PowerTV Announces 'Chat Over TV' Interactive Application

Fun and Easy Way to Communicate With Friends, Family, And Your Community Over the TV June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing the trend of developing Internet applications that are designed to quickly introduce value- added, revenue generating interactive services, PowerTV is introducing the PowerTV Chat application for cable operators.

PowerTV Chat will give subscribers a fun and easy way to communicate with friends, family, and community using Internet-based chat -- one of the Internet's most popular activities. Leveraging the PowerTV Software Platform running on a digital set-top box, users will be able to visit multiple chat rooms while simultaneously watching TV.

The PowerTV Chat application will open up the TV to become a virtual meeting place where subscribers can carry on conversations on a variety of subjects. "Internet applications like chat are designed not only to build local community but increase subscriber retention as they become a part of the daily routine," said Chuck Kaplan, vice president of marketing for PowerTV.

"Chatting about a TV program while watching it is another way cable subscribers will be able to use the Internet to enrich the TV experience."

Though not designed to replace the PC, chat over TV does have some significant advantages. It's an "always on" service, which eliminates the frustration of waiting for a PC to boot up. Another differentiator, designed to appeal to a younger demographic, is the ability to chat about a particular TV show with friends while watching it.

Other Chat features will include:

• Anonymous user names
• MSO-defined Featured Rooms
• Tracks the "most popular" rooms
• Backend tool to manage and monitor chat service

Once a subscriber chooses the Chat icon on a service guide, the PowerTV Chat application will be downloaded from the headend to the set-top. Chat servers will be located in the headend to facilitate sending and receiving chat messages.

Leveraging the widespread deployment of the PowerTV Software Platform the PowerTV Chat application will be available for commercial deployment in 3rd quarter 2001.

About PowerTV
PowerTV, Inc. (www.powertv.com ), Cupertino, Calif., is a leading developer of systems software solutions, applications and services for digital interactive cable television.

PowerTV and the PowerTV Operating System are registered trademarks of PowerTV, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE PowerTV, Inc.