AT&T

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up/summary format. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Here are some other interactive TV-related stories we didn't have room for in this issue:

AT&T on Tuesday unveiled My Multiview, a new interactive TV app for its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered U-verse TV IPTV platform that allows viewers to select the channels for their own Multiview (multiscreen mosaic) display (note: U-verse TV launched Sports, Kids and News Multiview apps in the fall of 2009, and this year has offered special Multiview apps for a number of major sporting events).

Zugara, a Los Angeles-based interactive marketing company that has developed a number of high-profile augmented reality applications (see, for example, the article published on itvt.com, November 17th), contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it recently worked with BBDO and Zoic Studios to develop a soccer-themed AR app for AT&T that ran within a banner ad on ESPN.com.

Because the [itvt] editorial team has been on the road the past few weeks, we are covering recent news stories in summary/round-up form. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. We apologize for any inconvenience to our readers.

AT&T on Tuesday unveiled its plans for interactive TV, VOD, online and mobile coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Among other things, the plans call for the telco to offer the first-ever Spanish-language interactive TV application to run on its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV platform, U-verse TV.

The [itvt] editorial team is on the road this week, so we are covering most stories in round-up/summary form, and we anticipate that there will be some additional interruptions of our regular news publishing schedule beyond that. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience to our readers.

AT&T has announced plans for multiplatform coverage of the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament on its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered U-verse TV IPTV service, on mobile phones, and on its AT&T Fan Zone and AT&T Entertainment Web sites. The company says it will provide golf fans with over 110 hours of live coverage and on-demand content, and that it will be the only wireless carrier delivering live and on-demand Masters programming to mobiles--via the AT&T Mobile TV, MobiTV and AT&T Mobile Video services.

Last August (see the article published on itvt.com, August 31st) TiVo--whose six-year-old patent infringement lawsuit against DISH Network and EchoStar appears to be approaching its final conclusion (see the article published on itvt.com, March 29th)--filed complaints in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas against AT&T and Verizon for infringement of three of its US patents: 6,233,389 B1 ("Multimedia Time Warping System"), 7,529,465 B2 ("System for Time Shifting Multimedia Content Streams"), and 7,493,015 B1 ("Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System").

[itvt] has just published the latest edition of Rick Howe's regular column, "The iTV Doctor Is In!" This week, NBC Universal's VP of digital distribution, Michael Aaronson, provides a detailed overview of how the broadcaster brought interactive TV coverage of the Winter Olympics to AT&T U-verse TV, Cablevision, Comcast, DirecTV, DISH Network, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS TV.

In addition:

[itvt] has just published the latest edition of Rick Howe's regular column, "The iTV Doctor Is In!" This week, GW Shaw, executive director of AT&T U-verse marketing, discusses AT&T U-verse TV's interactive TV apps strategy, and how that strategy has been shaped by what it has learned from its customers since launching its first ITV apps back in 2006.

Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against TiVo in a San Francisco federal court, claiming that the DVR company has infringed upon two of its US patents--which cover technologies for securely purchasing and delivering video and for displaying programmable information respectively, Bloomberg reported yesterday. Microsoft, which claims that TiVo is illegally using the technologies described by the patents in its set-top boxes, its software and its subscription service, is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prevent TiVo from using the technologies.

AT&T has launched an interactive application, called Film Awards Interactive, for the iPhone/iPod touch and for its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV platform, U-verse TV. According to AT&T, among other things, the free app lets consumers use their remote control or their iPhone/iPod touch screen to:

Verizon announced Wednesday that it has launched an NBA League Pass interactive TV widget on its FiOS TV service. According to the company, the free widget allows viewers to order NBA League Pass, an NBA subscription package that provides up to 40 out-of-market live NBA games per week, via their remote control; and also provides them with instant access to headline news, player reports, game-time alerts and more.