Tele Danmark Kabel TV Gets OpenTV-Ready; Launches Television Applications Suite
Tuesday February 1 7:00am
BusinessWire
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 1998--
zdii.com
OpenTV Becomes Most Popular Interactive Television System
Software Solution Utilized In World
Further enhancing its role as a leading interactive delivery and applications software company, OpenTV has been chosen by Tele Danmark Kabel TV (TDK) to provide its hardware- and platform-independent software solution to successfully launch seven interactive television applications to subscribers.
The full roll-out of the services to TDK's 780,000 subscribers throughout 1998 establishes OpenTV as the most popular interactive television system software solution currently being utilized in the world, available to over one million total subscribers worldwide.
The seven interactive services launching today are as follows:
--"Vejrudsigter," a weather service that includes national, regional and local weather forecasts that are updated three times daily by the DMI (Danish Meteorological Institute), and supplemented by on-line access to over 60 measuring points in Denmark. The service also provides forecasts for the seven continents in addition to 5 day forecasts for a number of cities around the world.
--"TV Guide" (Electronic Program Guide) provides rapid access to general programming information for TDK's channel line-up in addition to in-depth program descriptions. With a click of their television remote controls, viewers are able to tune to the program that they wish to see. Viewers are also able to use their remote control to search for programs by genre. In addition to the broadcast application of the EPG, TDK has also introduced its own authoring tool for the guide's splash page. Based on a Java application, the tool allows editors to log onto to any application database via the Internet to customize the splash page for daily listings. As with all of its partners, OpenTV will work with TDK in developing additional interactive applications for its subscribers.
--"TV+" provides viewers with daily program highlights, complete with pictures and descriptions.
--"Musik" allows viewers to choose among 12 different digital music programs from "Music Choice Europe" including rock, blues, soul, dance, jazz and classical genres
--"Shop" provides viewers a selection of home shopping services. Using their remote control, viewers are able to browse merchandise catalogs and later in 1998, will be able to purchase merchandise and tickets to the theatre and other cultural events.
--"Spil" offers six interactive games: Solitaire, Bomber, Memory, Brick, Black Jack and Sneak Snake.
--TDK's "Now & Next" function allows viewers to obtain information about the start and end times for current and upcoming programs.
TDK plans an aggressive roll-out of additional interactive services through 1998 including "Superzapper," which splits the television screen into windows displaying all current programs. Using their remote control, viewers will be able to select a window for information on the program, and can go to the selected program with a click of the remote control. TDK will also offer e-mail services and will upgrade the features of the current interactive program suite.
Jan Steenkamp, CEO, OpenTV stated, "The launch of Tele Danmark Kabel TV's interactive suite marks one of the most aggressive deployments of interactive television services to date and demonstrates the power of OpenTV. We are thrilled that TDK has recognized the flexibility and universal nature of OpenTV's software and we look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with TDK, both in creating new interactive applications for their subscribers and in continuing to move the interactive television business forward."
"TDK has been involved in the design and evolution of interactive television since 1992. With OpenTV, we have been able to develop a user interface and applications that will greatly enhance our viewers' experience with the new TV media," commented Torben Thune, Director of Programming, TDK. "Thanks to the openness and dynamic architecture of OpenTV, we are able to integrate the new interactive services with our existing offerings on cable. We are looking forward to pushing this technology to its limits."
OpenTV, Inc. is the leading software solution company engaged in providing all the key components for the development and delivery of interactive services and content to digital satellite, cable, terrestrial broadcast and other video delivery services worldwide. Working in partnership with the world's leading consumer electronics companies, chip-set vendors, pay television set-top box providers and conditional access system providers, OpenTV, Inc. provides the only truly open, digital platform for the rapid delivery and deployment of interactive television services and content. OpenTV, Inc. formerly known as Thomson Sun Interactive, is jointly owned by Myriad International Holdings (MIH), an international pay TV company that recently purchased a 44% stake in OpenTV; Thomson Multimedia, a leading consumer electronics company; and top computer networking company, Sun Microsystems.
OpenTV played a leading role in the launch of TPS's (la Television Par Satellite) interactive services in France in 1997 and continues to be actively involved in the development and introduction of new applications. The TPS services currently have over 300,000 interactive television subscribers, making it the largest commercially operated system of its kind in the world. The company recently signed major agreements to provide its OpenTV software solution to British Interactive Broadcasting's (BIB) interactive television services platform, Japan's PerfecTV! and Sweden's Telia. OpenTV is also in the final stages of negotiation with leading television services in Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, South Africa, Greece, Thailand, the Middle East and the U.S. Additional information on OpenTV can be found on the World Wide Web at www.opentv.com.
Tele Danmark Kabel TV is the largest cable television operator in Denmark serving more that 780,000 households, and is the first operator in Denmark to supply digital services by cable TV. Tele Danmark Kabel TV is owned by the Danish telecommunications company Tele Danmark A/S.
Contact:OpenTV TDK ÿAlexis Hunter Per John Jensen ÿBender, Goldman & Helper 45-3263-8090 ÿ415/388-5587 Fax: 45-3263-8008 ÿFax: 415/388-5586 ÿahunter@bghsf.com ÿor ÿBender, Goldman & Helper TDK ÿStu Ginsburg Peter Djurup ÿ212/371-0798 45-3263-8231 ÿFax: 212/754-4380 Fax: 45-3263-8233 ÿsginsburg@bghny.com pdju@tdk.dk
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