Editor's View: You're Holding a New Magazine

by Matthew York
Summer 2001

This issue marks the re-launch of SmartTV magazine. After nearly four years, we have redesigned this magazine and renamed it SmartTV & Sound. I know that you'll enjoy the new look and the direction we're taking the content. I'd like to tell you a little more about it.

The focus of the magazine is slightly different. We will continue to cover interactive television as thoroughly as ever. We will continue to teach you how to "talk back" to TV programs, and we will continue to help you get the most out of the time you spend in front of a television.
Our new focus includes similar coverage for smart sound products. In the four years since we launched SmartTV magazine, a lot of progress has been made in the arena of sound. Many people are familiar with downloading their favorite audio in the MP3 format off the Internet. At first, MP3 users had to burn their own CDs. Then, along came tiny portable players that store MP3 files in memory rather than on a CD. Now people can mobilize their MP3s with a walkman-style device and have their downloaded music with them wherever they go.
Today there are far more options for "smart" sounds. Users can download MP3s from the Internet, without the use of a computer using a new type of home stereo component that you install next to your CD player and FM tuner. Some of these devices allow you to tune into Internet radio stations from around the world. In addition, some of these devices allow you to transmit music to any room in the house via a home entertainment network. I am sure that you'll find our smart sound coverage as useful and as exciting as our trailblazing smart television coverage.
There are some new trends in the smart television category that I want to share with you. Recent studies show that many of our readers watch TV and use a computer to surf the Internet in the same room at the same time. This is a little cumbersome because most of these "Simulsurfers" cannot easily surf the Internet with a PC while sitting on the couch. In the past few months, we have witnessed the arrival of Webpads (or tablets). These devices look like large Palm Pilots or PDAs (personal digital assistants). Their monitors are color LCDs shaped like TV screens. These wireless Webpads are convenient to use while sitting on the couch. You can use them to view an electronic program guide (EPG) like TV Guide, or you can surf to the companion Web site of your favorite TV program while you are watching it on the big screen.
I am anxiously looking forward to the day when there is a link between these two devices. For example, wouldn't it be nice if you could click a link to a TV show on a Webpad and have the program appear on your television screen? Another example would be clicking on a hyperlink embedded within a TV show (to see a basketball player's statistics for example) and have the Webpad link to the Web site of that NBA team.
Another exciting emerging trend in smart television is something called DivX ;-). Many people consider this to be the MP3 of video. This is not to be confused with a format of DVD formerly marketed by Circuit City stores. DivX ;-) is based on the MPEG-4 video compression scheme that makes video files small enough to download from the Internet. Many people predict that this will lead to the "Napsterization" of video. The downloading process may take quite a while for a feature length film, so many people may select their video titles and then select VDL (video delivered later) so that the large file is downloaded while they sleep. Smart satellites are also emerging as favorite contenders for interactively inclined viewers. There are already a few satellite receiver and personal video recorder (PVR) combinations on the market. The first TV/PVR combo is well on its way as are TV sets equipped with built-in Internet connections, ATVEF decoders (to enable interactive features) and DVD video players.
Not only are viewers gaining greater control over what they watch on television and when they watch it, but networks are offering more and more interactivity within their programming. Most of the major networks already have companion Web sites, and several are producing programs enhanced with additional information and interactive features. All of this and more is covered in the pages of SmartTV & Sound.
It is our mission to keep you informed of the latest technology and developments so you can make informed decisions about today's interactive entertainment.