tvCompass marries WAP and TV remote
Rating: tie the digital media knot?
I’ve heard the word convergence being used in the high tech industry on multiple occasions, but never before had I
thought that a merger between a WAP browser and a TV remote control was
feasible. But tvCompass is offering such a device in
the shape of a Digital Media Remote (DMR).
What tvCompass realised is that when you
put an LCD screen inside a Wi-Fi enabled TV controller, you have to find some
means of enabling the user to view internet content. Rather than re-invent the
wheel, the company decided to use an existing standard – WAP.
So it struck up a deal with Winwap Technologies to incorporate a WAP browser
inside its DMR. So WAP isn’t dead after all.
The second side to tvCompass’ business is a service known as click365. The main
objective is to provide an electronic program guide (EPG) for TV listings, but
it also aggregates mobile phone type content. Added to this if offers mobile
Internet and search content, casual games, shopping, advertising and
interactive TV.
The result is that instead of nipping back to their PC, users of the DMR can
view mobile content on the screen of the remote control.
This isn’t the first time that WAP and TV
have been married. I’ve remembered that back
in February 2001 Peramon provided UK TV operator, BSkyB with a WAP gateway so
that it could display pages on a
television set via Sky Text. It made the service – with four million potential
viewers - on the biggest WAP communities
in the world at the time. See here.
It will be interesting to see which of tvCompass’ customers decide to implement
its click365 service. It also gives mobile content creators yet another
useful outlet for their wares.
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