An exception might be TV interactive gambling, but this isn't legal.
Lucius, you must have missed this recent press release regarding off-track betting:
biz.yahoo.com
Here's an excerpt:
Co-produced with FOX productions, TVG's programming also includes expert commentary, tutorials and behind-the-scenes features on the horses and celebrities of racing. TVG's interactive wagering interface supports pari- mutuel wagering and provides handicapping data, real-time track odds, weather conditions, equipment/jockey changes and more through television, telephone and PC platforms.
The Gem seems to have every legal angle covered. I currently have the non-interactive TV Guide on my cable. It just scrolls now and I don't find it very useful. But I see the potential if I could sort by time, or channel, or program type, as well as use it for one-touch VCR programming. Also, I noticed they have started running news headlines recently. I could easily see this becoming interactive with the viewer clicking on a headline of interest to view a streaming video story on the subject. I also recently saw an ad for interactive WebTV. At first I thought "uh-oh," but them I remembered the Gem is inside WebTV also. Personally, I think interactive TV viewing will become extremely popular in just a few years. |
