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The Internet on TV
Exercise A
Read the text and find answers to these questions below.
1. What is Internet TV?
2. In the writer’s opinion, what sort of people might find
Internet TV useful?
3. Which company offered Internet services to TV viewers for
the first time?
4. How can you access the Internet on the systems sold by WorldGate?
5. What WorldGate technology allows you to switch back and forth
between TV programs and linked Web pages?
6. What can you do with Sega’s Net Link system? |
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Text:
TV Surfing
Internet TV is the concept of using a TV set as an Internet device.
It allows you to surf the Web and have e-mail while you are watching
television, or vice versa. Imagine watching a film on TV and simultaneously
accessing a Website where you get information on the actors in the
film. Internet TV is very easy to use and ideal for people who are
reluctant to use PCs but are interested in the Internet.
Internet through a set-top box
WebTV was the first company which brought Internet services to
television viewers through a set-top computer box. They licensed the
technology to Sony and Philips Magnavox. Each box costs about $250
including a modem and a remote control.
Users obtain Internet access through the WebTV Network at a monthly
fee. The WebTV browser displays the Web pages with text and graphics
that are easy to read on a television screen.
Internet TV over cable, from WorldGate
Internet through cable TV
WorldGate, supported by other members of the cable TV industry,
offers conventional TV channels and cheap Internet access via a cable
converter and a TV set.
To enter Web addresses and write e-mail you can use a remote control
and an on-screen keyboard or an optional wireless keyboard. Your mail
is stored at the cable headend, and a light on the converter indicates
when you have new mail. The service offers data speeds at 192 kilobits
– much faster than conventional modems.
By clicking a button, you can also access chat rooms, adverts, local
information, etc. With WorldGate’s Channel Hyperlinking technology
you can go instantly to Websites that correspond to the programs you’re
watching (e.g., when you watch a football match, you can click and
access a linked Website with statistics and commentaries on the match).
Other options
Sega has a system, called Net Link, for its Saturn video game. It
includes a modem and a browser which convert the game into an Internet
TV device. You can play video games on-line, and chat about your favourite
games.
The model built by OEM Metec integrates a complete Windows PC and
the Internet in a TV set, without the need for a separate set-top
box.
The next generation of Internet-enabled TVs will also incorporate
a smart-card for home shopping, banking and other interactive services.
Exercise B
Find the words in the text that correspond to the following.
1. Navigate, explore (the Web)
2. Location on the Internet where a company puts Web pages.
3. Device used on top of the TV to gain access to Internet
4. Without the use of wire(s)
5. One thousands bits
6. Plastic card (similar to a credit card) containing a microprocessor
that can process information. |
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