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Technology Stocks : IATV-ACTV Digital Convergence Software-HyperTV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Mulis who wrote (5748)	7/28/1999 11:31:00 PM
From: Jim Mulis	Respond to of 13157

TVG boon to betting the races from home The Courier-Journal Louisville, KY Imagine catching every major horse track's simulcast feed at home simply by punching a remote control or clicking a computer mouse. Envision betting directly into pools in Australia, France and Hong Kong around the clock, seven days a week. That's coming on the new TVG racing network, a $130 million$150 million wager by owner [ TV Guide ] that in-home, interactive wagering will spark an explosion in the sport. When the technology is fully implemented, it will be horseplayer heaven. In the meantime, some of us who have grown to love TVG's predecessor - ODS on InterMedia-57 in Louisville - will be viewing a product we won't like as well, one showing fewer races per hour - though you still can bet all of them. Moreover, a good chunk of the time will be filled with talking heads, features and ads. But TVG will have two missions: service the existing body of horseplayers while attracting and educating new fans. An ODS-style format won't bring in new fans; thus TVG will have a breezier, MTV-style personality that many horseplayers will hate. The changeover is set for Aug. 1. I WAS disgusted by a TVG rehearsal tape in which the male and female studio hosts exchanged breath mints plucked from the other's mouth. I wasn't worried about hygiene; I was fuming: For this we might miss the fourth race at Ellis? Louisville, with about 1,500 accounts since the introduction of in-home wagering in 1995, arguably will be the toughest market to win over. We're used to the stolid but solid ODS. We expect to see every race from 4-7 tracks daily, along with the race analysis and scenes from the paddock and post parade. It's not perfect, but it's a terrific innovation, a convenience for people who can't make it to Sports Spectrum for simulcasting or who prefer to bet from their recliners. At peak hours, TVG might show six races an hour. There are 10 on ODS on Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. BUT I FELT better after a TVG reception Wednesday, because that's where I learned what eventually we will get: The ability to access our accounts away from home by telephone, hopefully by midAugust. Software that will allow us to download race information and see the races - albeit jerkily - on computer by mid-fall. TV digital remotes and boxes that will arrive early next year and allow access to more sophisticated handicapping information. In 3-5 years, high-tech digital capabilities that will allow us to ignore the main programming in favor of tracks' individual simulcast feeds. No monthly fee, as now exists for account-holders. Instead, the transaction fee will increase to 25 cents but cap at $19.95 a month. And when TVG starts up on InterMedia-57, ODS customers won't be charged any fees for the rest of the year - a reward for being the test market. TVG should be available on a widely used satellite system this fall, allowing access to those who don't have InterMedia's fiber-optic cable. TVG, now 12 hours a day, should be 24 hours by mid-fall. During slack periods, the network will show replays, features, NTRA merchandising programs and programming on other equine sports. TVG runs the risk that studio banalities might drive away existing fans without hooking neophytes. But TVG deserves a chance to evolve into something truly revolutionary. Fox, which is producing the programming, knows how to attract viewers. If the format doesn't work, it will be changed. For current fans, it won't be ideal at first. That's why there's Sports Spectrum and the mute button. Jennie Rees covers horse racing for The Courier-Journal. She can be reached at 582-4042, or send e-mail to: jrees@couriernet.infi.net (Copyright 1999)

To: Jim Mulis who wrote (5748)	7/29/1999 10:41:00 AM
From: art slott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13157

TVGIA CC, ACTV, SRCM by: cybo_the_kid 20790 of 20791 When asked about why they don't start a test bed for individualized TV becuase its a perfect fit and a "can't miss" for the Horse Racing Channel, Pete Boylan stated that they were in negotiations with ACTV to use a myriad of their products and that they liked ACTV very much. Said that they only deal with companies that they have relationships with [TVGIA being 44% owned by Liberty and 44% by News corp. Liberty has claim to 25% of ACTV] . Look for HyperTV's 2 box solution on TVG very soon. Boylan stated in the CC that their best customers will have a priority status in receiving advance set top boxes. "This will ultimately lead to wagering with the remote control." This, of course, being HyperTV's one box solution which is viable with the advanced STB the DCT-5000. This version of HyperTV is without peer and has no competetive threats. The only interest that they had in SRCM was to use them for the deployment of local content. This use of SRCM seemed very doubtful. Furthermore, TVGIA didn't particularly care about this use that much anyway since it wasn't that important in the overall scheme of things. Boylan also said he wanted to dispell any rumors on SRCM by stating that other than deployment of local content which seemed doubtful, they had no other use for SRCM. Why some of the larger firms have initiated coverage on SRCM while being blind about ACTV speaks volumes on how valuable their opinions really are. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: 07/29/1999 10:18 am EDT as a reply to: Msg 20783 by arthurs1 View Replies to this Message Related Links Quote & News Profile Research Insider