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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maya who wrote (40719)	5/10/1999 9:20:00 AM
From: JEFF K	Respond to of 50808

Isn't it great Cube has a strong foothold in Europe Interactive TV to Reach 25% of US, Europe by 2003, Study Says London, May 9 (Bloomberg) -- More than 67 million -- or 25 percent -- of U.S. and European households will have access to interactive television services by 2003, with broadcasters' offerings eclipsing TV-based Internet services, a report by market researcher Datamonitor said. The report, based on interviews with industry executives, concluded that the market for services like shopping, banking and e-mail through a television set will be dominated by cable and satellite companies who offer the services together with television programs instead of by traditional Internet service providers like America Online. Services provided through a digital TV set-top box are forecast to reach 61 million homes by 2003 from 1.4 million in 1999, while dedicated Internet services will reach only 6.3 million households from 1.4 million, the report said. ''Interactive services will become an essential feature of digital TV services from broadcasters,'' the report said. ''With increasing web access and other interactive features offered through digital TV services, the dedicated Internet set-top box will lose market share and its functionality will migrate into the digital TV set-top box in the long-term.'' May/09/1999 3:48 For more stories from Bloomberg News, click here. (C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P.

To: Maya who wrote (40719)	5/10/1999 9:30:00 AM
From: JEFF K	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

This should help expedite HDTV CBS Taps Mitsubishi Electronics to Underwrite HDTV New York, May 9 (Bloomberg) -- CBS Corp. said Mitsubishi Electric Corp. will underwrite costs of producing most of its shows in high-definition television to hasten introduction of the industry's biggest technical advance since the switch to color. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc. will produce most of the top-rated TV network's prime-time shows in HDTV for the 1999-2000 season. Mitsubishi, in the first agreement of its kind for digital broadcasting, is banking on the increase in now- limited digital programming to boost sales of its HDTV sets. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Digital TV sets, which cost $3,000 and more, are now too expensive for average consumers. TV networks, meanwhile, face millions of dollars in costs to shift to digital programming, which provides higher quality pictures and sound. The lack of viewers means broadcasters can't turn to their traditional revenue source, advertising, to finance the conversion. ''Advertising in two different standards is an expensive proposition,'' said Sandra Kresch, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. ''Advertising won't be a major force in supporting'' the roll out of digital programming. The switch to digital is a huge undertaking for the TV industry, marking the most significant technological overhaul since CBS, ABC and NBC began airing in color in 1963. The industry is under a tight federal deadline to begin broadcasting in HDTV. By the end of the year, stations serving about 70 percent of U.S. households must begin airing digital signals -- at a cost of $8 million to $12 million per station. In exchange for absorbing CBS's HDTV production costs, Mitsubishi secured advertising for its TV dealers on CBS TV, radio, cable and outdoor advertising. All of CBS's 14 owned and affiliated stations broadcast digital signals, covering about 30 percent of U.S. households. The New York-based company expects to transmit digital programming across a total of more than 40 stations by Nov. 1, reaching more than 50 percent of households. Last month, General Electric Co.'s NBC said it will work with Intel Corp. to create digital-TV programming that includes features such as Internet content, interactive quizzes and electronic greeting cards. NBC began airing the ''Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' in HDTV last month, the first evening TV series to be shot and broadcast that way. News Corp.'s Fox will air an HDTV version of the hit movie ''Independence Day'' next month. CBS last year aired four professional football games in HDTV, as well as other programs, such as ''Chicago Hope.'' The network said it's particularly interested in exploring the broadcast of more sports events in HDTV. ''We think golf in particular is a sport that would be popular in HDTV,'' CBS Chief Executive Mel Karmazin said. ''If you really want to get consumers excited about HDTV, show them sporting events.'' CBS rose 1/4 to 43 7/8 Friday. May/10/1999 8:03 For more stories from Bloomberg News, click here. (C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P.