KDIS Online will be available via your TV set shortly. Web-TV will soon allow people to access the Internet directly through their TV sets, without a PC in sight.
The first of these devices, the NetStation, goes on sale in a week or so. This set top box attaches to a TV set and a telephone line to allow World Wide Web surfin' for technophobes. In an attempt to keep up Yorkshire cable is to offer a similar service early next year, with the added advantage of no phone charges.
The NetStation goes on sale in Curry's and Dixons at the end of the month. Costing £300, the box plugs into the TV through a scart connection, and connects via a long extension to a phone socket. A further monthly charge of £15 is required to the "service provider", in this case NetChannel, a related company. Then connection is a simple matter of inserting a smart card, keying in a password and off you go. Phone charges are the cost of a local call whilst on-line.
Control is via a small hand-held remote control, or by using an optional wireless keyboard (costing a further £80). However, results are likely to prove disappointing, as the poor definition of TV displays will render many sites virtually unreadable. Web sites are currently developed for PC's, which use monitors displaying at much higher resolution than TV's. Only sites developed especially for TV display, such as the Netchannel Home page, will be useful.
Connection comes with 5 free e-mail accounts. The built in modem runs at 33.6 kbs, but there is currently no support for Java or image caching, so the process will appear sluggish and many sites will appear incomplete. None the less, it is the first step in making the Internet available to the wider public. The onset of digital TV in the next 2 years, with improved screen resolution, is bound to herald the final welding of TV and Internet into one consumer commodity.
Not to be outdone, Yorkshire Cable announced a similar service, to be introduced throughout Yorkshire early next year on a trial basis. This version will use the fibre optic TV connection for two-way traffic, removing the need for a separate telephone connection (and the charges) and providing much faster throughput. However, it is believed that monthly subscription charges will be much higher. The problem with poor TV resolution remains.
The growth of Internet-on-TV is likely to lead to a massive switch of advertising revenue from traditional media. Already the Internet has seen a massive upsurge in advertising. Estate agents throughout the country are producing flashy property sites. Web TV will give everyone equal and inexpensive access to the masses.