Telecasts to go interactive

Telecasts to go interactive
By Caroline Wilson
December 10, 2003


AFL fans will be able to bet on games through their televisions and keep
track of individual players during live telecasts as part of a revolutionary
digital service to be launched by Foxtel at the start of the 2004 football
season.

Fox Footy Channel subscribers will also be able to call up instant replays,
choose between commentaries and buy football merchandise during games under
the proposed system, which until now has been a closely guarded secret.

In preparation for the launch, Fox has been working in recent months with
Rupert Murdoch's Sky Channel in Britain, which for several years has
provided interactive soccer to Premier League fans, who use a remote control
to switch camera angles.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was aware of the broad outline
of Foxtel's plans, which he said would revolutionise football coverage.
"Should they go down that track then it will be tremendous for the game,"
Demetriou said.

Subscribers with the necessary equipment will be able to split their screens
four ways and choose between a variety of camera angles, such as
behind-the-goals and wide shots. A "player-cam" facility will allow viewers
to follow the progress of individual stars.


The Footy Channel will cost subscribers $99.40 next year for a 12-month
advance pass and $75 for a season pass. The multicasting is not expected to
cost extra, but will require the purchase of a high-definition box to
transfer TV screens to the digital platform.

The Footy Channel hosts three exclusive home-and-away games each week during
the season and replays all other AFL games after they have been shown on
Channel Nine or Ten.

The AFL has been lobbying the Federal Government for years to soften its
anti-siphoning legislation, which restricts the number of games shown
exclusively on pay TV. In a recent proposal, the AFL sought a potential four
finals each year to be shown exclusively on pay TV.

> Telecasts to go interactive
> By Caroline Wilson
> December 10, 2003

There are so many things wrong with this "article", not even worth the time
pointing them out

Caro has no idea as is usual

And Foxtel has just hit that on the head:

Contrary to a report in The Age newspaper today, FOXTEL has no
plans to offer digital interactive AFL betting services ("AFL
telecasts to go interactive", The Age, p1, 10/12/03).


The facts:
· FOXTEL plans to launch new digital services in the first
half of 2004, subject to regulatory clearances.

· As part of this new service, FOXTEL does plan to provide enhanced
coverage of the AFL on the FOX Footy Channel using new digital
technology. This will include enabling subscribers to choose
camera angles, view player and match statistics while watching
games, and to select from different commentaries. The new
FOX Footy Channel is in development and details will be
announced in 2004.

· Subscribers will not need a High Definition Television set-top-box
or need to purchase new equipment. FOXTEL Digital will work on any
television receiver, and all necessary equipment will be supplied
by FOXTEL as part of its digital service.

· The Age speculation about digital FOX Footy Channel pricing is
completely wrong. FOXTEL will announce details about FOX Footy
Channel for 2004 shortly.






In article <0mvBb.5013$xm.148980@nasal.pacific.net.au>, bosustow1
@hotmail.com says...
> Telecasts to go interactive
> By Caroline Wilson
> December 10, 2003
>
>
> AFL fans will be able to bet on games through their televisions and keep
> track of individual players during live telecasts as part of a revolutionary
> digital service to be launched by Foxtel at the start of the 2004 football
> season.
>
> Fox Footy Channel subscribers will also be able to call up instant replays,
> choose between commentaries and buy football merchandise during games under
> the proposed system, which until now has been a closely guarded secret.
>
> In preparation for the launch, Fox has been working in recent months with
> Rupert Murdoch's Sky Channel in Britain, which for several years has
> provided interactive soccer to Premier League fans, who use a remote control
> to switch camera angles.
>
> AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was aware of the broad outline
> of Foxtel's plans, which he said would revolutionise football coverage.
> "Should they go down that track then it will be tremendous for the game,"
> Demetriou said.
>
> Subscribers with the necessary equipment will be able to split their screens
> four ways and choose between a variety of camera angles, such as
> behind-the-goals and wide shots. A "player-cam" facility will allow viewers
> to follow the progress of individual stars.
>
>
> The Footy Channel will cost subscribers $99.40 next year for a 12-month
> advance pass and $75 for a season pass. The multicasting is not expected to
> cost extra, but will require the purchase of a high-definition box to
> transfer TV screens to the digital platform.
>
> The Footy Channel hosts three exclusive home-and-away games each week during
> the season and replays all other AFL games after they have been shown on
> Channel Nine or Ten.
>
> The AFL has been lobbying the Federal Government for years to soften its
> anti-siphoning legislation, which restricts the number of games shown
> exclusively on pay TV. In a recent proposal, the AFL sought a potential four
> finals each year to be shown exclusively on pay TV.
>
>
>
>

Porky Pig <porky@porky.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1a418fb2cd2a731b989680@news.astraweb.com. ..
> And Foxtel has just hit that on the head:
>
> Contrary to a report in The Age newspaper today, FOXTEL has no
> plans to offer digital interactive AFL betting services ("AFL
> telecasts to go interactive", The Age, p1, 10/12/03).
>
Thank God for that. I was having visions of my mortgage payments going to
Rupert instead of the bank. I'm already a football widow, and thats fine, I
just don't want to go bankrupt also!

kh wrote:
>
> Thank God for that. I was having visions of my mortgage payments going to
> Rupert instead of the bank. I'm already a football widow, and thats fine, I
> just don't want to go bankrupt also!

The best interactivity with a Tv set, can be as simple as pushing the
off button on the remote.


Colin
http://members.iinet.net.au/~colinf/product.htm