UK: JOINT VENTURE INTO INTERACTIVE DIGITAL TV ANNOUNCED скачать в хорошем качестве

UK: JOINT VENTURE INTO INTERACTIVE DIGITAL TV ANNOUNCED

(7 May 1997) Jap/Eng/Nat Four international companies have announced their joint venture into interactive digital television. The project - involving a satellite television company, a telephone company, a British bank and a Japanese electronic group - looks set to revolutionise interactive services. The joint venture was announced at a press conference in London on Wednesday. This is what experts predict will be the future of television. Interactive digital T-V, where, at the touch of a button and from the comfort of their armchairs, viewers can go shopping, learn a new language, or even pay their credit cards bills. B-Sky-B, British Telecom, Midland Bank and Panasonic, which is part of the Japanese Matsushita electronics group, announced their plans for a ground breaking venture in London on Wednesday. British Interactive Broadcasting - or B-I-B - looks set to lead the way in interactive services. SOUNDBITE: (English) "This is a revolutionary system because no one has yet managed to integrate in this fashion broadcast and network so closely so that the customer scarcely needs to be aware of precisely where the information, the pages, the graphics, the stills and the video is coming from." SUPER CAPTION: Rupert Gavin, Multi Media director, British Telecom B-I-B's initial funding of 265 (m) million pounds (425 million dollars) will be used to subsidise the cost of the boxes consumers will need to process the digital signal. The company aims to sell the boxes for a subsidised price of around 200 pounds (320 dollars), rather than the full price of 500 pounds (800 dollars). B-Sky-B and British Telecom will each take a larger 30 percent stake in the deal, with the other partners taking 20 per cent each. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Firstly, it will mean that the U-K is leapfrogging the rest of the world when it comes to the introduction, on a mass scale, of a digital interactive capability. We believe that this is an important early step in the development of an information society." SUPER CAPTION: Rupert Gavin, Multi Media director, British Telecom SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) "We are one part of a joint venture, and as such we drive to contribute to this project. This trial in the U-K will be the model for the world in the future." SUPER CAPTION: Seinosuke Kuraku, Panasonic spokesman B-Sky-B has placed orders for one (m) million set-top boxes, with the ability to run interactive services via an ordinary telephone line. The announcement means big business for Japan. SOUNDBITE: (English) "As this is the first trial in the U-K, I'm sure that this will influence other countries outside the U-K, I'm sure, both in Europe and in other territories like the States and Japan as well." SUPER CAPTION: Seinosuke Kuraku, Panasonic spokesman B-I-B has formed a working group, including British companies such as the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, record chain H-M-V, travel agents Thomas Cook, and Great Universal Stores to develop interactive services. As well as the home shopping and banking facilities, B-I-B also hopes to offer educational programmes and community information services. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...