RE: UKNM: Digital TV (was: Free ISPs Vs. Paying ISPs (Don't Mention Dixons))

[Ross Sleight]

Sajid Mohammed said:


>I thought that half of the appeal of ON Digital was that Midland Bank

>were partnering up to provide e-commerce services, with the upstream

>data going over a good old fashioned phone via the gift of modem.

>Remember, they used to call themselves British *Interactive*

>Broadcasting...


Sajid - no - BIB is still called BIB and owned by BSkyB (32.5%), BT (32.5%),

Midland Bank (20%) and Matsushita (15%) - and is the satellite (and they

wish every other platform) interactive compadre with Sky Digital.  On

Digital is owned 50% by Carlton and 50% by Granada and is the terrestrial

player in the marketplace which used to be called British Digital

Broadcasting (BDB) hence maybe the confusion.

  

>They will be offering various services, but no web browser. Which is

>criminal, as many companies like Spyglass and NCI offer lightweight

>web browsers for set-top which are very happy running on top of lovely

>microkernel OSes like OS/9 and GEOS. Cor blimey, guvnor, I love

>embedded systems...


Essentially, if they do offer web access it is bound to be in a closed

environment (or dare I say it walled garden) with only certain sites

available - a bit like LineOne really.  


The point of my reply is to raise a new topic based on the hypothesis that

BIB may offer web access in this closed format, or even Cable might (btw

Sajid, I hope cable is a winner as well - its the only one with a true

backchannel therefore more opportunity for interactivity, they fit the boxes

for free as they are rented not bought, they can do

Telephony/TV/Net/Interactive services thingies in bundled deals etc old

arguments etc..., and if only they can sort out customer services...)


What is wrong with walled gardens for the mass Internet audience, or for Dig

Interactive TV viewers?  Should/shouldn't the net be filtered and

editorially controlled? Should/shouldn't it be easier to find your way round

(lets say 50 sites not 5000) and utilise the best utility/information from

trusted on and off line brands? 


I'm just interested to hear people's views - and be aware that I am asking

this question from a mass audience perspective - think of man on Clapham

omnibus, not the new media industry bandwagon, before I burn in a barrage of

unholy flames about freedom of choice because imho in most traditional media

it doesn't exist for the average consumer....its a filtered choice of


several different quality sources based on a commercial return for the media

owner.


Whaddyareckon?


Bests


Ross