Interactive Television Alliance

Welcome to the home of the Interactive Television Alliance
….an independent trade association representing the broad interests of the ITV industry.

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ITA Update: Clouds and Cords

Jumping into the cloud. Doesn't that sound better than "cutting the cord"? Either way… I've done it. I've cancelled my cable subscription and its $150 monthly penalty. And I've survived a full week without access to my hand-picked, tiered package of 500 digital channels. I'm actually living the Interactive Television life that I've been evangelizing for the past 10 years.

The funny thing is... even though I'm a dedicated new gadget maven, I was able to achieve this feat without buying anything new. In the living room, I replaced my tattered Time Warner DVR with a somewhat ancient HP Media Center PC, circa 2005. In the bedroom, I pulled out an old TiVo Series 2 box (last used in 2007), which is wirelessly connected to the Media Center that has a fresh version of TiVo Desktop on it.

So, now I'm living off a dedicated broadband connection and my monthly TiVo service. Savings you ask…? About $1,200 a year. Which of course, I'll run out and spend on a few new gadgets that I really don't need. But that's not the point. I now have the whole Internet to explore. Hulu, YouTube, BlipTV, Babelgum, My Damn Channel. And the networks I watch most (PBS, MSNBC, Comedy Central)… all have full versions of their shows on their Internet sites. So, there doesn't seem to be many withdrawal symptoms.

With that said, there are some very interesting and subtle changes happening. First off… I actually have to think and plan what I want to watch. I know that I've had a DVR in the past, but I've always primarily been an incessant channel surfer. Flipping through channels. Need to know what's on NOW. Searching and watching... seemed to be the same fluid motion. The 6:30 network news seamlessly blending into David Letterman 5 hours later.

That ADD scenario seems to be replaced with a conscious effort to focus on a few shows that I actually want to watch. Mostly shows that I discovered during the day, while doing my morning survey of on-line blogs and journals. So... I'm watching less TV, but of higher quality. Interesting.

And I know I'll be adding gadgets soon. I've already put the Wii in the bedroom, anticipating a Netflix subscription to enhance my movie selection. And GoogleTV is not that far in the distance. Imagine playing with my Android apps from my Nexus One on an Android powered TV. Now we're talking.

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This year, the ITA is publishing a completely new "industry map". We'll be contacting all the various players in the industry and compiling the latest company info. We're also initiating a new service, "ITA Connect"... a dating service for the industry. It's an extension of our Facebook-based website and will include profiles of all the companies involved in interactive television.

See you soon.

Ben Mendelson
President ITV Alliance (ben@itvalliance.org)

Allison Dollar,
CEO ITV Alliance (allison@itvalliance.org)

1953: Winky Dink-- first "interactive " TV show. Kids put a plastic sheet over the picture tube and draw on top of a running program.

1957: Zenith "Space Command" Remote Control-- with 13 VHF channels, the viewer could sit back in a Lazy Boy Lounger and switch stations without getting up from the TV Dinner.

1972: Cable TV-- cable expands as HBO is launched, satellite distribution becomes viable, and regulations loosen. Cable allows the potential of over 75 channels, giving us the Set Top Box (STB) and making the remote control man's (and woman's) best friend.

1977: Qube-- Warner Cable debuts ITV service in Columbus, Ohio. A limited amount of customers can now get additional information while watching a program and can participate in live polls. The system is dropped as additional benefits can not justify the cost of the equipment.

1984: 1984 Cable Act-- deregulation accelerates cable penetration. Cable homes increase to over 50M homes by the end of the decade.

1994: Full Service Network-- Time Warner launches ITV services in Orlando FL. It works fine, but nobody wanted to pay for the $5,000 digital STB's. The newly rediscovered Internet looks more promising.

1995: Digital Satellite-- TV expands to 500 channels. Almost 12M 18" dishes are sold by the end of the 1990's. The enhanced program guide becomes a necessity.

1997: WebTV-- the Internet converges on the TV screen. WorldGate and AOLTV get into the act as well. Their combined base soon exceeds 1.5M. Microsoft buys WebTV.

1998: Digital Cable-- MSOs start expanding the digital infrastructure to over 1.5M homes, giving customers potential access to ITV services. By end of 1990's, that number expands past 5M.

1999: Digital Video Recorders-- TiVo and ReplayTV change how we watch and interact with the TV. Including Dish Network and UltimateTV, over 3M DVRs are sold by the beginning of 2000.

2000: ITV Deployment-- ITV programs started by every MSO and DBS system. Wink is available in over 6M homes. OpenTV, Liberate, Canal+, and WorldGate make important strategic alliances. Over 20M homes have boxes capable of some form of interactivity. Cable companies begin pushing Video on Demand (VOD) and Interactive Program Guides (IPG). Microsoft gets into the cable business, selling its head-end software to AT&T cable.

2001: 9/11-- the NYC disaster derails Microsoft's plan with AT&T. Other plans are put on hold. RespondTV and CommerceTV go under. In response to the downturn, the ITV Alliance launches in 2002 with 5 original ITV companies leading the way (OpenTV, Liberate, Canal+, ACTV, Worldgate). By end of year, the ITA adds over 30 companies, including Disney, Turner, Procter & Gamble, Mediavest, Comcast, DirecTV, Microsoft and Intel.

2003: Consolidation-- John Malone's Liberty Media buys OpenTV, Wink and ACTV. Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp buys DirecTV. Microsoft pushes MediaCenter PC as broadbandTV becomes more accessible in the livingroom. The cable operators embrace OCAP as the new digital TV platform and plans roll-out within 5 years. The TV Academy gives its first Interactive Emmy Award.

2006: New TV's, New Platforms-- 42" digital flatscreens approach $1,200, same price (equivalent) as a color TV in 1968. DVD completely overtakes VCR's and HiDef (HD)TV's become standardized. Mobile TV on cellphones and iPods become a credible business. TelCos (Verizon and AT&T) get into the TV business with their own IPTV platforms. Internet broadband is available in over 50% of American homes.

2009 and Beyond-- Since June 12, 2009... all TV signals became digital. Interactive Television is now available in every American home, whether through a digital TV, digital set top box, or digital converter.. VOD, IPG's, DVR's are becoming ubiquitous. Advertisers are taking advantage of targeting and tracking of their ads, putting pressure on the traditional Nielsen system. Google and Apple are now heavily invested in digital TV and ITV. New interactive programming and advertising will begin to proliferate.