SEPTEMBER 7, 2000
SPECIAL REPORT--INTERACTIVE TV
A British Couch Potato in Wonderland | Hundreds of channels, stuff to buy, and the ability to do loads of cool things without moving. What more could a spud want?
| When I was growing up, a couch potato's lot wasn't a happy one. Just a decade ago, I, like the majority of British viewers, had a choice of just four channels. Now that I'm 25, life has changed. Not only am I a journalist glued to a computer screen all day, but thanks to interactive TV, I now have hundreds of channels to choose from in my free time. With a remote, I can buy CDs, order dinner, and even control my vantage point while watching professional sports on my television. As a result, I can't wait to turn on, tune in, and drop onto the sofa.
Until recently, just hearing the word "interactive" would have sent a shiver down my supine back. The apparent twinning of a couch potato's worst fears -- socializing and exercise -- had me dreaming of sinking my teeth into a comforting slice of pizza. But with interactive TV, I've found I can actually order it without having to move -- or talk to anyone for that matter. Now that's progress.
I joined the digital-TV revolution six months ago, buying a set-top box that receives programs through a satellite dish -- other companies offer the service through traditional aerials or cable. It works with my normal television and took minutes to master. The deal I signed up for gave me a "free" digital set-top box and charged me £40 (about $60) to cover the installation. Just like cable in the U.S., you can pay different amounts for packages of programs, but interactive services on digital are no extra. I now pay £35 (about $51.00) a month for the full monty (a couch potato wouldn't settle for anything less!).
TEAM SPIRIT. But the hundreds of channels and incredibly sharp picture are the least exciting part of the package. It's the interactive features that have me hooked. As a child, the only game I could play with the TV was eenie, meenie, meinie, mo -- that's how I picked which of the four programs to watch.
Consider how interactive TV has radically changed the way I view sports. This technology takes control of the televised game out of the broadcast director's hands and beams it straight into my living room. For a huge sports fan like myself, it's liberating. During a soccer match, I can use the PlayerCam to track my favorite athletes up close, listen to alternative commentary given by fans instead of the professionals, call up instant replays, and catch up on highlights.
All these options run on small subscreens so I can keep an eye on the game uninterrupted. If I need to vent my anger or gloat in my team's glory, I can e-mail my opinions to the program or to the team itself on a giant keypad/remote that I point at the TV.
A THREE-FER. Interactive technology enhances overage of every sport -- I was even able to choose between three simultaneous tennis games at the U.S. Open on one channel. News channels are using interactive technology as well, allowing me to select constantly updated headlines, weather, and sports whenever I want, rather than having to wait for a bulletin.
Such time-saving innovations may sound a bit unnecessary for someone reluctant to sign up for the 24-hour society, and all this decision-making could start to feel too energetic and exhausting. But it's not in a couch potato's nature to get stressed -- and certainly not when a pizza is just a flick of the remote control away.
By Ben Bevington in London
Edited by Douglas Harbrecht
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Copyright 2000, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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