Cablevision Systems announced that it has now added more than two dozen interactive features based on the ActiveVideo Networks network-based platform, including MSG Varsity Interactive, News12 Interactive, advertising showcases and iO Quick View video mosaics.
Cablevision offers the interactive features to its 2.9 million digital subscribers in the New York metropolitan area. The MSO said it will continue to work with ActiveVideo to develop and deploy additional interactive channels.
Last fall the Bethpage, N.Y.-based operator debuted three Quick View channels, which display mosaics of nine different kids, sports and news networks on a single screen. In February, Cablevision used ActiveVideo to offer an "Olympic Showcase" mosaic with live looks at NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network and Universal HD and a link to an Olympics video-on-demand section.
"TV programming that brings together the best of linear, on-demand video and interactivity into one channel will be a key differentiator for Cablevision in the future," Gary Schanman, Cablevision's senior vice president of video and advanced advertising product management, said in a statement. "ActiveVideo's flexible development tools and scalable platform enable us to innovate rapidly and leverage the strength of our fiber-rich network to deliver tremendously valuable, unique experiences to our customers."
ActiveVideo will demo several of the Cablevision services in its booth at the 2010 Cable Show this week on Los Angeles. ActiveVideo, formerly called ICTV, is based in San Jose, Calif.
Cablevision uses the ActiveVideo's content developer's kit to write Web-based content for delivery as a single MPEG stream to any digital set-top box. Subscribers use standard remote controls to search for and access video and information.
