TV to Become Multimedia Center

At the customer premises, the turnkey system proposed by Siemens consists of a flat set-top box roughly the size of a notebook computer. The box is hooked up to the TV and the DSL jack. If necessary, it can be linked to a PC, telephone or webcam as well. Operating the system is easy - no previous experience is needed. Once the system is installed, users can take advantage of several features proposed by the operator, including watching television while simultaneously discussing the events onscreen with a friend via videophone or e-mail. They can also access additional information online about the film they're watching. If someone wants to watch a particular program but won't be home when it's televised, all they have to do is click on the desired program with their remote control or hit a special key in the electronic program guide, and the system will store the program for them.
Online services will run over the Internet protocol, and since the DSL system makes use of an existing infrastructure and has a modular design, it opens up new business possibilities for network operators to cooperate with television broadcasters in the area of interactive television, for example.

The first company to offer the technology will be Belgacom, Belgium's biggest network operator, which will launch a first pilot of interactive digital television service in the fall of 2004. Belgacom operates some 5.2 million fixed-line connections, 700,000 of which are DSL customers. Among other things, the company will propose an extensive offer for digital television with far-reaching types of interaction (electronic TV guide, digital video recorder, super teletext, participation in TV games, etc.) and access via the telephone line to services such as video-on-demand, local information, e-shopping and the possibility to surf and e-mail via the television.

With “Surpass Home Entertainment Solution” Siemens Information and Communication Networks (ICN) offers TV-centered online services to carriers, who can in turn offer them to their own customers on their home TV over DSL. This means the services are potentially available to all consumers via the TV “communication center”, and are easy to operate. They can provide fun and entertainment, such as online gaming or downloading the latest films/videos-on-demand, alongside the possibility of direct communication such as videotelephony and exchanging messages via, say, SMS, MMS, or e-mail. To this can be added access to the internet and World Wide Web on TV.

Source: Siemens
More information is available here.