Interactive TV

by Francine Gair
Winter 2001

Two-Screen Interactive TV
You're never alone when you tune in two-screen interactive TV. More and more, television shows are providing an interactive component that lets you do much more than just sit back and watch. With your computer connected to the Internet in the same room as your TV, you can actively participate with your favorite show compete, vote, chat, access bios and stats, even purchase merchandise related to the program. The Web pages change with cues from the program itself. Here's a sampling of how you can play along with today's two-screen interactive TV programs.

TalkBack Live
CNN
Genre: Talk
[www.cnn.com/cnn/programs/talkback]
Participate in TalkBack Live to discuss the day's current news events through Web chat, AOL Instant Messenger and Video E-mail. Also read transcripts of previous shows and order tickets to be a part of the studio audience.

Zoog Disney
Disney Channel
Genre: Children [disney.go.com/disneychannel/zoogdisney/index_main.html]
This site has more live TV chat. It also includes polls, quizzes and games. Shows include Even Stevens, The Famous Jett Jackson, Bug Juice and So Weird. Part of the Zeether family of Web sites, the site also includes links to Toon Disney and Disney's One Saturday Morning.

Imus on MSNBC
MSNBC
Genre: Talk
[www.msnbc.com/news/imus_front.asp]
When Don Imus is <\h>on the air (weekday mornings, 6 to 10 a.m.), enter a chat room to talk with other viewers. Your comments appear on-screen, and could even prompt a live reaction from the I-Man himself.

The Screen Savers
TechTV
Genre: Educational
[www.techtv.com/screensavers/interact]
Join Screen Savers hosts Patrick Norton and Leo LaPorte as they answer your toughest computing questions. Ask questions on the air with your WebCam, or join the chat room and find out what others think.

The Hubbub
Noggin
Genre: Children
[www.noggin.com]
Kids can participate in polls and a moderated chat with other viewers about Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ghostwriter, among others. Selected comments make it on the air.

2-Minute Drill
ESPN
Genre: Sports/Game Show [games.espn.go.com/2minute]
Log-on to 2-Minute Drill and play along with the TV broadcast of the ultimate sports quiz show. See if your sports knowledge stacks up with the rest of the country and win prizes and bragging rights. More than a dozen archived games also make it possible for you to log in and play the Q&A-style game anytime.

TRL
MTV
Genre: Music
[www.mtv.com/onair/trl]
TRL means "Total Request Live." Here, you can request videos and chat about the videos or other MTV programming through the TRL Web site. If you have a chat user name registered at VH1 or Sonicnet, you can use it here. If not, the user name you get here can be used at other chat rooms as well.