Electronic Media

Published: 08-12-96



TELEPUTER CAN GIVE BROADCASTERS EDGE OVER THE NET



By - Joe Fedele 





The Internet's slew of news and information services poses a threat to cable and over-the-air 

broadcasters as their share is chipped away by television viewers who are spending more time 

front of their computers.



My advice? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.   Broadcasters can compete with the Internet by 

looking to the world of data transmissions for fresh ideas. I've been a big proponent of something 

dubbed the ``Teleputer,'' a device that combines your TV set and computer into one powerful 

communications device. 



The days of the Teleputer are upon us as broadcasters experiment with delivering Internet-like 

pages of data written in HTML coding, the language of the World Wide Web.

 This data will be embedded in the vertical blanking interval of TV signals broadcast direct to the 

home via traditional over-the-air transmissions, satellite or cable.



Some television set manufacturers have announced the introduction of a hybrid television-

computer to do just this.  Ancillary information delivered to the TV set could make shows more 

enjoyable for viewers.



For instance, mystery and cop shows could give viewers more information about investigations; 

newsmagazines could offer background information on the subjects being discussed; and sports 

viewers could have access to volumes of statistics on teams and athletes. 



Norpak, a Canadian telecommunications firm, has introduced a system called VBinet which 

reportedly transmits Internet Web pages at a blazing speed of up to 115.2 kilobits per second. 



The Intercast Industry Group is a consortium of companies ranging from broadcasters to 

computer chip manufacturers that is developing VBI-delivered HTML pages. 

 What these systems have in common is their ability to deliver high-speed Internet-like data 

without the use of expensive modems.   High-speed data rates give broadcasters a clear edge 

over traditional Internet providers as VBI data can be transmitted five times faster than a modem 

operating at 28.8 kilobits per second.



Data transmission over the VBI is one-way traffic broadcast to the consumer.   Because Internet 

access requires two-way communications, a telephone line is still required to request 

information. 



If you'd like to know more about data transmission using the VBI, you can check out 

http://www.norpak.ca and http://www.intercast.org on the Internet.#