What You Need to Know About Interactive TV

There's a "You say potato, I say potahto' scenario going on in interactive TV. The term ITV is used to refer to two types of interactivity: one dealing with usage, the other with technology.

Strictly speaking, ITV is an overlay in pay TV that enables an engaging experience. ITV is frequently confused with TV convergence, however -- the marriage of the TV set and the internet. This has become especially bewildering as the market speculates about an Apple TV set, which is expected to be named iTV. What it boils down to is this: Interactive TV is delivered via the pay-TV set-top box and converged TV functionality is delivered via the web through internet-connected TV sets, over-the-top boxes like Roku or gaming consoles, according to Rex Harris, innovation supervisor at SMGx.