INTERACTIVE TV

BBC News on interactive TV

The news multiscreen as it appears on your television

Do you want to catch up with the news headlines, get an update on the weather, or find out if your team's won?

Well, you can - and you can choose whether you do so in video or text by using the BBCi service via the red button on your digital television.

Whether you have satellite, cable or Freeview, you can catch up with the news headlines in video anytime you want or read a full range of stories in text - often using the same page numbers as the current Ceefax service.

To receive these services, simply press the RED button on your handset.

Easy to use

On the right side of the screen, a coloured menu will appear. It will look different depending on which channel you were on.

'The Bridge' - the interactive televsion menu

If the menu has a link to the News Multiscreen, you can use the arrow keys on your remote to highlight that option and then press SELECT. Or you can key in 1001, the News Multiscreen number, on your handset and press SELECT. It is the gateway to more video and text.

On digital satellite and Telewest cable, you will find six video screens which are continuously updated throughout the day.

Watching News Interactive

These include the headlines in three minutes, sport, the UK weather forecast, BBC News 24, entertainment headlines and in-depth coverage of a top story, live event or news conference.

On Freeview, there is a two-screen version of the service, offering the headlines in three minutes and detailed coverage of a top story.

Highlighting each screen will give you a brief summary of the content. By pressing SELECT, you can watch in quarter screen - and browse through relevant stories using digital text while you listen.

Weather screen on interactive TV

For example, if you want to find out what the weather in your area will be like for the next five days, select the weather channel from the main multiscreen and you will find detailed forecasts and other weather news.

Or if your team has been in action you can read the top headlines for your chosen sport by keying in 300 on your handset - just as you would on Ceefax.

Continuing coverage

You may also hear presenters on BBC News 24 and the BBC One news bulletins say that continuing coverage of an event, such as a news conference or an interview with a key newsmaker, is available to digital viewers by pressing RED.

The "top story" loop is where you will find that coverage - and there will often be edited highlights afterwards.

MR LUHRS

how good does my blog look!!!!!

WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Just some interesting information o founf on those weird wii things! :)
i played on one and tbh i dont think it was very good!


Nintendo and Freescale Semiconductor have collaborated to provide reliable, flexible and cost-efficient development tools for the new Wii console.

Nintendo has entrusted Freescale and its new CodeWarrior(R) Radix(TM) Studio as the official toolset for the Wii console. Nintendo is now shipping development kits bundled with the CodeWarrior technology to help developers speed the creation of compelling content for its new platform.

"Freescale's CodeWarrior technology has earned a worldwide reputation for offering high-quality development tools," said Genyo Takeda, senior managing director and general manager, Integrated Research & Development Division for Nintendo Co., Ltd. "The tools selected for Wii are no exception, and will allow game developers to create exciting titles that take advantage of the unique features found in our new platform."

The CodeWarrior tools for the Wii console are powered by Freescale's Radix technology. Introduced at the 2006 Game Developers Conference in March, Radix is a lightweight C++ framework with flexible, modular architecture designed for maximum extensibility. The framework offers:

-- Editing, debugging and code browsing capabilities
-- An XML-based project system
-- A scriptable workflow that allows studios to quickly and easily integrate pre-existing workflow applications
-- An advanced user interface that runs natively on Windows
-- Multi-monitor support
-- Hot-swappable plug-ins

REAL game characters next year!

Super-realistic computer games which will feature human faces as they actually look are at most two years away, developers have told the BBC.

At present, developers have not been able to create games characters with photo-realistic faces and expressions.

David Kunkler producer for Obsidian Entertainment and makers of Neverwinter Nights 2, said games are currently in an "uncanny valley."

"They look strange - they're too close to real, but not quite real," he added.

"Give us another year or two, and we'll be able to completely get across that uncanny valley," he told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme.

Getting emotional

This super-realism, where human characters look completely convincing, has been seen as an elusive next step forward for game programmers for a few years now.

But with motion-capture methods - where computers read sensors which monitor the movements of an actor - rapidly being perfected, it will not be long before it becomes part of the gaming world.

REAL game characters next year!

Super-realistic computer games which will feature human faces as they actually look are at most two years away, developers have told the BBC.

At present, developers have not been able to create games characters with photo-realistic faces and expressions.

David Kunkler producer for Obsidian Entertainment and makers of Neverwinter Nights 2, said games are currently in an "uncanny valley."

"They look strange - they're too close to real, but not quite real," he added.

"Give us another year or two, and we'll be able to completely get across that uncanny valley," he told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme.

Getting emotional

This super-realism, where human characters look completely convincing, has been seen as an elusive next step forward for game programmers for a few years now.

But with motion-capture methods - where computers read sensors which monitor the movements of an actor - rapidly being perfected, it will not be long before it becomes part of the gaming world.

JOOST!

This is some interesting information i found from the bbc website about joost, readint throught this actually explains what its about quite well. Viacom in video deal with Joost

The Joost interface allows instant channel hopping Entertainment giant Viacom is to provide TV programmes and films to much-hyped online video service Joost. The deal includes programming from MTV Networks, BET Networks and film studio Paramount Pictures. Joost was founded by Niklas Zennstroem and Janus Friis, the men behind Skype, and is pitching itself as a broadband video network. Earlier this month Viacom asked YouTube to remove 100,000 "unauthorised" clips from the service now owned by Google. The terms of the deal between Viacom and Joost were not made public but the service will have "free access to thousands of programmes and channels not readily available on the web". The agreement reflects the growth of interest mainstream media is taking in online delivery of video. Similar services Services such as iTunes and websites from networks like NBC and ABC are turning to the web to offer programmes and films. In the UK Channel 4 was the first of the main broadcasters to offer a video-on-demand service, while the BBC and ITV plan similar services for later in the year. The content Joost will receive from Viacom is aimed at a younger demographic, with programmes such as Laguna Beach, Beavis and Butthead, Real World and Punk'd on offer. Joost is still in a beta - or test - form, allowing users to give technical feedback to the developers. The company recently announced a version of its software that will allow it to run on Apple Macs as well as PCs. Janus Friis, founder of Joost said: "We built this platform from the ground up, with companies like Viacom in mind." "We're extremely pleased to be working with Joost, and couldn't be prouder to be a key partner in the launch of the next generation in broadband video technology," said Philippe Dauman, Viacom president and chief executive officer. There are also reports that Joost is in talks with British broadcasters ITV and Channel 4.