Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken!taco!hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu!kdarling From: kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: What the heck IS "Interactive TV"? Message-ID: <1991Apr12.223219.14511@ncsu.edu> Date: 12 Apr 91 22:32:19 GMT Article-I.D.: ncsu.1991Apr12.223219.14511 References: <1991Apr11.090415.5276@ncsu.edu> <1991Apr11.143222.13728@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <1107@cbmger.UUCP> Sender: news@ncsu.edu (USENET News System) Organization: North Carolina State University Lines: 24 In <1107@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: In article <1991Apr11.143222.13728@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes: >> I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here and say that I don't think >>interactive TV will be the next revolutionary home device. People are >>used to being passive watchers/listeners. People usually don't interact >>with TV/CD Players. > >Hmm, but the advertising industry complains heavily about people doing >too much zipping, i.e. changing channels immediately when ads come up. >So people indeed are heavily using their remote controls! And there's >nothing else they'll have to do with a CDTV or CD-I. > >The applications Kevin cited (e.g. walking through a museum) sure must >consider this issue: They have to provide a default path through such >an application when the user does nothing, so that he just can watch >passively if he doesn't have special interest in certain details. All very well said! (on both sides!) This is excellent discussion about some of the issues to be considered on the future of Interactive TV. Gawd, I love it when people actually THINK about a topic without resorting to kneejerk brandname-oriented responses. (Hard for me to do at times, too!) Much admiration - kev