Thursday November 4, 6:44 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Corporate Profile for ACTV, Inc. dated November 4, 1999
(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following Corporate Profile is available for inclusion in your files. News releases for this client are distributed by Business Wire and also become part of the leading databases and online services, including all of the leading Internet-based services.
Published Date: November 4, 1999
Company Name: ACTV, Inc.
Address: 1270 Avenue of the Americas
Rockefeller Center, Suite 2401
New York, NY 10020
Main Telephone Number: 212/217-1600
Internet Home Page Address (URL): actv.com
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: William C. Samuels
Chief Financial Officer: Christopher Cline
Investor Relations Contact: Christopher Cline or Ted O'Donnell
212/217-1600
Public Relations Contact: Mike Rosen
Bratskeir & Company
212/679-2233, ext. 213
mrosen@bratskeir.com
Trading Symbol/ Exchange: (Nasdaq: IATV - news)
Company Description:
ACTV's proprietary software revolutionizes home entertainment. The company is a leader in interactive digital television with its ``Individualized Television' programming capabilities, and a pioneer of TV-Internet convergence programming with its patented HyperTV(TM) software solution.
ACTV offers superior, practical solutions for those looking to benefit from digital TV and the broadband delivery infrastructure: consumers, TV networks and programmers, cable operators, DBS and satellite providers, advertisers and educators. ACTV has relationships with many of the dominant players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including key investments from Liberty Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: LDIG - news) and General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC - news). ACTV Entertainment and HyperTV Networks, Inc., are subsidiaries of ACTV, Inc.
In addition to headquarters in New York City, ACTV has offices inside AT&T BIS' National Digital Television Center-Los Angeles, and in Dallas and Houston, Texas.
``INDIVIDUALIZED TELEVISION'
ACTV's ``Individualized Television' programming moves traditional TV programming into the digital age by allowing viewers to switch seamlessly among multiple, real-time feeds of video, audio and data. ``Individualized Television' provides the viewer with compelling, individualized control over the entire viewing experience, giving them the power to produce and customize the programming to his or her own tastes. ``Individualized Television' can enhance a variety of TV genres, including sports, news, game shows, children's programming, music, pay-per-view and advertising.
Using a standard digital set-top box and remote control, a viewer can switch between the regular network programming feed and a multitude of personal options and features. ACTV's patented software is integrated into the digital set-tops of leading manufacturers, including General Instrument, Scientific-Atlanta and Pioneer Digital Technologies.
Sports viewers, for example, can access isolated camera angles, in-depth statistics, instant replay on-demand, and ``always on' video highlights, among many other features, all at the touch of a button on their remote control.``
ACTV and FOX are developing regional sports programming applications utilizing ACTV's technology.
ACTV and Liberty Media have a joint venture which is exploring national applications of ACTV's technology.
ACTV, Viewer's Choice, and Liberty Digital have joined forces to create a powerful new cable and satellite television pay-per-view programming alliance utilizing ACTV's technology.
"INDIVIDUALIZED ADVERTISING"
ACTV's unique capabilities also make possible the delivery of ``Individualized Advertising' -- highly-targeted addressable advertising, which enables advertisers to more effectively deliver their messages to the appropriate consumers, while making television advertising more relevant to individual viewers.
For example, rather than viewing the same commercial for a Toyota Camry during a program, ACTV allows viewers to choose a commercial from among a variety of Toyota models. Prior to a commercial break, an on-screen prompt enables viewers to choose which commercial they want to see by pushing a button on their remote. During subsequent commercial breaks, ACTV's software remembers viewers' earlier choices and sends a different commercial with additional information or an ad for other relevant products based on individual viewer profiles created by ACTV's software.
General Instrument (GI) and ACTV are collaborating to introduce a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for delivering addressable, targeted advertising via digital cable, satellite, and broadcast television. GI will combine its digital interactive system and consumer set tops with ACTV's proprietary software and programming capabilities to deliver this complete solution, which will improve the effectiveness and accountability of television advertising.
HYPERTV(TM)
HyperTV(TM) is ACTV's patented software solution for the creation and delivery of truly interactive TV-Internet convergence programming. HyperTV enables television networks, programmers and advertisers to automatically deliver to consumers compelling interactive Web content, Web-based advertising, e-commerce, and community chat features that are synchronized with a live or pre-recorded television program. HyperTV also has a database capability that allows TV networks, programmers and advertisers to build one-to-one relationships with consumers by capturing valuable permission-based marketing information.
According to a survey by Paul Kagan Associates and Showtime Networks, nearly one in five U.S. households already exhibits convergent behavior, simultaneously viewing television and accessing the Internet. This represents more than 20 million convergent households in the U.S. and that number continues to rapidly grow.
ACTV has agreements in place to enhance TV programming with HyperTV from The Box Music Network, part of MTV Networks, and Showtime Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA - news).
The HyperTV software is a browser plug-in for newer versions of either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, the most popular web browsers. HyperTV is software-based, without hardware, chip or platform dependency, and can operate on any of today's principal PC operating systems. It is fully compatible with analog or digital television and broadband delivery infrastructures. As next generation digital set-top boxes, cable modems and other consumer devices are deployed, viewers will be able to enjoy a HyperTV experience with each of the elements -- video, audio, synchronized Web content, Web-based ads, e-commerce and chat -- simultaneously delivered directly to their television screen or desktop.
ACTV's eSchool© Online is a leading online learning application in the K-12 environment today.. eSchool enables online learning and the development of dynamic learning communities by using ACTV's proprietary HyperTV software to integrate educational video with the automatic delivery of complementary Web material, collaborative functionality and embedded assessment.
HyperTV Networks, a subsidiary of ACTV, Inc., is an application and content service provider in the SchoolTone Alliance Program. Led by Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: SUNW - news), SchoolTone is a joint marketing and sales effort designed to create high-quality portals that provide affordable and easy-to-access Internet content, communication tools, and applications targeting K-12 schools. The program brings together best-of-breed web-based educational content, portal technologies, applications, and services deployed through education service providers to K-12 schools.
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