Re: UKNM: DTV (Was Free ISPs...)

[Jon Beverley]

Sajid Mohammed wrote:

>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...


Erm, no. They used to be called British *Digital* Broadcasting. BIB is

the Sky/BT/Midland/Matsushita operation that will broadcast via dsat and

use a bog-standard telephone return path (the Sky Digibox contains a

cute 28.8k modem).


I am now scared, and also relieved (more work for me) at the lack of

knowledge out there about this.



> > Sky could in theory provide two way communication (as they could with analogue) but beyond pay per view they don't seem too interested.


I think this was Nick's point initially. Sky could in theory provide

two-way communication in *exactly* the same way as *anyone* could - a

phone line and a modem (it just happens to be built into a set-top box).


Peter Beech then added: 

> Not completely true. Not interested enough to have it at launch, but

> interested enough to support BIB and propose its use on their platform at a

> later stage - modems in STB's are the hardware issue again, but more

> intersting is the 'allegation' / rumour that BIB is in some state of

> dysfunction. <snip> What's the score BIB?


Overlooking the fact that I've propagated such rumours, this is a darn

good question. Even when BIB launches, its 'home shopping' core theme

won't be a completely interactive service, since at some point down the

line, orders will be processed from one screen to another by that

old-fashioned processor, the call-centre operator's voicebox, down a

telephone line to a fulfilment provider for most of the current

sign-ups. Not to mention RTOS, internet, CA, people and systems problems

(all "allegedly"). A case of one of the best snatches of defeat from the

jaws of victory I've seen in a long while.


> What about that darkhorse WebTV? Very quiet since their launch in the UK!

Well going back to the ONDigital issue (and still not able to get out of

my head the incredible lack of knowledge shown in these systems on this

list - these things *will* affect your businesses), BDB (as was) talked


for some time to WebTV, seemingly to no avail, although the chances are,

since both wanted to "wait and see", the doors are not closed.


The current WebTV launch is, of course, a pilot, and the WebTV Plus box

it uses requires two fundamental things:


1. To be carried alongside a broadcaster or broadcasters to make use of

the "enhanced TV" concept (eg picture-in-picture, electronic programme

guides, channel hyperlinking etc.).

2. To have access to cable, to make the best use of the available

equipment (the box holds a cable modem).


Change the cable modem for an xDSL modem, let BT finish rolling out xDSL

technology at the network end, and before we blink it'll be 2001, when

'hey presto!' BT's broadcasting ban has been lifted - who needs

ONDigital? Especially when you already have the BBC committed to the

platform, and BT's deep pockets are ready to at least dent the cable

industry?


Oh, and what about Two-Way TV? Bought by CWC, who are committed to using

NCI (the web!) in their digital set-tops. There's a real dark-horse.


Jon


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