What is Two-way Television?
Like the dream of manned flight that preceded the Wright brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, two-way television is an idea which is sitting on the launch pad. It is based in a belief that people at home in front of their TV's have a desire and a right to express themselves through pictures. It might mean that a person appearing live on your TV - a newscaster or sports figure, for instance - would able to see you in your own living room. Chatting with the great personalities of our day in the future may become commonplace for a lucky few. More importantly, though, two-way television would allow people to use their TV's like videophones to speak with family and friends from their own home. The idea of interactive TV is not a new idea but two-way television is new in that it recognizes that a balancing act is possible between people's need for privacy and people's need to express themselves from the TV's in their own homes. How to preserve people's privacy and still open a powerful, new channel of communication is the great challenge facing two-way television.
What is the difference between interactive TV and Two-way Television?
There is a slight difference. Interactive TV would be a TV that plays Nintendo games, for example, or allows the viewer at home to play along with a TV game-show host by entering replies on the remote control. The word "interactive" means a give-and-take. It includes the idea of two people using the TV's in their homes to see and talk to each other. In other words, it includes the idea of Two-way Television, just like the word "sport" includes basketball, soccer and ice hockey. Two-way Television cannot be bought yet. It's an evolving concept, a belief system for the future of television. On the other hand, some of the ideas that Two-way Television embraces are as real as you can get. Take the idea to combine the keypads of the remote control and cell phone on one light, handheld unit which allows the set of number-buttons to be used for both selecting TV channels and calling telephone numbers. Phrased another way, Two-way Television seeks to add a calling feature to today's remote by making the set of number-buttons already there dialable. The microphone carrying the voice would be built into the TV, but the call signal would be carried from the handset by cell phone technology. Two-way Television's goal is to allow people to use their TV's to see and talk to each other, assuming certain other standards are met. The privacy issue is a prime concern. How the camera is handled following the conclusion of the two-way Picture Call is an important issue. Returning the TV to safe, private, one-way TV-viewing would be a requirement, of course. How the camera "hides", how the camera "disappears" is the task of inventive electronic engineers who build our TV's in other countries. A majority of televisions sold in the USA are manufactured by Japanese companies. Two-way Television's goals do not include restricting the reception of normal, one-way television. On the contrary, Two-way Television is attempting to guarantee that TV sets of the future move comfortably, safely, and easily between one-way, normal TV operation and Two-way Television operation. What does all this mean? Means couch potatoes should not feel threatened. The choice to lay back, kick your feet up, and relax with one-way television will still be there. However, interactive TV and Two-way Television have this in common: they both reflect a growing trend to involve the viewer more actively at home.
Like the dream of manned flight that preceded the Wright brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, two-way television is an idea which is sitting on the launch pad. It is based in a belief that people at home in front of their TV's have a desire and a right to express themselves through pictures. It might mean that a person appearing live on your TV - a newscaster or sports figure, for instance - would able to see you in your own living room. Chatting with the great personalities of our day in the future may become commonplace for a lucky few. More importantly, though, two-way television would allow people to use their TV's like videophones to speak with family and friends from their own home. The idea of interactive TV is not a new idea but two-way television is new in that it recognizes that a balancing act is possible between people's need for privacy and people's need to express themselves from the TV's in their own homes. How to preserve people's privacy and still open a powerful, new channel of communication is the great challenge facing two-way television.
What is the difference between interactive TV and Two-way Television?
There is a slight difference. Interactive TV would be a TV that plays Nintendo games, for example, or allows the viewer at home to play along with a TV game-show host by entering replies on the remote control. The word "interactive" means a give-and-take. It includes the idea of two people using the TV's in their homes to see and talk to each other. In other words, it includes the idea of Two-way Television, just like the word "sport" includes basketball, soccer and ice hockey. Two-way Television cannot be bought yet. It's an evolving concept, a belief system for the future of television. On the other hand, some of the ideas that Two-way Television embraces are as real as you can get. Take the idea to combine the keypads of the remote control and cell phone on one light, handheld unit which allows the set of number-buttons to be used for both selecting TV channels and calling telephone numbers. Phrased another way, Two-way Television seeks to add a calling feature to today's remote by making the set of number-buttons already there dialable. The microphone carrying the voice would be built into the TV, but the call signal would be carried from the handset by cell phone technology. Two-way Television's goal is to allow people to use their TV's to see and talk to each other, assuming certain other standards are met. The privacy issue is a prime concern. How the camera is handled following the conclusion of the two-way Picture Call is an important issue. Returning the TV to safe, private, one-way TV-viewing would be a requirement, of course. How the camera "hides", how the camera "disappears" is the task of inventive electronic engineers who build our TV's in other countries. A majority of televisions sold in the USA are manufactured by Japanese companies. Two-way Television's goals do not include restricting the reception of normal, one-way television. On the contrary, Two-way Television is attempting to guarantee that TV sets of the future move comfortably, safely, and easily between one-way, normal TV operation and Two-way Television operation. What does all this mean? Means couch potatoes should not feel threatened. The choice to lay back, kick your feet up, and relax with one-way television will still be there. However, interactive TV and Two-way Television have this in common: they both reflect a growing trend to involve the viewer more actively at home.
