"Tuesday May 8, 7:32 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: ACTV, Inc.
ACTV Awarded Three Key Digital Television Patents
Coverage Extended to ACTV's Core Technology for Eliminating Video Switching Delay
NEW YORK, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news) announced today that it has been awarded three U.S. patents covering the problem of video switching delay between digital video signals, regardless of whether such signals are selected at the headend, the digital set-top box, or on storage devices such as servers or DVDs. The patents have important implications for a range of digital and interactive television applications, particularly customized digital television video content and targeted advertising.
The new patents significantly broaden and extend existing ACTV patent coverage. In particular, the patents cover systems and methodologies for using digital video signals, whether related or unrelated in content, to provide customized programming based on viewer profiles, viewer behavior data, or viewer interactions such that the switch between such video signals is imperceptible to the viewer on the display screen. The patents cover transparent selection and switching amongst, for example:
* Multiple digital video signals in digital set-top boxes, i.e., "channel
surfing";
* Digital video signals providing targeted advertising, e.g., ACTV's
SpotOn(TM);
* Digital video signals at a cable headend or satellite broadcast center,
such as in video-on-demand (VOD) or "two-way" interactive television
systems;
* Digital video signals representing various enhancements to sporting
events or other events; and
* Digital video signals in storage devices (such as DVD, digital tape,
hard drives, etc.).
``We believe this technology will make an important contribution to the ultimate success of digital television,'' said William C. Samuels, ACTV Chairman and CEO. ``By delivering a visually seamless viewing experience, our technology overcomes a significant challenge to the digital television transition and facilitates exciting new, revenue-generating applications such as targeted advertising, VOD and individualized television.''
Today's digital television viewers typically experience a delay when selecting a new channel. This ``acquisition time'' is caused by video compression technologies that separate images into different sized frames to conserve transmission bandwidth and then reassemble the images when they are decompressed for viewing. ACTV has pioneered research in this area beginning in 1989, developing patented processes for eliminating visually perceptible delay in both analog and digital video formats.
The patents validate pioneering work by ACTV in the digital television area, and have specific implications for proprietary ACTV products. With the SpotOn(TM) targeted advertising product, for example, advertisers can target messages seamlessly to each addressable box and viewers are enabled to watch television commercials that match their individual needs. Neighbors watching the same program can see different commercials based on information stored in their set-top box, for example.
The three patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,181,334, 6,204,843, and 6,215,484, cover 114 total claims and bring to 22 the total number of issued patents held by ACTV and its subsidiaries. In its 12-year history, ACTV has developed one of the most vital portfolios of intellectual property in the digital interactive television arena.
About ACTV, Inc.
ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news) is a digital media company providing technical and creative services, tools and proprietary products for enhanced media, interactive TV advertising and personalized programming applications. Based in New York City, ACTV has strategic relationships with key players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including Liberty Digital, Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, OpenTV and Liberty Livewire Corporation. For more information, visit actv.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulation, and other risks defined in this document and in statements filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the companies, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the companies disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
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SOURCE: ACTV, Inc."
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