivity due to installed base of older set-top boxes and less-advanced cable plant. Trials with opentv, replayTV, and ICTV. Recieved $5 billion from Microsoft (5/99) for ITV, not yet deployed due to problems running WEBTV in a thin client environment Cablevision Systems Corporation MSO Running trials with advanced sony 'EOS' boxes in long island (1/8/01), using Seachange VOD technology, trying to roll out advanced services to all subscribers Charter Communications MSO Running Worldgate and Wink OS middleware. Working with motorola and replay on set top PVR system. Running Diva VOD system. Principal owner: Paul Allen, of Microsoft fame. Primarily in Appalachian, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions. Cogeco MSO Canadian MSO Comcast Cable MSO Running Worldgate and Liberate. Trials with Opentv and ICTV Cox Communications MSO Large MSO Running Liberate "trial pack" middleware integrated with powerTV OS and SA explorer 2010 Insight Communications MSO Running Liberate thin client RCN Corp MSO Largest MSO in the US Roadrunner MSO, Content provider Broadband network, bought by AT&T Rogers Cable, Inc. MSO Canadian MSO/entertainment conglomerate. Rolling out full deployments of WEB-TV as of 10/1/2000 SBC Communications MSO Large communications company involved in just about everything. Parent company of, or alliances with: Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, NevadaBell, Sterling Commerce, Cingular Wireless, Prodigy and SNET. United pan European cable MSO Bunch of guys from Texas who have bought up a large part of the European cable market. Are working with hangar 22 to create a ground up ITV solution VideoTron MSO Canadian MSO Top of page Satellite TV Operators DirecTV MSO Big players in Satellite TV, using Opentv middleware for at least some applications, also do broadband Dish Network Satellite TV company, Subsidiary of echo star Pegasus Communications Corp. Running satellite based ITV systems running on an Acer Set top box, with liberate connect suite server and Tv navigator client, designed and implemented by metaTV Top of page ITV On PC/Broadband liberty livewire Computer TV synched ITV, using spiderdance software MeTv Content provider VOD via Broadband Oxygen Media network Got 100 milion from Paul Allen, working on rolling out web based ITV RealNetworks, Inc. Authoring Tools, server One of the leaders in streaming audio and video on the Net. Texas Instruments has integrated hardware decoding of real CODECs into its new generation of multimedia/ signal processing chips Softv Authoring Tools, Content provider Smil based synchronized streaming video apps Veon Authoring Tools Appears to be Advanced ITV functionality on web-based video, SMIL-based Top of page EPG Gemstar what they do Major EPG player, owns TV-Guide and holds patents for EPG technology which are the cause of litigation iSurfTV Corporation EPG Customized EPG, in litigation Top of page ITV Authoring Tools Macromedia, Inc. Manufacturer of authoring tools usable in creating ITV, esp Dreamweaver Two Way TV Ltd. A London-based full-service provider of ITV software and services and has provided enhancements for many UK programmes. Their authoring software, Ark, supports multiple platforms and provides interactivity to UK networks NTL and Telewest's digital cable as well as the BBC, Channel 4, Flextech and Sky Sports. Top of page VOD nCUBE VOD, in litagation with Seachange as of 1/1/01 Top of page Misc Companies that just keep turning up.... Digeo Moxie Media Center Rainbow Media Holdings Cable programming NBC and Cablevision subsidiary, owns and manages American Movie Classics, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo, IFC,MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports, News 12 Networks and MetroChannels and fifty-percent of FOX Sports Net. Top of page Revised Tuesday, 10-Feb-2004 20:31:39 CST - h © 2000 - 2003 Local Enhancement Collaborative & .